Is Detroit down and out?

No! But the...rest of the world—having been flooded with newspaper and radio publicity unfavorable to our city—have soaked up the idea that Detroit, and its industry as a whole, have been knocked flat...

So begins a letter sent by the Golden Jubilee Committee, soliciting support for the celebration from local businesses and organizations. The Committee's outreach was extremely successful, and the list of Jubilee sponsors exemplified civic unity. Organizations involved ranged from the Mexican Society Mutualista and Norse Civic Association to the Automotive Tool & Die Manufacturers Association and the Booker T. Washington Trade Association. The CIO-United Auto Workers signed on, as did the Detroit Stock Exchange.

The Golden Jubilee Committee consisted largely of members of Detroit's wealthy industrialist class. General William Knudsen was its General Chairman. George Romney, the handsome and charismatic general manager of the Automobile Manufacturer's Association and future Michigan Governor, was named as managing director. The Executive Committee appointed by Knudsen consisted of heads of all the major automotive firms from Autocar to Willys-Overland.

The Jubilee committee set to work creating a spectacular program—but without very much time to plan. In the words of a newly hired technical director for the Jubilee: "...[Y]ou are here attempting to stage nothing short of a World's Fair, not with two years of preparation but two months...Your daring amazes me!"

His dramatic remarks set exactly the tone the Jubilee planners hoped for—the World's Fair comparison, the marveling at the speed and industry with which Detroit could accomplish such a herculean task.

The Jubilee's planners believed that negative perceptions of Detroit could be reversed through the creation of an enormous and entertaining spectacle. They were not necessarily endorsing a program of meaningful reform to resolve the racial antagonisms and worker discontent. What they were attempting to create was essentially akin to good advertising—an impressive public relations event, partially for the benefit and enjoyment of Detroit's citizens, and partially for the consumption of the national media.

above left: Miss Mary Grace Simescu, the Jubilee Queen, breaks ground at the site in Grand Circus Park where the opening night festivities are to be held. She is accompanied by members of the Golden Jubilee Committee.

above right: Lieutenant General William S. Knudsen, General Chairman of the Automotive Industry Golden Jubilee Committee.