C.A. Tatum Jr., Civic Leader, Dies
He quietly helped desegregate Dallas
The heart that C.A. Tatum Jr. shared with all of Dallas failed him Wednesday, ending a life dedicated to public service. Tatum, 79, retired board chairman of Texas Utilities Co., suffered a fatal heart attack Wednesday at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
He had enjoyed a reputation as both a captain of industry and an ardent supporter of Dallas' growth.
One of his greatest contributions to Dallas came at a time when the streets of many Southern cities were transformed into battlegrounds over desegregation.
The year was 1960. Tatum headed the powerful Dallas Citizens Council, a group composed of 250 corporate heads. To bring about peaceful desegregation, the council formed a 14-person committee that worked publicly and behind the scenes.
Quietly, the "whites only' signs came down. Blacks ate at downtown lunch counters without incident.
"I thought he was committed to do what was necessary for the benefit of Dallas,' said James Brown, who at the time was president of the organization that became the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. "I don't think he wanted to see any of the unsavory and unpleasant things that had occurred in other cities in Dallas.'
Former Dallas Mayor Erik Jonsson said Tatum's ability to mediate helped defuse what could have brought about hostile confrontations.
"C.A. was good with people,' Jonsson said. "He was gentle and a gentleman. He didn't carry a whip. He used . . . gentle persuasion.'
Jonsson said racial problems in the early 1960s "never got out of hand' because Tatum and others made a "commitment to talk.' Tatum's contributions to desegregating Dallas were recognized in 1962 with a National Brotherhood Citation by the National Conference of Christians and Jews and with a Liberty Bell Award from the Dallas Bar Association for "the advancement of peaceful integration in Dallas.'
Born in 1907 in Dallas, he was a graduate of North Dallas High School.
His association with Southern Methodist University spanned more than six decades. Tatum graduated from SMU in 1928 with a degree in physics.
The same year, he joined Dallas Power & Light Co. as a representative in the commercial department.
He was elected president of DP&L in 1953 and held that position until 1967, when he was named president of Texas Utilities Co. He was named board chairman in 1972 and retired in 1975, after which he served as a consultant.
He was elected to the SMU board of governors in 1958 and was its chairman from 1965 to 1967. He was chairman of the board of trustees from 1972 to 1976, president of alumni in 1958 and chairman of a $2 million trustee endowment program in 1974.
"Mr. Tatum was a loyal and devoted alumnus of Southern Methodist University who supported the university with his time and personal resources,' said SMU President L. Donald Shields. "His leadership during his student days carried forward, through 27 years of service on, and chairman of, both governing boards . . . .His presence will be missed by everyone.'
Trustee chairman Edwin L. Cox described Tatum's support of SMU as "never ending.'
"SMU would not be where it is today without C.A.Tatum,' he said. "I really believe that.' A list of Tatum's other activities reads like a directory of Dallas service organizations.
He was a past president of the State Fair of Texas, the Lions Club of Dallas, the North Texas Commission and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. Tatum also had served on the boards of the Children's Medical Center, the Dallas Summer Musicals, the Methodist Home at Waco, the SMU Foundation for Science & Engineering and the Excellence in Education Foundation.
For many years, Tatum was active in Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America. He was its president in 1962 and 1963 and recently was a member of the advisory council to the executive board.
He also received a Dallas Hospital Council Award in 1959 for serving as chairman of the St. Paul Hospital building campaign.
Friends Wednesday recalled his dedication.
"He wasn't afraid of hard work,' Jonsson said. "If a job had to be done, his only question was, "Is it right?' If it was right, he didn't care how tough it was, he'd have a piece of it.'
Jonsson added that Tatum would not allow personal interests to stand in the way of his work.
"He approached everything on a wide-open, impartial, non-political basis. He was not a schemer -- he was a visionary who always did what was right.
Stanley Marcus, chairman emeritus of Neiman-Marcus, recently spoke to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce about volunteerism. Tatum's name immediately came to mind.
"He was the epitome of a volunteer,' Marcus said. "He worked for every good cause in the city at one time or another.' Tatum's son is editorial page associate editor for The Dallas Morning News.
