Howard Pyle

NOTES:
1. “Carl T. Hayden, 1877-1972,” Hayden Arizona Pioneer Biographies Collection Arizona State University Libraries, http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/azbio/hayden.html
2. Goff, John F., Arizona Biographical Dictionary, Black Mountain Press, Cave Creek Arizona, 1983, p. 269.
3. Gryder, Dr. John, “John Howard Pyle, 1951-1955,” Myers, John L..,The Arizona Governors,1912-1990, Heritage Publishers, Phoenix, 1989, p 87.
4. Goff, ibid.
5. Pare, Madeline Ferrin, Arizona Pageant, a Short History of the 48th State, Arizona Historical Foundation, Tempe, Arizona, 1975, p. 270.
6. “Seven Radio Stations Serve Arizona Fans,” The Arizona Republic, November 21, 1936, section 2, p. 8
7. James, Elizabeth Hampton, “Howard Pyle,” Memories of Old Settlers of Tempe, Benedice, Benedict and James compilers., Old Settlers Association, Tempe, Arizona, N.D.
8. Gryder, p. 90.
9. Ibid.
10. Teatsorth, Ralph, “Advance Men Prepare for Occupation,” Nevada State Journal, Reno, August 22, 1945, p. 1.
11. Goff, ibid
12. Shadegg, Stephen, “Barry Goldwater: Freedom is His Flight Plan,” Daily Tribune, Great Bend Kansas, August 21, 1964, p. 4.
13. Kolbe, John, “Barry Goldwater, Arizona Legend Talks Politics The Warrior Comes Home,” interview by John Kolbe, Phoenix Gazette columnist, December 3, 1986, http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special25/articles/1203goldwater.html.
14. Shadegg, ibid.
15. Ibid
16, Pare, p. 271.
17. Goff, ibid.
18. Pare, ibid.
19. Pearson, Rita P., “Administering the GMA to Ensure Arizona’s Water Future,” http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/awr/mat00/guestview.htm.
20. “California Steals Water, Leaves Arizona’s Jug Half Empty,” http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/awr/jun05/jug.html.
21. “Arizona Braces for Water War,” The Arizona Republic, August, 25, 2005, p. 1.
22. Kolbe ibid.
23. “Mountain Area Delegates Praise Hoover Speech,” Reno Evening Gazette, July 9, 1952, p. 7.
24. Reid, K. R., Personal reminiscence.
25. “Families Fleing Polygamy Strip”, Nevada Star Journal, August 11, 1935, p. 3.
26. “Opens drive on western Eden, Mate Circuits,” The Hammond Times, August 27, 1935, p. 12.
27, “Can’t Hear Polygamists in Arizona,” Nevada State Journal, September 29, 1935, p. 1.
28. “Short Creek Polygamists are Released From Prison”, The Arizona Republic, November 10, 1936, section 2, p. 1.
29. “Utah’s Drive on Polygamy is Continued.,” Nevada State Journal, December 12, 1943, p. 2.
30. “Polygamists Convicted of White Slavery,” Nevada State Journal, May 23, 1944, p. 6.
31. “Prison Changes Outlook of Tem Utah Polygamists,” Nevada State Journal, October 30, 1945, p. 9.
32. “Polygamist Sect Target of Arizona-Utah Inquiry,” The Arizona Republic, September 28, 2003.
33. Pearson, Drew, “The Washngton Merry-Go-Round, Polygamy in the U. S. A.,” Indiana Evening Gazette, et al., September 15, 1948, p. 7.
34. “Short Creek Raid Backfired on governor,” Salt Lake Tribune, May 20, 2001, p. B1.
35. “Polygamy ‘Stronghold’ Raided, Arizona plice Nab 346,” Oakland Tribune, Jult 27, 1953, p. 5.
36. Pyle, Howard, Radio Address: “Governor Howard Pyle on police Raid of Arizona Polygamist Enclave,” July 26, 1953.
37. “’Polygamy’Throughout its History,” Salt Lake tribune, June 28, 1998.
38. “The lonely Men of Short Creek”Life, September 14, 1953, pp. 36 and 37.
39. Numerous articles appeared in the Arizona Republic, and The New Times. TV channel 3, KTTV alone had 71 stories about polygamy.
40. Reaves, Joseph A. and Shaffer, Mark, “Polygamist Sect Target of Arizona-Utah Inquiry,” The Arizona Republic, September 28, 2003, http://www.azcentral.com/specials45/articles/0928polyg-enforcement-28 html
41. “Arizona Ex-Governor to White house job,” The Great Bend Daily Tribune, January 23, 1955, p. 11.
42. “Energiser for Federalism,” Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (EOP, The White House Office), http ://www.americanpresident.org/action.orgchart/administration_units/officeofintergovernmental affairs/a_index.shmtl.
43. “Ike’s Aide Says Church Needed More Today than Any Time in history,” Appleton Post-Crescent, July 24, 1958, p. 24.
44. “Brownell Quit Due to Adams?,” Atchison Daily Globe, October 24, 1957, p. 1, Attorney General Herbert Brownell was miffed because he was excluded from a meeting involving cabinet officials and state governors that Sherman and Howard Pyle were invited to attend.
45. “Eisenhower to Run, Howard Pyle States,” Nevada State Journal, October 6, 1955, p. 6.
46. Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, “Pyle, Howard, Administrative Assistant and Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations, Records, 1955-59,” boxes 48-52.
47. “Pyle Makes Apology for His Statement,” Oshkosh Northwestern, May 24, 1956.
48. “Ike Accepts Pyle’s Resignation,” The Salisbury times, January 24, 1959, p. 9.
49. “Class of 1957, The Honorable Howard Pyle,” http ://www.nsc.org/insidnsc/shhoft/bioptle.hmt.

