Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The Rev. A.F. Randall of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church addressed a “mothers-and-daughters-only” meeting at the Auditorium Theater on the subject of “sex truth.”

He believed that girls ought to know the truth about sex, for their own protection. 

“Ignorance of the fundamental things a girl should know never constitutes innocence,” he said. “That there is a grave danger in ignorance may be attested by matrons of maternity homes from Maine to California and Canada to Texas.”

The meeting was in conjunction with the play, “The Blindness of Virtue,” which was coming soon to the Auditorium. It was a play depicting a man who takes advantage of a girl’s ignorance.

“I truly believe that the stage in this instance is working with the church for a common good, in showing the fallacy of hushing sex truth in the home,” the reverend said.

He also took the opportunity to point out that he was the local chaplain for Actor’s Alliance of America and that he had long worked toward “uplifting the moral standard of the stage.”

“Actors are humans just the same as you and I,” the reverend said. “They inherit the same temptations as other mortals. I’m glad to call them my parishioners.”