Other survivors are his wife, Caroline; another son of Dallas; and two sisters, Mrs. Victor Randolph of Phoenix and Mrs. M.A. Bergdahl of Birmingham, Mich.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Edited from obituary appearing in The Dallas Morning News (TX), October 2, 1986, page 1A
He quietly helped desegregate Dallas
The heart that C.A. Tatum Jr. shared with all of Dallas failed him Wednesday, ending a life dedicated to public service. Tatum, 79, retired board chairman of Texas Utilities Co., suffered a fatal heart attack Wednesday at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
He had enjoyed a reputation as both a captain of industry and an ardent supporter of Dallas' growth.
One of his greatest contributions to Dallas came at a time when the streets of many Southern cities were transformed into battlegrounds over desegregation.
The year was 1960. Tatum headed the powerful Dallas Citizens Council, a group composed of 250 corporate heads. To bring about peaceful desegregation, the council formed a 14-person committee that worked publicly and behind the scenes.
Quietly, the "whites only' signs came down. Blacks ate at downtown lunch counters without incident.
"I thought he was committed to do what was necessary for the benefit of Dallas,' said James Brown, who at the time was president of the organization that became the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. "I don't think he wanted to see any of the unsavory and unpleasant things that had occurred in other cities in Dallas.'
Former Dallas Mayor Erik Jonsson said Tatum's ability to mediate helped defuse what could have brought about hostile confrontations.
"C.A. was good with people,' Jonsson said. "He was gentle and a gentleman. He didn't carry a whip. He used . . . gentle persuasion.'
Jonsson said racial problems in the early 1960s "never got out of hand' because Tatum and others made a "commitment to talk.' Tatum's contributions to desegregating Dallas were recognized in 1962 with a National Brotherhood Citation by the National Conference of Christians and Jews and with a Liberty Bell Award from the Dallas Bar Association for "the advancement of peaceful integration in Dallas.'
Born in 1907 in Dallas, he was a graduate of North Dallas High School.
His association with Southern Methodist University spanned more than six decades. Tatum graduated from SMU in 1928 with a degree in physics.
The same year, he joined Dallas Power & Light Co. as a representative in the commercial department.
He was elected president of DP&L in 1953 and held that position until 1967, when he was named president of Texas Utilities Co. He was named board chairman in 1972 and retired in 1975, after which he served as a consultant.
He was elected to the SMU board of governors in 1958 and was its chairman from 1965 to 1967. He was chairman of the board of trustees from 1972 to 1976, president of alumni in 1958 and chairman of a $2 million trustee endowment program in 1974.
"Mr. Tatum was a loyal and devoted alumnus of Southern Methodist University who supported the university with his time and personal resources,' said SMU President L. Donald Shields. "His leadership during his student days carried forward, through 27 years of service on, and chairman of, both governing boards . . . .His presence will be missed by everyone.'
Trustee chairman Edwin L. Cox described Tatum's support of SMU as "never ending.'
"SMU would not be where it is today without C.A.Tatum,' he said. "I really believe that.' A list of Tatum's other activities reads like a directory of Dallas service organizations.
He was a past president of the State Fair of Texas, the Lions Club of Dallas, the North Texas Commission and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. Tatum also had served on the boards of the Children's Medical Center, the Dallas Summer Musicals, the Methodist Home at Waco, the SMU Foundation for Science & Engineering and the Excellence in Education Foundation.
For many years, Tatum was active in Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America. He was its president in 1962 and 1963 and recently was a member of the advisory council to the executive board.
He also received a Dallas Hospital Council Award in 1959 for serving as chairman of the St. Paul Hospital building campaign.
Friends Wednesday recalled his dedication.
"He wasn't afraid of hard work,' Jonsson said. "If a job had to be done, his only question was, "Is it right?' If it was right, he didn't care how tough it was, he'd have a piece of it.'
Jonsson added that Tatum would not allow personal interests to stand in the way of his work.
"He approached everything on a wide-open, impartial, non-political basis. He was not a schemer -- he was a visionary who always did what was right.
Stanley Marcus, chairman emeritus of Neiman-Marcus, recently spoke to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce about volunteerism. Tatum's name immediately came to mind.
"He was the epitome of a volunteer,' Marcus said. "He worked for every good cause in the city at one time or another.' Tatum's son is editorial page associate editor for The Dallas Morning News.
