Misplaced Pages

#49950

101-532: Kyser was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina , the son of pharmacists Emily Royster Kyser (née Howell) and Paul Bynum Kyser. He was one of six children, and his mother was the first registered female pharmacist in the state. Journalist and newspaper editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin. Kyser graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1928, where he

202-496: A Blue Star Mothers pin, an Army-Navy E Service production award pin, two bronze civilian service awards, and her personal identity badge. Rockwell's model was a Vermont resident, 19-year-old Mary Louise Doyle, who was a telephone operator near where Rockwell lived, not a riveter. Rockwell painted his "Rosie" as a larger woman than his model, and he later phoned to apologize. According to two of Doyle's obituaries, however, "twenty-four years after Doyle posed, Rockwell sent Doyle

303-491: A cameo appearance in a Batman comic book. Kyser was first to introduce the new sonic audio process called the ' sonovox ', a singing electronic voice triggered by music. The Sonovox would be used by Jingle Companies such as PAMS and JAM Creative Productions , and said jingles would be used in heavy rotation by rock radio stations such as WABC, WMEX, WXYZ, KONO, WKDA, and WHTZ. In 1949 and 1950, "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge" aired on NBC-TV. In addition to Kyser,

404-488: A $ 200 million cargo terminal in Rocky Mount. Below is a list of some of the largest employers in the metropolitan area as of 2018. Rocky Mount is a regional shopping destination with many big-box retailers and specialty shops located in the city. Rocky Mount's shopping centers are generally congregated along and around US 301 (Wesleyan Boulevard). Two examples are Golden East Crossing and Englewood Square. In

505-458: A blue work shirt. In total, she was paid $ 10 for her modeling work (equivalent to $ 176 in 2023). In 1949 she married Robert J. Keefe to become Mary Doyle Keefe. The Keefes were invited and present in 2002 when the Rockwell painting was sold at Sotheby's . In an interview in 2014, Keefe said that she had no idea what impact the painting would have. "I didn't expect anything like this, but as

606-432: A child, his mother turned to a Christian Science practitioner for healing while apparently on her deathbed. In 1932, Kay recalled her recovery and turned to a practitioner himself while feeling the need for spiritual guidance; the practitioner encouraged him to continue with music, so he could use his talents to help people relieve tension in their lives. Kyser recalled: "I felt so healed that I quit worrying about it and for

707-586: A few years afterwards, and in 1974 working at the church's headquarters in Boston directing its radio and television broadcasting. In the late 70s and early 80s he traveled around as a Christian Science lecturer, and in 1983, he became the church's president, a one-year position which he referred to as "honorary", joking that he hadn't "been elected Pope or anything". Kyser supported various philanthropic causes after his retirement from music including health care, educational television, and highway safety. Kyser supported

808-457: A jam, he reluctantly hires the daughter of a powerful defense plant owner, played by Ann Miller . Two of the band's best-known performance appearances were in 1943 when they appeared in the wartime films Stage Door Canteen and Thousands Cheer . Kyser appeared as a light comedian; he acted with (and was billed above) John Barrymore in Barrymore's final film Playmates (1941). Kyser is

909-419: A job during World War II made people unsure if they should urge the women to keep acting as full-time mothers, or support them getting jobs to support the country in this time of need. Over six million women got war jobs; African American, Hispanic, White, and Asian women worked side by side. In the book A Mouthful of Rivets , Vi Kirstine Vrooman writes about the time when she decided to take action and become

1010-486: A letter calling her the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and apologizing for the hefty body in the painting. 'I did have to make you into a sort of a giant,' he wrote." In a post interview, Mary explained that she was actually holding a sandwich while posing for the poster and that the rivet-gun she was holding was fake, she never saw Hitler's copy of Mein Kampf , and she did have a white handkerchief in her pocket like