Before the decade of the 1950’s, Arizona was regarded only as a sparsely settled insignificant frontier territory. Although two powerful members of the U.S. Congress were from Arizona, Carl Hayden and Ernest McFarland, they did not bring the state into national prominence. They were, as Carl Hayden liked to say, “work horses,” not “show horses.” This changed in the early 50’s with the emergence of the Arizona Republican party and the rise of a new breed of politician. The first was J. Howard Pyle. A man of high principles and and superb administrative skills. He was governor of Arizona from 1951 to 1955 and achieved national prominence in three careers. He was a radio broadcaster, advisor to President Eisenhower and president of the National Safety Council. In all three endeavors, Howard Pyle brought recognition and prestige to Arizona.

John Howard Pyle was born in Sheridan, Wyoming on March 25, 1906 to Thomas and Mary Anderson Pyle. The family moved frequently, living in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and finally in 1925, establishing a residence in Tempe. Thomas was an ordained minister of the Baptist Church and his services featured Howard’s superb singing in the church choir This singing ability allowed him to reach the semi finals in the Atwater Kent search for vocal talent. However, the necessity of earning a living made a career in music unrealistic, so Howard worked in a variety of jobs. He was a time keeper for the Southern Pacific Railroad, a salesman, secretary of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and the Tempe correspondent for the Arizona Republic. A break came when in 1930 Howard joined Phoenix radio station KTAR as staff announcer and vocal soloist. He became the most popular radio personality in Arizona with the popular program “Arizona Highlights” and his Grand Canyon Easter sunrise service broadcast internationally over the NBC radio network.

Another event of 1930 in Howard’s life was his marriage to Lucille Hanna. His courtship was the “romance of the neighborhood.” Their wedding “was a marriage made in heaven as they were both such good Christians.” The Pyles built a house on Ash Street where they raised their daughters Mary Lou and Virginia.

With the advent of World War II, Howard broadened his activities to include international affairs. He covered the establishment of the United Nations in San Francisco, using his contacts with 50 world leaders to report and explain the proceedings. He was accredited as a war correspondent in the Pacific theater and interviewed hundreds of soldiers for broadcasts back home. He accompanied the first troops that landed in Japan, reporting on the subsequent arrival of General MacArthur and the occupation forces. He broadcast the events of the Japanese surrender from the battleship Missouri.

In Arizona, the Republican party had not been a factor in state politics. In 1950 a group of Republicans decided to make a determined effort to elect a Republican Governor. Radio executive Charles Garland suggested that Howard Pyle be nominated. State Republican chairman, Col. R. M. J. Evjen suggested that Barry Goldwater manage the campaign. Goldwater accepted and undertook the first job, convincing Howard Pyle to be a candidate. The only question Goldwater asked Pyle was did he intend to campaign to win? The reply was,”With every ounce at my command.” During the summer of 1952, Goldwater’s airplane carried the campaigners to every corner of Arizona. Pyle not only made campaign speeches, but visited stores, barber shops and community centers shaking hands and talking informally with people. His friendly manner and ability to communicate were major factors in the campaign. His opponent, state auditor, Anna Frohmiller ran an uninspired campaign, and when the votes were tallied, Howard Pyle became governor by 3,000 votes.

Once in office, Governor Pyle used his administrative ability to work effectively with the Democratic controlled Arizona legislature. One of his concerns, along with every other Arizona governor, was water. He appointed Barry Goldwater to the Interstate Stream Commission, and tried to put groundwater usage on a rational basis. He continued the battle over the Colorado River waters by bringing attention to Arizona’s dispute with California. At the dedication of Grand Coulee Dam, when “princesses” representing the 48 states poured a jug of water into the Grand Coulee canal, Governor Pyle sent only a half filled jug, saying that “greedy California had stolen the rest from the Colorado River.” This dispute over water has continued unabated into the 21th century.

Two events occurred during Governor Pyle’s administration that helped put Arizona in the national spotlight. The first was helping convince Barry Goldwater to run for the United States Senate. The second was more direct. On the second day of the 1952 Republican National convention, following Herbert Hoover’s speech, Governor Pyle gave an address entitled “What is Right for America” that earned praise throughout the country. Even the television commentators at the convention were impressed by the speech. The people of Arizona were thrilled about the favorable image given to their state.

