50 years ago in Expo history: World’s fair expects national coverage; Richard Nixon to participate in opening ceremonies

The Expo ’74 office had already issued 529 press credentials for the fair’s opening weekend, effectively putting to rest any fears that the national news media might be less than enthusiastic.

All of the major TV networks were sending teams. Time and Newsweek – the biggest news magazines – were sending reporters, and so were most major newspapers.

And because President Richard Nixon was now confirmed for the opening ceremonies, the entire White House press corps would be in attendance.

The Expo public relations director said he was “extremely gratified with the response of the national press.”

He added that requests continued to pour in, and he estimated the final number of media credentials would be around 680.

From 100 years ago: Ferd Bockman, the Libby, Montana, police chief, was shot dead by an alleged bootlegger, who also died during the gun duel.

The initial news reports said Bockman was shot by a “drunken Turk,” but later the assailant was identified as a bootlegger and logger using the name J.E. Clark. Clark died of his wounds the next day.

In the aftermath of the shooting, the Libby City Council began a crackdown on Libby’s red-light district.

The women were ordered to leave town within 24 hours and a number of men (described as hangers-on in the red-light district) were also ordered to leave.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1974: President Richard Nixon announces he will release more than 1,200 pages of transcripts of 46 taped White House conversations related to Watergate.