WFAA - March 16 - 17, 1971 Part 1

0:00, 11:04 - (March 16, 1971) Wil A. Schaefer, former United Methodist minister from Laredo, is in Dallas to speak informally to students at Southern Methodist University's (SMU) Perkins School of Theology (his alma mater); Schaefer was recently ousted from the church for his unconventional relationship involving two women: his wife, Rita, and Judy Nash, who all live together in a polyamorous relationship; in an interview at Lee Park while seated next to Nash, Schaefer describes his relationship with his wife and with Nash, and what he's given up to be with Nash; several people on the SMU campus are asked their opinions about Schaefer's actions; additional silent footage of the interviews on campus; Rosser McDonald reporting. 2:39 - (March 16, 1971) The Dallas Advertising League hosts a pre-St. Patrick's Day luncheon; a band parades through a banquet hall and attendees seated at tables sing songs; reporter Phil Reynolds describes the event. 3:48 - A Perkin-Elmer Coleman 75 Gas Laser is demonstrated at the 69th annual Texas-Oklahoma Telephone Convention (Silent); in an interview, Glenn Scott – science demonstrator for the Dallas region of the Southwestern Bell Co. – explains that laser technology will be used to transmit massive amounts of video and audio signals by the year 2000, as the need for high-speed communications increases. 5:57, 11:31 - (March 16, 1971) U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) talks about the reduction of spending on defense contracts and the possibility that these funds might to to other government contracts; additional silent footage of Bentsen's press conference; Bentsen is in Fort Worth to speak to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; Jay Lewis reporting. 6:33 - The Dallas Transit System (DTS) is conducting transit surveys on city buses, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation; a man addresses a seated group of passengers on a parked bus; Judi Hanna reporting (Silent). 7:14, 11:49 - A man says that someone came into his home and claimed that he had a court order to evict him from his residence on E. Berry Street, near the 5200 block of Clotell Drive in the Stop Six neighborhood of Fort Worth; the man with the “court order” told him that he was given the authority by the previous owner of the home to evict him; additional silent shots of the man standing outside his residence and of others taking furniture into the home; additional silent footage from the scene, showing personal belongings in the yard; in an interview, another man says they are concerned about how this eviction was handled, and he has been unable to verify that the eviction was legal; Jim Green reporting. 8:30, 13:01 - A rancher says that whenever a ship docks in Houston it affects the cattle market; he goes on to say that the recent nutritional trend towards lower cholesterol and lower fat means that the butcher adds fat trimmings to the leaner Argentinian beef to make a fine hamburger product; additional silent footage from the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association convention in Fort Worth; Jay Lewis reporting. 9:39 - (March 16, 1971) Ed Polk, director of the Dallas Legal Services Project (DLSP), holds a press conference to discuss his resignation from the organization, effective June 1, 1971; Phil Reynolds reporting (Silent). 10:30, 13:31 - The hunger strike led by the Rev. Peter Johnson, Southwest Regional Director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), continues on the steps of Dallas City Hall until the City Council addresses the area's hunger problem; a supporter of Thomas Rodriguez is also seen (Silent); additional footage of reporter Rosser McDonald interviewing a student on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) about how several student will join in the hunger strike to show support and to draw attention to the plight of hunger in the city. 14:04 - (March 16, 1971) The Tarrant County Crime Commission will consider the future of Tarrant County District Attorney Frank Coffey in an executive session the next day, following concerning reports of Coffey's job performance; in an interview, Edwin T. Phillips Jr., general counsel for the commission, says they had received reports last year advising the commission that the D.A.'s office was not being administered with full efficiency and that Coffey was not in attendance, nor was he directing his staff; the report goes on to say the commission was unaware that Coffey was hospitalized outside of the city, but that he plans to return and address these charges; Jerry Park reporting. 16:09 - Several people board a bus to tour Mountain View College and Eastfield College in Dallas; various shots of these individuals having refreshments, of the tour, and of the facilities themselves (Silent).