MINOR – The Hodding Carters opened doors for equality
Mention the Hodding Carters of Greenville and the name brings to mind one of the legendary families of Southern journalism. Fortunately, Hodding III, who left news-papering to become a nationally known TV commentator, columnist and educator, Friday will find his way back to Mississippi to speak at Common Cause/Mississippi’s annual dinner.
Many will recall Hodding, after veering off on a political track in the 1970s, and joining the Jimmy Carter Administration, became Assistant Secretary of State and spokesman for the state department. He was a daily fixture on TV in 1979-80 after Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 63 Americans hostage.
Carter will team up with former Oxford Mayor Richard Howorth, the owner of that city’s Square Books, to discuss the related role of good government and the press. The dinner meeting set for 6:30 p.m. will be held at the University Club here.
Howorth was virtually drafted by a good government group to run for mayor of Oxford in 2001 and won by a narrow vote. After one term, he won reelection in 2005 without opposition on a record of bringing a new openness to city government and putting an end to council members circumventing the state open meeting law.
Bill Minor
10/22/9
Magnolia Tribune
