On March 9, 1938, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited Amarillo, Texas, where she was greeted by an astounding crowd of approximately 125,000 visitors who gathered to catch a glimpse of this distinguished guest. Arriving from Lubbock at 11:25 AM, Mrs. Roosevelt, wearing a dark coat with fur collar and a blue hat trimmed with flowers, graciously smiled and waved to the enthusiastic crowds as she rode in an open car through the city streets.
The highlight of the celebration came when Mrs. Roosevelt was presented with what was dubbed “the world’s largest bouquet of roses” – an impressive arrangement of 5,000 roses from the Mother-in-Law Club. The visit marked the celebration of Mother-in-Law Day, a local holiday that was established in Amarillo after former Amarillo Globe Publisher Gene Howe made a highly disparaging remark about his live-in mother-in-law in his newspaper column, “The Tactless Texan.” Howe tried to calm the domestic waves by proposing a citywide celebration to honor mothers-in-law. The spectacular presentation involved a decorated power crane that swung and lifted the massive bouquet into position in front of the First Lady at the reviewing stand located at Thirteenth Avenue and Polk Street.
The visit was part of a grand celebration that included five governors – Allred of Texas, Tingley of New Mexico, Huxman of Kansas, Marland of Oklahoma, and Ammons of Colorado – who joined Mrs. Roosevelt in the reviewing stand. Following the parade, which concluded around 1 o’clock in the afternoon, the First Lady retired to the Amarillo Hotel to rest before delivering an evening lecture at the Municipal Auditorium.
More Information:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-amarillo-globe-times/306441/