Looking for Yuri Kochiyama

For the Record articles have highlighted how to search for records of civil rights activist, Bayard Rustin, and queer activist, Marsha P. Johnson in Municipal Archives collections. This week, in honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month, For the Record will spotlight some collections that feature Japanese-American political and civil-rights activist Yuri Kochiyama.  

Yuri Kochiyama was born May 19, 1921 and named Mary Yuriko Nakahara. She later took the name Yuri to connect with her Japanese heritage. In 1946 she married William (Bill) Kochiyama, a former soldier in the United States all-Japanese 422nd Regiment. Researchers are advised to take note of her several names when searching in Archives collections.   

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Kochiyama, Mary. Malcolm X assassination case file records. NY District Attorney NYC Municipal Archives. 

Possibly the first evidence of Kochiyama in the collections can be found in the New York District Attorney Malcolm X assassination closed-case file. It contains a document dated June 1964, noting that Kochiyama invited Malcolm X to speak in her Harlem apartment during a meeting for nuclear bomb survivors: “She has seen Malcolm X at her house in June/1964 where she had a meeting there on business for the “Pilgrimage of the Hiroshima Nagasaki World Peace Study Mission (A Communist Organization).”   

Index card with physical description of Mary (Yuri)Kochiyama. Nation of Islam Index. NYPD Intelligence Division Records. NYC Municipal Archives.

Kochiyama was especially passionate about organizing against nuclear proliferation and for civil rights because of her experiences as a young woman. During WWII, she and her entire family were forcibly removed and incarcerated in American concentration camps called “relocation centers.” Throughout WWII, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated; of those approximately 112,000 persons were incarcerated because of President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 from March to August 1942.  

Nearly 70,000  incarcerees were American citizens and others had lived in the United States for decades but were barred from gaining citizenship because of anti-immigrations laws like the Immigration Act of 1924 and “Alien Land Laws” of 1913. Kochiyama’s early experiences with discriminatory laws and hearing first-hand accounts from others in her community shaped her later work as an activist.  

Kochiyama and Malcolm X’s friendship continued beyond these meetings. Records in the NYPD Intelligence Division a.k.a. the “Handschu” collection index-card series documents her close ties to the Nation of Islam. The cards show NYPD surveillance of mosques, organizations, and individuals. There are several cards on Kochiyama, one provides a physical description. Other cards in the collection comment on her presence at Vietnam War-related moratorium in 1969, and a court appearance by H. Rap Brown and others in 1972.   

Mary Kochiyama, 1969. Index card series, NYPD Intelligence Division Records. NYC Municipal Archives.

Mary Kochiyama, 1972. Index card series, NYPD Intelligence Division Records. NYC Municipal Archives.

The Malcolm X assassination files also reveal that Kochiyama and her son, Bill Kochiyama, were present at the Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was speaking before he was assassinated. The District Attorney recorded Kochiyama’s account as a witness. 

Letter to NYPD from Philadelphia Police Department, July 30, 1971. Numbered Communications Files, NYPD Intelligence Records. NYC Municipal Archives.

Letter from NYPD to Philadelphia Police Department, September 21, 1971. Numbered Communications Files, NYPD Intelligence Records. NYC Municipal Archives.

Yuri Kochiyama at restaurant workers protest in Chinatown, NY, 1980. Photographer: Corky Lee. National Portrait Gallery; Smithsonian Institution © Estate of Corky Lee. 

Other evidence of NYPD surveillance of Kochiyama can be found in the Intelligence Division’s communication files. These records consist of police reports on individuals who were observed at rallies or providing updates on the investigation of an individual or organization. The files include correspondence from the Philadelphia Police Department to the NYPD confirming Kochiyama was under investigation in 1971.

Beyond her friendship with Malcolm X, Kochiyama dedicated most of her life to activism, helping to build solidarity between Asian-American and Black communities. Kochiyama was involved with a variety of organizations throughout her life from the Congress on Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) to the Young Lords. In 1977 she participated in a takeover of the Statue of Liberty by the Young Lords. Perhaps further research in the NYPD organization files will yield additional documentation.

Yuri Kochiyama moved to Oakland, California in 1993. She continued her activism, strongly condemning the rise in Islamophobia after the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001. Yuri Kochiyama died on June 1, 2014, at the age of 93. 