Governor Pyle’s high moral principles resulted in a setback to his administration. A polygamous community in remote Short Creek, Arizona had defied the law for years. Previous attempts to deal with the polygamists had met with limited success. In 1935 Mohave County Attorney Elmo Boldinger charged five Short Creek residents and expected to bring at least 20 indictments. However, Boldinger was frustrated by the Short Creek Justice of the Peace who threw out key evidence. The case was moved to Kingman, and two men were convicted. They were sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, but were released after serving less than a year. In 1943, the FBI raided the Polygamists in Short Creek, and 15 men were convicted of violating the Mann Act (transporting someone across a state line for immoral purposes). They were sentenced from three to five years in prison. Nine were released seven months later when they signed a pledge to give up polygamy. They simply broke their promise and returned to polygamy after their release. The mild punishments for the polygamous abuses seemed to discourage further action or publicity. The only notice given them was a criticism of the Short Creek communism-like collective living “United Effort Plan” by Drew Pearson.

Learning of the outrages committed in Short Creek, Governor Pyle’s moral principles required him to act. Although knowing that both FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and the U. S. Attorney’s office said that it was a hopeless case, the Governor sent the highway patrol into Short Creek and arrested 33 men and took into custody 50 women and 253 Children. The governor explained to the people of Arizona:

All doubt is erased when it is realized that in the evidence the State has accumulated there are multiple instances of statutory rape, adultery, bigamy, open and notorious cohabitation, contributing to the delinquency of minors, marrying the spouse of another, and an all-embracing conspiracy to commit all of these crimes, along with various instances of income tax evasion,

Again, the consequences of polygamy were mild. Twenty three polygamists received one year of probation. They returned home and renamed their community to Colorado City. Even worse, the national media, with the exception of the LDS Deseret News crucified Governor Pyle for the Short Creek raid. Even Life magazine published maudlin pictures of empty schoolhouses and lonely dogs awaiting their master’s return. Fifty years later, Governor Pyle’s actions would be vindicated. After extensive publicity about the abuses of polygamy, Attorney General Terry Goddard and Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff have begun action against the polygamists in Colorado City. They have been charged with statutory rape, adultery, bigamy, child abuse, incest, welfare fraud, and misuse of public school funds. But, in 1954 The negative publicity and a strong Democratic candidate cost Pyle the governorship in the general election.

Howard Pyle’s integrity and governmental skills were well known in Washington. In January, 1955, President Eisenhower appointed him as a White House Administrative Assistant and in June as Deputy Assistant to the President for intergovernmental Affairs. He became the link between the White House and state and local governments. This office required a person who “has a firm knowledge of the specific issues being debated around the White House--and [is] involved in policy decisions.” Mr. Pyle attended cabinet meetings and met directly with the President in matters concerning state and local governments. As an insider, he often acted as a conduit to the thinking of the White House. When President Eisenhower had his first heart attack, He let the nation know, informally, that Eisenhower would run again in 1956. The President utilized his speaking skills by having him cover the nation giving over 170 speeches representing the administration. He became a popular and well known speaker. However, he once did get into trouble once when a slip of the tongue and an incomplete quote got him into hot water. He made the off the cuff statement, “The right to suffer is one of the joys of a free economy, just as the right to prosper is.” Obviously he would have liked to have rephrased that statement. The press quoted only the first part of the statement and the Democrats severely criticized him, necessitating an apology. However, The fact that the opponents to the administration so greatly publicized the utterance does show Howard Pyle’s impact and importance in the Eisenhower administration.

In the last year of the Eisenhower administration, Howard Pyle received an offer to become the President of the National Safety Council, although he kept his ties with the administration for another two years as a member of the President’s Committee for Traffic Safety. For the next 15 years he worked strenuously to improve safety, with an emphasis on highway safety. He was a popular speaker and a prolific writer on the topic of safety. He is known for his statement, “We pray for peace--we contribute billions of dollars in taxes in an effort to help guarantee peace--then we proceed to do more damage to each other from behind the wheel of out automobiles than has been done to our people by all the wars we have ever fought.” his testimony was valued by Congress and he gave expert testimony in legal cases involving safety. During this he received numerous awards and six honorary doctorates from Major universities.

In October, 1971, he retired to return to his home on Ash Street in Tempe. Even in his retirement he lived his philosophy of “never to take any opportunity lightly, I worked at each job as if it were the last thing I was going to do.” He kept active in local affairs and was still in demand as a speaker until his death in Tempe in November of 1987.

In almost every reference to Mr. Pyle’s activities, his Arizona connection was noted. His accomplishments “put Arizona on the Map,” and he was the forerunner of the influential Arizonans, Barry Goldwater, Stewart and Morris Udall, Sandra O’Connor, Bruce Babbitt and William Rehnquist.

His total life is reflected in “You’ve built a better Arizona, Howard!”