How Amon Carter became the grinch that stole Christmas
BY DAVE LIEBER
This is a story about one man who decided in the year 1953 that Fort Worth did not deserve a city Christmas tree. So there was none.
One man who ruled Cowtown for half a century with his whims, desires and foibles.
One man who had such an iron grip on the city that he owned his city’s soul.
Every year, Amon Carter, the owner of the Star-Telegram, WBAP-AM radio and NBC/Channel 5, sent one of his S-T reporters, C.L. Richhart, out to New Mexico to pick out a 100-foot-tall Christmas tree that Carter would donate to his beloved Fort Worth.
The “Star-Telegram Christmas Tree” was placed every year in Burk Burnett Park. This photo is of the 1952 tree, adorned with 4,000 bulbs.
Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection at UTA Digital Libraries.
In 1953, Amon pushed for an expensive bond election that would have raised taxes but also built sidewalks, streets and other city infrastructure. Amon’s newspaper endorsed the proposal, too. But when it went down to defeat by Fort Worthians who didn’t want higher taxes, Amon became enraged.
“Don’t people read my editorials?” he asked. When he got like this, his secretary called it his “mad spell.”
Amon called the reporter out in New Mexico and ordered him home. Forget this year’s Christmas tree, Amon explained. The city over which he ruled did not deserve it. So there was none.
As good as this missing city Christmas tree story is, it didn’t make my play, AMON! The Ultimate Texan. The other stories are even better!
Visit AmonPlay.com for ticket and play and book information. AMON! The Ultimate Texan reopens at Artisan Center Theater in Hurst, TX for shows in 2022 on — Aug. 27, Sept. 3 nd 10.
“Theater is the oldest way we have of trying to tell the truth about who we are.” — the late playwright, Terrence McNally.
Tickets are now on sale HERE. “As big as Texas,” one critic wrote.