May Day

May Day, or International Worker’s Day, originated during the 19th century in the United States, but observance in this country has greatly diminished in recent years. Labor Day is more widely celebrated to commemorate the strides made by labor activists. As recently as the 1970s, however, May Day marches took place in New York. The Municipal Archives New York Police Department (NYPD) Special Investigations Unit collection includes documentation of parades during that era.  

May Day flyer, 1955. New York Police Department Intelligence Records, Hanschu Small Organization Series. NYC Municipal Archives.

This Week, For the Record highlights the NYPD May Day records as well as other collections in the Municipal Archives that are useful for labor history research. In addition to the NYPD material, the Building Department permit collection, felony prosecution records, and mayoral correspondence are all good sources. 

May Day was born on May 1, 1886, when the American Federation of Labor (AFL) urged all workers to strike for an eight-hour day. Workers in Chicago heard the call and launched a strike that was met with a heavy police response. Known as the Haymarket Affair, an unknown person detonated a dynamite bomb, prompting police officers to open fire on striking workers. The AFL established May 1 to commemorate Haymarket and the continuing push for an eight-hour workday. The holiday soon spread throughout the world.  

Labor activism has a long history in New York City. Some of the largest labor demonstrations, as well as legislative changes that eventually improved working conditions, occurred in New York. One of the earliest labor unions established in the U.S. was the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU). Founded in New York City in 1900, the group was the fusion of multiple local unions. They organized numerous large-scale strikes involving tens of thousands of industrial workers, particularly in New York City’s garment district which was notorious for its brutal sweatshops. Workrooms were overcrowded, dimly lit, and workers were underpaid and overworked. By 1910, the ILGWU won concessions that improved safety in those settings.  

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 proved that more measures were desperately needed. It remains one of the deadliest disasters in New York City history. Located in Greenwich Village at 23 Washington Place, the factory exhibited many of the deadly conditions experienced by the largely immigrant garment workers. The factory did not have proper fire escapes. In addition, poor ventilation and locked exits prevented the workers from escaping the flames and smoke. The single fire escape on the building collapsed, the main doors were locked or jammed, and the main exit was limited to only a few employees at a time. Ultimately this led to the deaths of 146 garment workers, mostly young immigrant women. 

Two Municipal Archives’ collections document this tragic event. The Manhattan Department of Buildings block and lot permit collection includes correspondence related to 23 Washington Place. In a letter dated May 6, 1900, building architect, John Wooley, requested an exemption from the building law to require fewer staircases for escape.  

Correspondence, Manhattan Block 547, Lot 8, 1900. Department of Buildings, Manhattan permit folder collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

The Archives’ New York District Attorney felony prosecution records include the indictment against factory owners Max Blanck and Isaac Harris. Prosecutors presented evidence that showed that the doors were intentionally locked during working hours to increase productivity, and that exits were restricted to prevent employees stealing scraps of cloth, and allegedly to prevent union organizers from entering the factory.  

Felony Indictment no. 82980 of 1911, New York District Attorney collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

Felony Indictment no. 82980 of 1911, New York District Attorney collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

Blanck and Harris were acquitted of manslaughter, but eventually, in 1913, they were found guilty in a wrongful death civil suit. The ruling forced the owners to compensate each affected family with $75.00.  

The fire mobilized the ILGWU to fight even harder for better working conditions in the city, and ultimately in the country. Local leaders like Frances Perkins eventually helped shape policies of the New Deal in the 1930s and 40s. 

Other Municipal Archives collections are useful for research into the labor movement. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia’s papers are a good source of information about the American Labor Party (ALP). Founded in 1936, and operated largely within New York, it was closely aligned with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. LaGuardia’s records include his correspondence with the ALP. One example is the ratification of the ALP’s state legislative program. The ALP sent advance copies of the report directly to the Mayor’s Office for comments. 

Correspondence, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia Subject Files, 1945. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Correspondence, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia Subject Files, 1945. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Mayor LaGuardia and New York State officials, worked closely with the ALP to give unions and trade groups more protections. The interconnectedness of labor groups and the local government showcases the strength of the pro-labor movements in the first half of the 20th century.  

