Fort Worth Police Department. Women. Mrs. Gilman Rhodes, applicant

Creator

Preview

Identifier

20031473

Description

Fort Worth Police Department. Women. Mrs. Gilman Rhodes, applicant.Woman in a white blouse and herringbone single-breasted jacket and dark hat, with a handkerchief in her left jacket pocket and a pin on her lapel. IT might be a symbol of an aircraft propeller (Rhodes had been an aircraft plant worker--see clipping). She is wearing earrings and has a small watch suspended around her neck on a cord. She is standing in front of a wall upon which we see the bottom corner of a framed photo above her head. Clipping:"Women Traffic Police Voted for Fort WorthBy John Parker.Fort Worth Wednesday became the first city in Texas to authorize the employment of women traffic officers, with City Council approval of a plan to hire 10 as an experiment and receipt of applications from two persons before the ink was dry on afternoon newspaper editions announcing the move.Police chief Curry plans to get the program in operation by Nov. 15, with the smartly uniformed women under tutelage of experienced traffic officers.Applications will be taken now, he said, but hiring will not take place until later. Applicants must be between the ages of 23 and 40 and must be at least five feet four inches tall. They must pass a physical examination and must meet character and aptitude requirements. Pay will be $132.50 a month for the first six months, then raised to $145.The first applicant was Miss Lois Rylander, 29, 1200 Belle Place, who made for police headquarters with a newspaper in her hand. She was interviewed by Capt. R. R. Howerton, personnel officer and director of the Police Training SchoolMiss Rylander is a former United States Civil Service employe in clerical work. Close on her heels was Mrs. Gilman Rhodes, 36, of 3114 Azle, formerly an aircraft plant worker.The new traffic women will not carry weapons. They will be attired in blue uniforms, under present plans, lighter in tone than the navy blues now worn by policemen. Tentative plans call for Sam Brown belts and service caps with visors. On the left sleeve will be a shoulder patch bearing the words 'Traffic Police' and the officer's number. They will operate under direction of Traffic Captain Dysart.Before being entrusted alone at traffic posts, the women will receive four hours daily instruction at street corners during traffic peaks in company with experienced officers. Another four hours daily will be spent in Police Training School, where they will be instructed in police work in general and will received the full course in traffic control. They will be stationed only downtown, under a 'stagger' plan which contemplates men officers on alternate corners.They will have full police powers, but will handle traffic and parking exclusively—with no attempt made to use them as 'policewomen.' Use of policewomen was tried here more than a dozen years ago with little success, and the plan was abandoned. Four were hired. Some later became police matrons.An acute manpower shortage in the Police Department, because of the drain of personnel to the military and naval services, forced the traffic women plan. It has been under study for several weeks by Curry and other department officers. Curry's recommendation to City Manager Bothwell mentioned that the department already is short six men in the budget allowance and that qualified men are increasingly hard to find.Chicago recently put 50 women traffic officers in service and the plan also is being used with success in New York."Stamped: Star-Telegram Morn Nov. 4, 1943

Archival Date

1943-11-03

Collection Name

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection

Collection Number

AR406-6-294

Original Format

Negatives, Black & White

File Format

JPG

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License

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Subjects

Rhodes, Gilman (Mrs.); Wartime manpower shortages; Police; Police woman; Job candidates; Labor shortages