1639-18 Politics I
d 'O b vi 10 r^* .0 �'vyi N >", m
H ,,,, d U tE Ui
CV
co ts ,6- _._.,.,) 0 8 ii:
bE
�o�r oILA
" „
o
n oE � � aNcaa, a '''•,..--,... ,_..,-= I a
72, y +- ar U ° >, c., E O u)
tt.� U � 3 vow `° mi .o •°' Q.; = O
o CA
0) G 0, O C N O C 0, E «+ O d o0 E d v
h 0. N is by O �
d �_ ^r�n oo PU y"(3'
c' `° 'v
Ytlik 3 C v c— > a aEIIIIIMIIIII •-•4,6 w, c
h , dO 1:5_ F c m-- ova a, v ., f`-'
a
A♦ n� h s" as °� : a - o `° 3 "1'o.c 3 - a i •?
W f
� o�' o� ~ op O2 a, ji� a, p,"� ca� v, 3a
_ es d ?,zo a; a V, 3,g—• 3 a
tl O o•� L�Y O ' O O a) N cl i cU td a.+ 00 E
5, a,w � v z„ E'ha 3•y- 2 cci
NEC Z
cci
. 0
= O
cies
„„„„.
. ...c
•. ,. ...
. . .
, - 7 ' . • '' ” 3
a) c .,. ..,
,i.,. ,....,..„.:. . .- . „ ,
• • 1 .-
cc) ,. .
q N
Cif ,_
•e- . ' •• m E
N
C
d
MI•• .... - N
a) ,_
....... 41,..
. azo: ,,..' d
,i-a . ,
u a
�. r
s o
5
o
it
f C
<C ,,. .. .
C
03
a III
,_K �d: V
.
L J
POWELL, from 1MB ✓
brother Al and myself,"Powell remembers. "The first time I was mayor was in 1951. I
"We opened an office on Meridian Avenue didn't seek the mayorship. There was a different
and 5th Street. That was the main entrance to law then.The highest man in the commission race
Miami Beach. We knew there was only way for went in as mayor.
the city to go, to grow north. So we ventured "I said 'Give me time to think it over.' But
forth and opened (another) office on Lincoln they didn't give me time. Bing, bang, I'm in as
Road." mayor. .. By the third time, I was a victim and ,
The office was framed by a small bank, a gro- couldn't do anything about it," Powell says face-
cery store, a garage and a small private school- tiously.
house which was used by the fledgling Commit- There was much that Powell did do something
tee of 100. The real doings, however, were at Carl about. While not a church-going man, Powell, a
Fisher's hotels — The Lincoln at Lincoln and Presbyterian, took exception to the proliferating
Washington, The Flamingo on 15th Street and (?estricted facilities in Miami Beach.
The Nautilus at 43rd Street. "In 1944, I introduced an ordinance that pro-
"So on May 1st, everything would close up. !lhibited signs that said 'No Jews,"'Gentiles Only.'
We had to find people, prospects for investment. ' I thought it very unfair that people be told where
So we'd go to Miami and find some. (Here)every- to stay in a first-class city.
1 one went fishing,"Powell says. I
Powell stayed and worked primarily on resi- v' "On another occasion, I got a call from Talla •
-
dential properties. Today, he says, he holds the tion inee that a similar bill to prohibit discri Sen.
oldest active real estate license in Miami Beach. tion in public accommodations passed in the Sen-
keep an office at 940 Lincoln Rd., butt ate. So I went up on a Friday because the Legisla-
"Idon't even open the door to anyone. I think it's lure was only to be in session another week.
"Someone had to get a special order (to save
about time to quit," he says.
They are strange words coming from a man the bill in the House) because in the last week, the
•
Legislature had many bills dismissed. I went to
who nearly came to fisticuffs with the Grand
Dragon of the Southern Knights of the Ku Klux see specialell friends o(legislators)leall and got that bill on
Klan and helped stop Klan bombings with a dyna- a order,"Powell recalls proudly.
mite control bill; a man who banned restricted f Not five years later, in 1951, Powell was the
covenants from public accommodations. lJ natural for the fight with Florida's KKK.
D. Lee Powell is a big man. Despite the years, "My bill (outlawing the KKK) that .I had
drafted, I took it to Tallahassee and appeared be-
his posture is erect, his handshake firm. He dress-
es conservatively: Cream-colored linen jacket, fore the House and Senate Judiciary Committees
blue oxford cloth button-down shirt, silk tie. His to argue in favor of it. Standing, sitting next to
hair, full and white, is brushed back much as in me was the head of the KKK (Grand Dragon Bill
earlier years. Hendrix.) We nearly got into a fist fight. 1 called •
But Powell is shy of the camera lens. He says him everything in the world!"
1 he. has "let down some" from his height of 6-
foot-4. His weight has dropped 30 pounds. News accounts of the hearings had Senate
Chairman Wayne Ripley of Jacksonville stepping
If you didn't know him before, you wouldn't between the two men "before they came to
realize the difference. He is a robust, virile man. blows."
And he has strong opinions. The fight is nearly out of D. Lee Powell. He
In his 30 years as Beach councilman and goes to his real estate office daily for a few hours.
mayor, Powell got good press. The city had asked Then he goes on over to the Intercontinental Bank
him to enter the political ring. on lower Washington Avenue and lunches with
"In 1942, my brother and I were in our real the officers. He is a board member and keeps an
estate office and I got a call from city hall. The active interest in the bank he started in 1954.
council — you'd better say the commission now But, he says, he is "fortunate to be around."
— wanted to see me. He doesn't actively seek out work.
"Did they want to put me in jail? They said Once again, the City of Miami Beach came to '
there was a vacancy because Baron deHirsch Powell. He was appointed by the commission to
Meyer was resigning to go into the army. So be its laison officer for the Dade,state and nation-
there was a vacant seat they wanted me to al Leagues of Cities. He also works the mayors'
fill . . . I served the vacancy and ran for election. I conferences.
was elected eight consecutive times. All told, i Powell may say it's time to quit. Miami Beach
served 30 years. seems to be saying "Not yet." 4I
L.