The Cold War and growing fear of Communism ultimately led to the dissolution of the ALP. But even as the party lost power, other groups rose up to take its place. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, organizations formed to advocate for workers rights, better union representation, and for peace in the world.  

The recently processed New York Police Department Intelligence Records highlights these groups and their activities. Parades featuring speakers, activities, and entertainment were one way to gain attention. They were meant to engage with New Yorkers and bring awareness to social causes. Here is a flyer and press release from an event hosted by the Provisional Workers and People’s Committee in 1955.  

May Day Press Release, 1955. New York Police Department Intelligence Records, Hanschu Small Organization Series. NYC Municipal Archives.

May Day flyer, 1955. New York Police Department Intelligence Records, Hanschu Small Organization Series. NYC Municipal Archives.

The origins of May Day are still remembered almost 150 years after the Haymarket Affair, and the lessons of the first labor activists echo in their rallies today. Whether participants are fighting for a four-day work week, an eight-hour workday, greater representation in government, equal pay or higher wages, May Day is a milestone—somewhat diminished from its heyday—but still observed in New York City.   

Researchers are welcome to contact and visit the Municipal Archives to learn more about our collections that highlight labor history in New York City. 

WPA Federal Art Project Photographs

The Municipal Archives collection of photographs created and/or acquired by the New York City Unit of the Federal Writers’ Project has served as an essential and useful resource since its acquisition by the Municipal Library in 1943. For the Record featured WPA photographers Ralph de Sola and Clifford Sutcliffe and images from the collection have illustrated dozens of articles.

“Man Reading,” color sketch for a mural at the New York Public Library, by Edward Laning. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: not recorded, n.d. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

This week, For the Record highlights a second W.P.A.-created photograph collection. Accessioned by the Municipal Archives in 1983, the collection of 1,635 black and white prints had been originally assembled by Audrey McMahon, regional director of the W.P.A. Federal Art Project (FAP) for New York and New Jersey. The New Deal FAP program created employment for artists and teachers and, as McMahon said, made art “a reality in the public’s daily experience.” [Smithsonian American Art Museum.] During the first few years of its operation, the four main creative divisions of the FAP (murals, sculpture, easel painting, and graphic art) produced more than fifty thousand works of art in New York City. 

“City Hall,” lithograph by Harry Tashey. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: not recorded, n.d. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The photographs in the 1983 accession are all stamped: “Federal Art Project W.P.A. Photograph Division.” They date from 1936 to 1942. They are arranged in seven series: easel art, exhibits, index of design, murals, creative photography, posters, and sculpture. The name of the photographer is usually indicated on the reverse along with the name of the artist whose work is depicted and the date of the photograph. 

Daniel Kahn and Carolyn Gottfried Kahn donated the collection to the New York Archival Society in March, 1983. The Society deeded the photographs to the Municipal Archives. There is not information about how the Kahns acquired the collection. However, based on their West Village home address, it is possible that they were neighbors of Audrey McMahon (who lived at 27 Washington Square North, according to New York City directories.)     

Although the photographs are black-and-white they are still an important contribution to the Archives’ documentation of the remarkable W.P.A. programs. Researchers are invited to contact the Municipal Archives for information about access. The following is a small sample of images from the collection.   

“West 17th Street,” oil painting by Alice Neel, W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographers: Nader and Arnold Eagle, August 18, 1937. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“The Cycle of a Woman’s Life,” fresco located at the Women’s House of Detention, Greenwich and 6th Avenue, New York City, by Lucienne Bloch. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: not recorded, n.d. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“Six Day Bicycle Race,” sculpture by Chaim Gross. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: Levy, May 15, 1940. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“Conquest of the Air,” oil on canvas by Dane Chanese. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: Levy, October 19, 1948. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“N.Y. Landscape,” woodcut by Fred Becker. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: Arnold Eagle, December 18, 1936. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“Peck Slip,” woodcut by Charles E. Pons, W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer; von Urban, n.d. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“N.Y. Landscape,” woodcut by Fred Becker. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: Arnold Eagle, December 18, 1936. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“Poster Project,” poster designed by Harry Herzog. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: Noble, January 27, 1938. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“Flight,” mural located at North Beach Airport, Marine Terminal by James Brooks. W.P.A. Federal Art Project. Photographer: James Brooks, April 11, 1941. Federal Art Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“I Say Its Spinach!” - Robert Moses, Master Letter Writer

Robert Moses, long known as the “Master Builder,” could also be remembered as the “Master Letter Writer.” Evidence of his communication style can be found in many Municipal Archives collections. Always clear and direct, to-the-point and often quite blunt, Moses seemed not concerned whether he was insulting or rude. His prolific communications have served as a bonanza for researchers investigating virtually any topic concerning twentieth-century New York City and more broadly U.S. urban history.  