Other survivors are his wife, Caroline; another son of Dallas; and two sisters, Mrs. Victor Randolph of Phoenix and Mrs. M.A. Bergdahl of Birmingham, Mich.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Edited from obituary appearing in The Dallas Morning News (TX), October 2, 1986, page 1A
C.A. Tatum Jr., Civic Leader, Dies
He quietly helped desegregate Dallas
The heart that C.A. Tatum Jr. shared with all of Dallas failed him Wednesday, ending a life dedicated to public service. Tatum, 79, retired board chairman of Texas Utilities Co., suffered a fatal heart attack Wednesday at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
He had enjoyed a reputation as both a captain of industry and an ardent supporter of Dallas' growth.
One of his greatest contributions to Dallas came at a time when the streets of many Southern cities were transformed into battlegrounds over desegregation.
The year was 1960. Tatum headed the powerful Dallas Citizens Council, a group composed of 250 corporate heads. To bring about peaceful desegregation, the council formed a 14-person committee that worked publicly and behind the scenes.
Quietly, the "whites only' signs came down. Blacks ate at downtown lunch counters without incident.
"I thought he was committed to do what was necessary for the benefit of Dallas,' said James Brown, who at the time was president of the organization that became the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. "I don't think he wanted to see any of the unsavory and unpleasant things that had occurred in other cities in Dallas.'
Former Dallas Mayor Erik Jonsson said Tatum's ability to mediate helped defuse what could have brought about hostile confrontations.
"C.A. was good with people,' Jonsson said. "He was gentle and a gentleman. He didn't carry a whip. He used . . . gentle persuasion.'
Jonsson said racial problems in the early 1960s "never got out of hand' because Tatum and others made a "commitment to talk.' Tatum's contributions to desegregating Dallas were recognized in 1962 with a National Brotherhood Citation by the National Conference of Christians and Jews and with a Liberty Bell Award from the Dallas Bar Association for "the advancement of peaceful integration in Dallas.'
Born in 1907 in Dallas, he was a graduate of North Dallas High School.
His association with Southern Methodist University spanned more than six decades. Tatum graduated from SMU in 1928 with a degree in physics.
The same year, he joined Dallas Power & Light Co. as a representative in the commercial department.
He was elected president of DP&L in 1953 and held that position until 1967, when he was named president of Texas Utilities Co. He was named board chairman in 1972 and retired in 1975, after which he served as a consultant.
He was elected to the SMU board of governors in 1958 and was its chairman from 1965 to 1967. He was chairman of the board of trustees from 1972 to 1976, president of alumni in 1958 and chairman of a $2 million trustee endowment program in 1974.
"Mr. Tatum was a loyal and devoted alumnus of Southern Methodist University who supported the university with his time and personal resources,' said SMU President L. Donald Shields. "His leadership during his student days carried forward, through 27 years of service on, and chairman of, both governing boards . . . .His presence will be missed by everyone.'
Trustee chairman Edwin L. Cox described Tatum's support of SMU as "never ending.'
"SMU would not be where it is today without C.A.Tatum,' he said. "I really believe that.' A list of Tatum's other activities reads like a directory of Dallas service organizations.
He was a past president of the State Fair of Texas, the Lions Club of Dallas, the North Texas Commission and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. Tatum also had served on the boards of the Children's Medical Center, the Dallas Summer Musicals, the Methodist Home at Waco, the SMU Foundation for Science & Engineering and the Excellence in Education Foundation.
For many years, Tatum was active in Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America. He was its president in 1962 and 1963 and recently was a member of the advisory council to the executive board.
He also received a Dallas Hospital Council Award in 1959 for serving as chairman of the St. Paul Hospital building campaign.
Friends Wednesday recalled his dedication.
"He wasn't afraid of hard work,' Jonsson said. "If a job had to be done, his only question was, "Is it right?' If it was right, he didn't care how tough it was, he'd have a piece of it.'
Jonsson added that Tatum would not allow personal interests to stand in the way of his work.
"He approached everything on a wide-open, impartial, non-political basis. He was not a schemer -- he was a visionary who always did what was right.
Stanley Marcus, chairman emeritus of Neiman-Marcus, recently spoke to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce about volunteerism. Tatum's name immediately came to mind.
"He was the epitome of a volunteer,' Marcus said. "He worked for every good cause in the city at one time or another.' Tatum's son is editorial page associate editor for The Dallas Morning News.
