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"J.C.," the Jaycee Goat
Tribune photo published October 1, 1952
"J.C.," the Jaycee Goat
Tribune photo published October 1, 1952
"J.C." (the Ames Jaycees goat) had very little to say Tuesday morning during an interview with Anne Walters over KASI - very little in quantity, that is. but the quality of his one comment was such that all who heard had reason to take personal inventory. The goat's comment: "Please, everyone register for the November election!" Interpreters for J.C. were Ron Taylor and Homer Fairly. The radio station now claims the interview as the "first of its kind." (Adding that it will also be the last).
| Anne Walters was really a pseudonym for Gladys Hultz Meads, who had a regular radio show on KASI called "Ask Aunt Sary" and a Tribune column entitled "Aunt Sary Says." Mrs. Meads was a lifelong resident of Ames, graduating from Ames High School and Iowa State College, later teaching chemistry at Iowa State for ten years. She authored At the Squaw and the Skunk as a serial history of Ames in the Ames Daily Tribune in 1954, and published in book format in 1955 and 1976. She also founded the "Newtimers Club" and started the "Golden Ager" movement in Ames. In the 1960s and 1970s, Gladys was one of the founders and board members for the Northcrest Retirement Community. |  |
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Notice the red rubber balls intended to protect bystanders from the sharp horns. |
(Image from a deteriorated negative) |
| Ames Daily
Tribune, September 11 , 1952
One of the guest speakers Wednesday night as Ames Jaycees opened their fall meeting schedule at the VFW club rooms was "J.C." the Jaycee goat shown here with Homer Fairly as the two presided over the initial session. Fairly, as chairman of the membership committee, is nurturing a plot to pass the goat along from member to member soon, with each person keeping J.C. until another new member is signed up. The goat will then be moved to another member. Well-mannered and "broke" for riding, J.C. will in the meantime, until the membership drive opens, continue enjoying life and his daily menu of newspapers, cigarettes and whatever else is immediately available. As this photo was taken, he was just doing away with a box of snuff. |
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| Ames Daily
Tribune, September 25 , 1952
Fire Chief Sam Long, Police chief Orv Erickson, and Don Ross, president of the Ames Chamber of Commerce, Wednesday afternoon good-naturedly cooperated in helping the Junior chamber of Commerce kick-off a membership drive with the aid of a goat named J.C. being held by Homer Fairly, membership chairman, at right. The idea is to have the goat given to each old member, to be cared for until he can sign up a new member. Long, Erickson and Ross assisted by each reading to the goat, the fire, police and general community rules J.C. must abide by as he moves from one member to another during the next few weeks. J.C., the goat, answered by eating the overtime parking rules, gulping down a vivid description of how to fight grass fires, and then turned to the tan oxfords worn by Don Ross. At this point, the lesson stopped. The drive opens today. |
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| The Jaycees goat is well documented with photos. This additional image shows Homer Fairly, right, and an unidentified gentleman posing in front of the Tribune building. |
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| Archie Wierson, of Goodyear Shoe Repair, is pictured steadying his daughter, Laura, who sits on "J.C." Sheila peeks from the doorway of their Wood Street home. Archie recalls that when he first joined the Ames Jaycees, Bob Beaty of the Knapp Street Grocery brought the goat to the front of his Welch Street shop, where it was tied up until closing time. |
Marcia Wierson gets her turn riding the goat. |