Graphic materials created during the Moses era are noted for their quality. City Planning Commission Report, 1940-1950, Mayor William O’Dwyer Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

Two series accessioned from the Department of Parks contain the greatest volume of his correspondence: General Files, during the period when he served as Commissioner (1934-1960), and his records as a City Planning Commissioner (1940-1956).  

Marine Park, Staten Island, Report to Mayor LaGuardia, 1940. City Planning Department Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

The bulk of the General Files records pertain to the agency’s daily operations. However, examining the intellectual content of this series shows that Moses also responded to a wide range of issues outside of the Park system. The files contain copies of letters written by him as Chairman of the Office of Committee on Slum Clearance and City Construction Coordinator. This material provides extensive documentation of his activities related to subjects such as highways, housing, and airports, as well as the 1964/65 World’s Fair.

In addition to the Parks-series, significant quantities of correspondence generated by Moses appear in the mayoral collections. From Mayor LaGuardia through Wagner, there are dozens of folders – in the Departmental series – e.g. Parks, City Construction Coordinator – and in the subject files, with letters from Moses.    

Another notable feature of Robert Moses’ correspondence is its accessibility. His records are well-indexed. In the Parks series, for example, Moses, or more likely his secretary or possibly the filing clerk, assigned a subject to every document and placed it in labeled folders arranged alphabetically.   

For the Record will let Moses take over from here:

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1941 “Necessarily long and technical”

Moses included a cover letter written to Mayor LaGuardia (Moses usually addressed him as “Major”), dated October 30, 1941, as part of his printed report on “Construction and Restoration of Monuments, Memorial and Historic Buildings.” Never one to sugar-coat a subject, he informed LaGuardia “We have inherited from past administrations some God-awful monstrosities in the form of monuments. We are also the legatees of some very fine things.”

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1938 “Exclusively for bicycle riders”

Robert Moses’ reputation for building a vast highway system catering to automobile transportation is well deserved. He began with the Southern State Parkway on Long Island in 1927 and ended with an extension to the fabled Long Island Expressway in 1972. And, in between, he constructed the Cross-Bronx Expressway, perhaps the most controversial urban highway built in America.  So perhaps it is surprising to find this letter, dated May 20, 1938, informing Deputy Mayor Henry Curran that “In the meantime, and off the record, I am also arranging to open the Long Island Motor Parkway from its beginning at Nassau Boulevard to Alley Park as a bicycle path exclusively for bicycle riders.”

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1957 “Hornswoggled”

A letter from Whitney North Seymour, President of the Municipal Art Society, on January 3, 1957, seems to have especially irked Mr. Moses: “I don’t know who invented the term “new slums” or what it means, and don’t propose to be hornswoggled into any such silly controversy.”  He added, for good measure, “When, by the way, did the members of your Society stop beating their wives?”

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1956 “Subject:  Polo Grounds”  

The imminent departure of the Giants National League baseball team from their stadium at the Polo Grounds was a huge concern. But as can be discerned from this letter to James Felt, Chairman of the City Planning Commission, Moses saw it as an opportunity to build more housing.

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1954 “The Third Avenue EL”  

Within a week after Mayor Robert Wagner took office in January 1954, Moses pressed him for a decision regarding demolition of the Third Avenue Elevated Railroad. As Moses explained, “It is obvious that completion of the Second Avenue Subway is a long way off.”  “It may well be ten years.” Little did he know.

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1957 “Looks rather foolish to us”   

Moses’ reaction to an idea by the New York Central Railroad to build motels “on gratings” was not encouraging, “Doesn’t at first blush seem a very brilliant or profitable way of using railroad rights of way, even if there is a demand for cheap hotel accommodations.” 