1111-503: A lower costs of living and doing business. The metropolitan area was named in a 2020 study as the third-highest in the United States where manufacturing is thriving, with a manufacturing output of $ 6.2 billion, or $ 42,270 per capita. Between 2014 and 2018, manufacturing grew in the Rocky Mount area by 11.8%, and there were 108% more manufacturing jobs than the national average. In 2019, CSX Transportation began construction of

SECTION 10

#1732798234050

1212-536: A population around 7,500, Rocky Mount was officially incorporated as a city. A main railroad line, a well-established cotton mill, and productive farmland for brightleaf tobacco were major contributors to the area's growth and prosperity over the next decades. A vibrant central business district arose. As in the rest of the South , North Carolina had imposed legal racial segregation , including restrictions and discrimination in housing. White suburbs developed largely on

1313-544: A portion of the music video for the song " Raise Your Glass ". The 2013 picture book Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty , features Rosie as "Great Great Aunt Rose" who "Worked building airplanes a long time ago". She inspires Rosie Revere, the young subject of the book, to continue striving to be a great engineer despite early failures. Rose is shown wielding a walking stick made from riveted aircraft aluminum. Singer Beyoncé paid tribute to Rosie in July 2014, dressing as

1414-590: A quiz with music which became "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge." The act was broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1938 and then moved to NBC Radio from 1939 to 1949. The show rose in the ratings and spawned many imitators. Kyser led the band as "The Ol' Perfessor", spouting catchphrases , some with a degree of Southern American English : "That's right—you're wrong", "Evenin' folks, how y'all?" and "C'mon, chillun! Le's dance!" Although Kyser and his orchestra gained fame through

1515-451: A riveter. She got a job building B-17s on an assembly line, and shares just how exciting it was, saying, "The biggest thrill—I can't tell you—was when the B-17s rolled off the assembly line. You can't believe the feeling we had. We did it!" Once women accepted the challenge of the workforce they continued to make strong advances towards equal rights. In 1944, when victory seemed assured for

1616-578: A two-week period in February 1943, then it disappeared for nearly four decades. During the war, the name "Rosie" was not associated with the image, and the purpose of the poster was not to recruit women workers but to be motivational propaganda aimed at workers of both sexes already employed at Westinghouse. It was only later, in the early 1980s, that the Miller poster was rediscovered and became famous, associated with feminism, and often mistakenly called "Rosie

1717-522: A young female war worker, widely but erroneously reported as being a photo of Michigan war worker Geraldine Hoff (later Doyle). More recent evidence indicates that the formerly misidentified photo is actually of war worker Naomi Parker (later Fraley) taken at Alameda Naval Air Station in California. The "We Can Do It!" poster was displayed only to Westinghouse employees in the Midwest during

1818-595: Is used for numerous statewide and interstate baseball and soccer tournaments. It also has a football stadium, home to the NCWC Battling Bishops football team and Elizabeth City State University 's annual Down East Viking Classic. The Rocky Mount Event Center administered by the city has added eight indoor basketball courts, sixteen volleyball courts, a ropes course, a climbing wall, and a family entertainment center, with plans to host indoor basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics competitions. Rosie

1919-618: The Boeing Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station , carried an Anthropomorphic Test Device named "Rosie the Rocketeer." The device contained fifteen sensors to collect data on the effects of the flight on future passengers. In 2024, singer Katy Perry paid tribute to Rosie by dressing as her for a portion of the music video for the song " Woman's World ". The Life and Times of Rosie

2020-598: The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas , acquired Norman Rockwell's iconic Rosie the Riveter painting for its permanent collection from a private collector. In late 1942, Doyle posed twice for Rockwell's photographer, Gene Pelham, as Rockwell preferred to work from still images rather than live models. The first photo was not suitable, because she wore a blouse rather than

2121-546: The National Register of Historic Places . Rocky Mount is a major center for youth sports tourism , as it is a midpoint between New York and Florida along I-95 . The Rocky Mount Sports Complex , maintained by the Parks and Recreation department, includes seven outdoor baseball fields, four softball fields, eight soccer fields, a professional disc golf course, basketball courts, and volleyball courts. The complex

