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 1964:
North Christian Church
Background music: excerpts from the film
scores of To Kill a Mockingbird by Elmer Bernstein,
West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, and From
Russia With Love by John Barry
After two years of designing, planning, and
ongoing collaborations, Eero Saarinen finally wrote in his notes
on July 28, 1961 that he was satisfied with the design of the
North Christian Church, and construction could begin. As it turned
out, this would be his final project, as he died unexpectedly
before construction began. The church was completed in 1964.
Saarinen's final year saw the election and
inauguration of John Kennedy as the 35th President, the construction
of the Berlin Wall, and the formation of the Peace Corps. The
failed Bay of Pigs invasion occurred, and Alan Shepard became
the first American to be launched into space. The population of
the world was just over 3 billion.
While many Americans were buying or constructing
personal fallout shelters, Walter Cronkite began anchoring The
CBS Evening News, Johnny Carson began hosting The
Tonight Show, and, in 1963, a direct telephone "hot-line"
from the White House to the Kremlin was established to reduce
the risk of accidental nuclear war.
Dr. No, the first James Bond
movie, was released with Sean Connery in his debut as 007, followed
by Goldfinger and From Russia With Love.
On November 22nd, 1963, President John F. Kennedy
was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, as a stunned nation bore silent
witness.
Today the North Christian Church is as inspiring
and functional as it was when it was first built, and the number
of Columbus residents who find comfort and security within its walls
continues to grow.
More about 1960s life in the United States
Beatlemania swept the country and the world; Muhammed
Ali knocked out Sonny Liston to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Bonanza,
and The Twilight Zone.
Lawrence of Arabia, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Dr. Strangelove,
The Pink Panther, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
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