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1938 “Henry Hudson did discover the Hudson River” 

This correspondence to Henry Curran may have meant something to the Deputy Mayor, but otherwise seems opaque. 

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1943 “I say its Spinach”  

Reporting to Mayor LaGuardia on a meeting about the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Moses took the opportunity to comment on social workers: “These people never get anywhere, and it is a waste of time to get excited about their plans.” Moses believed parks and playgrounds would solve all social ills and so concluded to the Mayor: “If I had the sense God gave geese, I would have insisted that the only thing worth accomplishing was to get rid of Raymond Street and substitute a playground.”

Several For the Record articles have highlighted the Robert Moses collections and/or his activities. From the Dank Recesses: The Department of Parks General Files provides some general background about the Parks collections. Documenting the New Deal, The Aerial Views of Robert Moses and most recently, We Shall All Be There: Dedicating Shea Stadium, also draw on Moses-related records.

Find of the Week: Central Park Topographical Maps

City records convey data, instructions, or information, generally without embellishment.  But there are exceptions, and this Find of the Week is an outstanding example.    

Topographical Maps in the Matter of Opening Central Park, New York, July 1855, Title Page. NYC Municipal Archives.

The image depicted is the title page of a ledger “Topographical Maps in the Matter of Opening Central Park, New York, July 1855.” Created by City surveyor Roswell Graves, the ledger contains 40 plates depicting the topographical features of the land that would become Central Park.   

Topographical Maps in the Matter of Opening Central Park, New York, July 1855, sample plate. NYC Municipal Archives.

Beginning in 1807, surveyor John Randel, Jr., produced a map for the Commissioners Plan of 1811, which imposed a grid of streets and avenues creating uniform blocks from Houston Street north to 155th Street. By the time Graves surveyed the land for Central Park, the blocks had been divided into lots to facilitate development. Each plate of the Graves ledger displays three blocks in what would become the park—from 59th to 106th Streets, between Fifth and Eighth Avenues.   

Topographical Maps in the Matter of Opening Central Park, New York, July 1855, sample plate. NYC Municipal Archives.

The ledger is currently being appraised in the Conservation Laboratory to determine treatment and re-housing measures that will ensure its long-term preservation. Look for future articles for updates and information about the provenance of this significant item.     

This Find of the Week is apropos of the upcoming annual Earth Day celebration (April 22), given that it pertains to one of the more popular places on earth – New York’s Central Park.   

We Shall All Be There: Dedicating Shea Stadium

On April 8, 1964, Robert Moses, then President of the New York World’s Fair Corporation, received an invitation to the upcoming dedication of Shea Stadium from City Parks Commissioner Newbold Morris. In his usual direct fashion Moses replied: “Many thanks. We shall all be there.”

Flushing Meadow Municipal Stadium, Brochure, 1963. Department of Parks General Files, NYC Municipal Archives.

In 1962, the National League had awarded one of two new teams franchised that year to New York City as a replacement for the Dodgers and Giants following their defection to California in 1958. Known as the New York Mets, the team played their first two seasons at the Polo Grounds. Shea stadium would serve as their home for the next forty-four years.

Invitation, 1964. Department of Parks General Files, NYC Municipal Archives.

This week, For the Record highlights Municipal Archives and Municipal Library collections that document the Shea Stadium dedication ceremony sixty years ago, on April 16, 1964. 

Thanks to the City’s mayor-centric form of government, the first stop in the quest for information, especially on 20th century topics, is the mayor’s records. Comprehensive in scope and well-described, the mayoral record collections date from the mid-19th century to the present. Construction and dedication of Shea Stadium took place during Mayor Wagner’s term in office (1954-1965). 

Reviewing the inventory of records from Wagner’s Department of Commerce and Public Events office revealed just one folder labeled “Shea Stadium.” The reason for the relative paucity of data in this series became clear in a memorandum from the file dated February 18, 1964: “Because Shea Stadium is Park Department property, the entire dedication ceremony, including the invitations and souvenir program, is being handled by [Parks] Commissioner Newbold Morris and his staff.” (Louis Olshan to Ambassador Richard Patterson, Commissioner, Department of Commerce and Public events.) 