SECTION 20

#1732798234050

2222-878: The Tuscarora War in the early 1700s; most survivors migrated to the North. The main party of the Tuscarora settled by 1722 with other Iroquoian peoples of the Five Nations , south of the Great Lakes in what became central and western New York. They became the Sixth Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. More English speakers began to settle the area along the Tar River . They settled along

2323-493: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 44.89 square miles (116.3 km ), of which 44.68 square miles (115.7 km ) is land and 0.21 square miles (0.54 km ) (0.47%) is water. The Tar River passes through the city from west to east, crossing the fall line at Upper Falls and Little Falls and descending 25 feet (7.6 m) within the city limits. The city boundaries straddle

2424-580: The disenfranchisement of blacks and to take other political action against segregation. On November 27, 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at Booker T. Washington High School; he used his refrain " I have a dream " a year before his better known delivery at the March on Washington , which became famous. Sanitation workers went on strike in 1978 when government sanitation workers protested their black co-worker being wrongfully arrested. He

2525-662: The fall line between the Piedmont and coastal plain, below which the rivers were navigable to the coast. The difference in height meant that the downstream waters could power mills . The Falls of the Tar River Primitive Baptist Church was established in 1757. As the church was the center of community life, its records were the first civil and vital records of the developing village. Its congregation effectively administered law enforcement, with officers issuing citations for crimes. A post office

2626-512: The train station and Douglas Block, or repurpose them, such as the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences . In 2007, Capitol Broadcasting Company bought Rocky Mount Mills. It is adapting it as a mixed-use campus of breweries , restaurants, residential lofts, and event space. Major new community projects include the 143-acre (58 ha) sports complex and 165,000-square-foot (15,300 m ) downtown event center . In 2019, CSX ,

2727-565: The "Kollege of Musical Knowledge," they were a successful band in their own right. They had 11 number one records, including some of the most popular songs of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Unlike most other big bands of the era, which centered on only the bandleader, individual members of Kyser's band became stars in their own right and would often receive the spotlight. Some of the more popular members included vocalist Harry Babbitt , cornetist Merwyn Bogue (a.k.a. Ish Kabibble ), trombonist Bruce King, saxophonist Jack Martin (who sang lead vocal on

2828-521: The 1900s. By the end of the 19th century, tobacco had surpassed King Cotton as the town's primary agricultural product. At the turn of the 20th century, Rocky Mount became the northern headquarters of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad , which located its major repair shops and yard facilities in the town. With it came an influx of railroad workers. In 1900, Rocky Mount's population was around 3,000. On February 28, 1907, with

2929-478: The 1970s the city's hospitals were consolidated under Nash General Hospital . That was also the period of completion of Rocky Mount–Wilson Regional Airport . From the 1980s, the inner city suffered urban decay , as businesses had moved out to suburban highway locations. Rocky Mount's downtown deteriorated as new neighborhoods and shopping malls were built, such as Golden East Crossing . The city expanded its boundaries by annexation; for instance, in 1996, annexing

3030-594: The 1970s. By that time factory employment was in decline all over the country. Elinor Otto , known as "Last Rosie the Riveter", built airplanes for 50 years, retiring at age 95. According to Penny Colman 's Rosie the Riveter , there was also, very briefly, a "Wendy the Welder" based on Janet Doyle, a worker at the Kaiser Richmond Liberty Shipyards in California. In the 1960s, Hollywood actress Jane Withers gained fame as "Josephine

3131-476: The Allied Forces, government-sponsored propaganda changed by urging women back to working in the home. Later, many women returned to traditional work such as clerical or administration positions, despite their reluctance to re-enter the lower-paying fields. However, some of these women continued working in the factories. The overall percentage of women working fell from 36% to 28% in 1947. The term "Rosie

