[Leonard Arrington]
This morning Jim [Allen] and Davis [Bitton] and I went down to the Board Room in the Church Administration Building to witness the news conference in which the new First Presidency were presented to national and local reporters. ... Wendell Ashton brought in the First Presidency, seated them at a table with President [Spencer W.] Kimball in the center-President [N. Eldon] Tanner on his right, President [Marion G.] Romney on his left, and Elder Ezra [Taft] Benson on President Romney's left. ...
In giving biographical information about President Romney, he mentioned that his father, George Romney, [[George S. Romney (1874-1935) presided over Ricks College for thirteen years, 1917-30. He was an uncle of George W. Romney, governor of Michigan and US presidential candidate, and like his nephew grew up in the Mormon colonies in Mexico.]] had served as president of Ricks College. It occurred to me that we ought to do an article on President Romney and his father for Idaho Yesterdays.
Wendell then introduced in turn each of the persons to say a few words. President Kimball spoke about ten minutes. He said first that it had occurred to him that there was a broad biographical representation in the First Presidency of the Church. President Tanner was from Canada, President Romney from Mexico, himself from Arizona, and Elder Benson from Idaho, and all of them had spent a great deal of time in Utah. This emphasized the international leadership of the Church. ...
President Kimball said that he had also been instrumental in establishing the radio station in Safford, KGLU. "K" stood for Kimball; "G" for his partner, whose name I didn't get; "L" for another partner, Long; "U" for Udall, anther prominent family in that region and perhaps another partner.
... President Romney began his remarks by speaking in Spanish. ... President Benson said he had always tried to be accommodating to the press and regarded the press as the only dictators that he knew. ...
[Question fro reporter:] Negroes and the priesthood. Will there be any change in that policy now or in the future? President Kimball said that "this is a matter which depends upon the Lord. We ourselves have not said [made] this policy. We are subject to the revelations of the Lord and if the Lord should dictate a change in this then it will occur." ... [Question:] Women. Will there be a change in attitude toward women? "Not too abruptly," answered President Kimball. "We believe that the ideal place for women is in the home. She has a sacred responsibility and privilege to be a partner with God in the creation of children and in bringing them up to be fine persons." ...
In the news conference of the new First Presidency, I was impressed with the extreme soberness of the brethren present. There were no smiles or no jokes. There seemed to be a gravely serious demeanor, no smiles, perhaps even a tenseness. They were overly solemn. This may have been partly a result of the occasion of President Lee's death. It may also be the result of special prayers offered in the meeting in the temple.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
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