Other survivors are his wife, Caroline; another son of Dallas; and two sisters, Mrs. Victor Randolph of Phoenix and Mrs. M.A. Bergdahl of Birmingham, Mich.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Edited from obituary appearing in The Dallas Morning News (TX), October 2, 1986, page 1A
He quietly helped desegregate Dallas
The heart that C.A. Tatum Jr. shared with all of Dallas failed him Wednesday, ending a life dedicated to public service. Tatum, 79, retired board chairman of Texas Utilities Co., suffered a fatal heart attack Wednesday at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
He had enjoyed a reputation as both a captain of industry and an ardent supporter of Dallas' growth.
One of his greatest contributions to Dallas came at a time when the streets of many Southern cities were transformed into battlegrounds over desegregation.
The year was 1960. Tatum headed the powerful Dallas Citizens Council, a group composed of 250 corporate heads. To bring about peaceful desegregation, the council formed a 14-person committee that worked publicly and behind the scenes.
Quietly, the "whites only' signs came down. Blacks ate at downtown lunch counters without incident.
"I thought he was committed to do what was necessary for the benefit of Dallas,' said James Brown, who at the time was president of the organization that became the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. "I don't think he wanted to see any of the unsavory and unpleasant things that had occurred in other cities in Dallas.'
Former Dallas Mayor Erik Jonsson said Tatum's ability to mediate helped defuse what could have brought about hostile confrontations.
"C.A. was good with people,' Jonsson said. "He was gentle and a gentleman. He didn't carry a whip. He used . . . gentle persuasion.'
Jonsson said racial problems in the early 1960s "never got out of hand' because Tatum and others made a "commitment to talk.' Tatum's contributions to desegregating Dallas were recognized in 1962 with a National Brotherhood Citation by the National Conference of Christians and Jews and with a Liberty Bell Award from the Dallas Bar Association for "the advancement of peaceful integration in Dallas.'
Born in 1907 in Dallas, he was a graduate of North Dallas High School.
His association with Southern Methodist University spanned more than six decades. Tatum graduated from SMU in 1928 with a degree in physics.
The same year, he joined Dallas Power & Light Co. as a representative in the commercial department.
He was elected president of DP&L in 1953 and held that position until 1967, when he was named president of Texas Utilities Co. He was named board chairman in 1972 and retired in 1975, after which he served as a consultant.
He was elected to the SMU board of governors in 1958 and was its chairman from 1965 to 1967. He was chairman of the board of trustees from 1972 to 1976, president of alumni in 1958 and chairman of a $2 million trustee endowment program in 1974.
"Mr. Tatum was a loyal and devoted alumnus of Southern Methodist University who supported the university with his time and personal resources,' said SMU President L. Donald Shields. "His leadership during his student days carried forward, through 27 years of service on, and chairman of, both governing boards . . . .His presence will be missed by everyone.'
Trustee chairman Edwin L. Cox described Tatum's support of SMU as "never ending.'
"SMU would not be where it is today without C.A.Tatum,' he said. "I really believe that.' A list of Tatum's other activities reads like a directory of Dallas service organizations.
He was a past president of the State Fair of Texas, the Lions Club of Dallas, the North Texas Commission and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. Tatum also had served on the boards of the Children's Medical Center, the Dallas Summer Musicals, the Methodist Home at Waco, the SMU Foundation for Science & Engineering and the Excellence in Education Foundation.
For many years, Tatum was active in Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America. He was its president in 1962 and 1963 and recently was a member of the advisory council to the executive board.
He also received a Dallas Hospital Council Award in 1959 for serving as chairman of the St. Paul Hospital building campaign.
Friends Wednesday recalled his dedication.
"He wasn't afraid of hard work,' Jonsson said. "If a job had to be done, his only question was, "Is it right?' If it was right, he didn't care how tough it was, he'd have a piece of it.'
Jonsson added that Tatum would not allow personal interests to stand in the way of his work.
"He approached everything on a wide-open, impartial, non-political basis. He was not a schemer -- he was a visionary who always did what was right.
Stanley Marcus, chairman emeritus of Neiman-Marcus, recently spoke to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce about volunteerism. Tatum's name immediately came to mind.
"He was the epitome of a volunteer,' Marcus said. "He worked for every good cause in the city at one time or another.' Tatum's son is editorial page associate editor for The Dallas Morning News.
Other survivors are his wife, Caroline; another son of Dallas; and two sisters, Mrs. Victor Randolph of Phoenix and Mrs. M.A. Bergdahl of Birmingham, Mich.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Edited from obituary appearing in The Dallas Morning News (TX), October 2, 1986, page 1A
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