Like the mayor’s papers, the Archives’ collection of Parks Department records, particularly during the era of Commissioner Robert Moses, are comprehensive and well-described. Even though Moses had resigned from his post as Parks Commissioner in 1960 to plan the New York World’s Fair of 1964-65, Parks Department record-keepers continued their meticulous work through the 1960s. As cited in For the Record From the Dank Recesses--The Department of Parks General Files  Parks series have served a wide range of research topics.   

Shea Stadium and parking fields, photograph, n.d. Department of Parks General Files, NYC Municipal Archives.

Searching the Department of Parks General Series in 1964 resulted in a thick folder labeled Shea Stadium. The contents provided detailed information about work needed to complete the stadium in time for the opening, as well as ceremony planning details. According to a memorandum, dated January 30, 1964, “The Opening should be dignified.” It is not clear why this sentiment needed to be stated. Other decisions delineated in the document include, “Guy Lombardo is to play before the game,” and the “National Anthem to be sung by Robert Merrill.”  

Memorandum, January 30, 1964, William Adams to William Berns, Subject: Meeting for Opening Day Ceremonies at Shea Stadium. Department of Parks General Files. NYC Municipal Archives. 

Another mayoral series, the newspaper clipping scrapbooks, also proved to be informative. The scrapbook series date to 1895 and continue to the administration of Ed Koch. During their heyday—the mayoralties of LaGuardia through Beame—their thoroughness and utility are superlative. 

Shea Stadium - New 1964 Home of the New York Mets, excerpt from brochure, 1964. Vertical File, Municipal Library.

Let’s Go Mets Pamphlet, 1964. Mayor Wagner Office of Commerce and Public Events. NYC Municipal Archives.

With the advent of easily searchable digitized media, researchers may be tempted to skip examining the scrapbooks, only accessible via cumbersome microfilm or hefty volumes. This would be a mistake. The search for Shea Stadium news articles is a good example. Scrolling through the microfilmed scrapbook of April 1964 news articles, researchers will not be surprised by the many stories on the new stadium and the upcoming World’s Fair opening. But what may not be expected are the numerous articles about a “Stall-In” orchestrated by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Planned to take place on World’s Fair opening day, CORE announced that hundreds of drivers would travel on the highways leading to the fairgrounds and deliberately stall-out their automobiles to cause massive traffic jams. The purpose was to draw attention to discrimination and racism at the Fair. Based on the reporting, City officials can only be described as “freaked-out” by the prospect of this disruption to the big event. Researchers interested in how this story played out are welcome to visit the Municipal Archives and read through Mayor Wagner’s scrapbooks.    

The Municipal Library’s vertical files are another reliable source of information about all aspects of the city and its government. Although the Shea Stadium vertical file lacks news clippings from the 1960s, it does contain an excerpt from The Municipal Engineers Journal, Fourth Quarterly Issue, 1963. Written by Richard Q. Praeger, partner in Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury, Consulting Engineers, the paper provides a very thorough and detailed history of how the stadium came into being.   

The narrative starts by stating “. . . to attract Major League baseball back to New York it would be necessary to build a modern sports stadium with good parking facilities, centrally located and accessible . . . The lack of such a facility had been the major excuse used by the Giants and Dodgers for the move to the West Coast.” Construction on the new stadium began in November 1961, and was substantially completed by the dedication ceremony in 1964—lightening speed for municipal construction projects.     

Reserved Parking Placard, 1964. Department of Parks General Files. NYC Municipal Archives.

Although Mayor Wagner’s Public Events office had relinquished planning the dedication ceremony to Parks, they retained responsibility for developing the guest list. Their file includes several pages of potential invitees—the usual city officials, plus major league baseball team owners and other prominent citizens. On one list, however, a staffer scribbled, “What about women?” 

The day after the  dedication ceremony, the Mets took to the field for their home-opener against the Pittsburg Pirates. Fate was not with them that day and they lost 4 to 3. But according to the Times report on the next day, fans loved Shea Stadium: “Fabulous Stadium Delights Fans.” The story sub-head continued: “Gleaming Ball Park Widely Acclaimed as Out of This World.” (The New York Times, April 18, 1964.)   

Shea Stadium lasted as the Mets home until 2008 when it was dismantled. The site is now part of the parking lot of the new Citi Field.