A newspaper article mentioning the dedication of a new American Red Cross building in Los Angeles to the memory of Bessie (Zander) Yuncker [I01840].

Transcription:

Red Cross Will Dedicate Center

The new home of the Southern District Service Center of the Los Angeles Red Cross Chapter will be dedicated Sunday at 3 p.m.

Located on the southeast corner of First Street and Western Avenue, San Pedro, the 10,000-square foot, split level facility will also serve as the administrative headquarters for the Red Cross branches in San Pedro, Gardena, Palos Verdes, Torrance, Lomita, and Wilmington.

Presiding over the dedication ceremony will be Wendell C. B lack, president of Harbor Junior College and chairman of the Wilmington Red Cross Branch.

The dedication speech will be delivered by Daniel J. Haughton, president of the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation and vice chairman of the Los Angeles Red Cross Chapter.

There will be open house from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Open house will also be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Denver Bullock, building committee chairman, said that the new headquarters will more than double the space of the present San Pedro Facility at 390 W. Seventh St.

"Ample space will be provided for blood collections, for classes in first aid and home nursing, and for meeting facilities," Bullock said. "And one suite will house three full-time social workers who give service to military families--the Red Cross service most often requested in the Southern District."

The $300,000 building will be dedicated to the memory of the late Mrs. John E. Yuncker, whose bequest paid more than two-thirds of the cost.

Mrs. Yuncker died on Dec. 2, 1962, just one month after her husband passed away. For many years the couple owned and operated the J. E. Yuncker Music Co., on West Seventh Street, Los Angeles. Mrs. Yuncker was an accomplished pianist.

Stressing that funds contributed to Red Cross during annual fund campaigns, such as the present United Crusade, are not used to purchase property and building, or pay for improvements, Bullock said that the remainder of the cost of the Southern District Service center was underwritten by other bequests and legacies, "or money donated expressly for this purpose."

When Jess Grindall, a San Pedro resident, saw the building going up, he donated $1,000 for some special kitchen equipment, Bullock said.

Others on the dedication program will be Juan Wynard, Red Cross Youth leader at Dodson Junior High School, who will lead the Pledge of Allegiance; the Rev. Harold Slusher, Christ Community Church, Gardena, who will give the invocation; the Army Color Guard from Ft. MacArthur, who will conduct the flag raising ceremony; and the Rev. Edward Couch, First Presbyterian Church, San Pedro, who will give the benediction.

The U. S. flag used in the ceremony has flown over the Capitol in Washington, D. C., and was the gift of Cecil R. King, U. S. Congressman, 17th District.

Torrance, Los Angeles, California, USA

Source: "Red Cross Will Dedicate Center," article, Torrance (California) Press-Herald, 27 October 1965; online archives (http://www.torranceca.gov/libraryarchive/ : downloaded 13 February 2016). Major funding for a new American Red Cross Service Center was provided by a bequest from Bessie Yuncker.