On October 10, 1959, Vice President Richard M. Nixon (1913-1994) dedicates The Dalles Lock and Dam on the Columbia River. He gives a rousing speech calling for national cooperation in fighting the economic and military threat posed by the Soviet Union, then starts the dam's newest generator. Afterward, he enjoys a tour of the dam with his wife Pat (1912-1993) and Emerson C. Itschner (1903-1995), Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers.
A Chipper Veep
The Dalles Lock and Dam (The Dalles Dam) straddles the Washington-Oregon state line on the Columbia River 192 miles from its outlet at the Pacific Ocean. Construction began in March 1952, and five years later the dam was completed to the point that its gates could be closed. This took place on March 10, 1957, and it resulted in the formation of Celilo Lake and the destruction of Celilo Falls (as well as other landmarks) behind the dam. The dam's first generator was installed in September 1957, and from then a new generator was installed every three months or so. By September 1959, nine generators had been installed.
There had been plans to have a formal dedication ceremony at the 7,365-foot-long, L-shaped dam for some time, and it was originally planned for September 26, 1959. Boosters hoped for a big speaker at the dedication and invited Vice President Nixon. Nixon couldn't attend on September 26 but was free two weeks later, on Saturday morning, October 10. Plans were changed accordingly.
Despite a long overnight flight via private plane from Dallas, with refueling stops in Tucson and Sacramento (the jet age was still a few years away), Nixon put on a chipper appearance when he arrived at the dam. Organizers were surprised by the low attendance for the ceremony; the crowd was about one-tenth of what was expected, with estimates varying between 3,000 and 3,500. This was for several reasons. The dam had been in operation for more than two years, and the early excitement it had generated was for some starting to fade into routine. Further, by 1959 public interest generally in attending dedications of large public projects was not as high as it had been in the past. And the weather at the dam on the morning of the dedication was chilly, damp, and threatening rain.
"We've got to quit fighting among ourselves"
If the thin crowd disappointed Nixon, he didn't show it. Speaking from the Washington shoreline next to the dam, he gave a spirited speech that focused on the Soviet menace -- in 1959 the prospect of the U.S. falling economically and militarily behind the Soviet Union was a real concern -- but finished on an optimistic note. He called for the kind of national cooperation in dealing with the Soviet Union that had been present in building The Dalles Dam, which required many diverse groups to work together. Raising both arms for emphasis, the vice president argued "we've got to quit fighting among ourselves" ("Nixon Urges…"), and concluded his remarks by saying that the United States' advantage over its adversaries came from the ability of its citizens to work together.
Nixon then pressed a button which started the dam's 10th generator, sending another 78,000 kilowatts of power into 8,000 miles of transmission lines spread throughout the Pacific Northwest. (This was not the final generator installed. Four more generators were installed by the end of October 1960, and an additional eight were installed in 1972 and 1973.) He took a couple of questions from the press, and Oregon governor Mark Hatfield (1922-2011) and Washington governor Albert Rosellini (1910-2011) then spoke. They were followed by speeches from Oregon senator Richard Neuberger (1912-1960) and Lieutenant General Emerson Itschner.
Afterward, a smiling Nixon and his wife toured the dam with the other dignitaries, following a service road that ran along the top of the dam structure. They checked out the spillway, inspected the powerhouse, and took a look at the fish ladder on the dam's east side. By this time the approaching rain was nigh, and the party made the tour in short order. Crossing into Oregon at the structure's southern end, they proceeded to The Dalles Junior High School and enjoyed a luncheon hosted by Guy F. Atkinson (1875-1968), owner of the Guy F. Atkinson Construction Company, which led the construction project.