Kay Kyser - Misplaced Pages Continue

3232-672: The American war effort . The identity of the "real" Rosie the riveter is debated. Candidates include: In Canada in 1941, Veronica Foster became "Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl", Canada's poster girl representing women in the war effort. A 1944 drama film, Rosie the Riveter , borrowed from the Rosie theme and starred Jane Frazee as Rosalind "Rosie" Warren. According to the Encyclopedia of American Economic History , "Rosie

3333-471: The Christian population as well. The remaining Christian population (15.2%) is affiliated with other churches. Islam (0.5%) has the second-largest percentage of adherents after the total for Christian sects. The economy of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area , historically dependent on agriculture and textile manufacturing, has diversified into pharmaceuticals and manufacturing. As the city is located near

3434-508: The Kay Kyser team (including Babbit, Kabibble, and Simms but not Kyser himself) reunited at Capitol Records to record an album of new versions of Kyser's greatest hits. Comedian Stan Freberg , one of Capitol's regular artists, did an impression of Kay's original song introductions. Kyser and Georgia Carroll remained married until his death. They moved back to Kyser's home state of North Carolina where they lived in his uncle's old house,

3535-706: The Lord and Pass the Ammunition ". His group had a major hit with the novelty tune, " Three Little Fishes ". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA . During the Swing Era, Kyser, Hal Kemp and Tal Henry often performed in or near New York City, making possible a reunion of North Carolina musicians. Later, after retirement, Kyser and Henry got together to share music world memories. Inspired by Rosalind P. Walter , Kyser helped popularize

3636-675: The Performing Arts at Wesleyan College regularly has college arts performances and touring acts, and is also the home of the Tar River Orchestra and Chorus. Most recently, the Rocky Mount Event Center opened in downtown with space for up to 5,000 seats for entertainment and sporting events. Rocky Mount Mills is a craft brewery incubator, the first of its kind on North Carolina. It now holds many up-and-coming breweries and restaurants. In addition,

3737-654: The Plumber", a character in a long-running and popular series of television commercials for "Comet" cleansing powder that lasted into the 1970s. This character was based on the original "Rosie" character. One of Carnival Cruise Line 's ships, the Carnival Valor , has a restaurant located on the lido deck named Rosie's Restaurant. The restaurant is mostly a tribute to Rosie, but also contains artwork depicting other war-related manufacturing and labor. In 2010, singer Pink paid tribute to Rosie by dressing as her for

3838-591: The Riveter by Connie Field is a 65-minute documentary from 1980 that tells the story of women's entrance into "men's work" during WWII. Rosies of the North is a 1999 National Film Board of Canada documentary film about Canadian "Rosies," who built fighter and bomber aircraft at the Canadian Car and Foundry , where Elsie MacGill was also the Chief Aeronautical Engineer. John Crowley 's 2009 historical novel Four Freedoms covers

3939-641: The Riveter (song) Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II , many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who joined the military. She is widely recognized in the " We Can Do It! " poster as a symbol of American feminism and women's economic advantage . Similar images of women war workers appeared in other countries such as Britain and Australia. The idea of Rosie

4040-561: The Riveter originated in a song written in 1942 by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb. Images of women workers were widespread in the media in formats such as government posters, and commercial advertising was heavily used by the government to encourage women to volunteer for wartime service in factories. Rosie the Riveter became the subject and title of a Hollywood film in 1944. Because the world wars were total wars , which required governments to utilize their entire populations to defeat their enemies, millions of women were encouraged to work in

4141-464: The Riveter" from the familiar song. Rockwell, America's best-known popular illustrator of the day, based the pose of his 'Rosie' on that of Michelangelo 's 1509 painting Prophet Isaiah from the Sistine Chapel ceiling . Rosie is holding a ham sandwich in her left hand, and her blue overalls are adorned with badges and buttons: a Red Cross blood donor button, a white "V for Victory" button,

Kay Kyser - Misplaced Pages Continue

4242-434: The Riveter" inspired a social movement that increased the number of working American women from 12 million to 20 million by 1944, a 57% increase from 1940. By 1944 1.7 million unmarried men between the ages of 20 and 34 worked in the defense industry, while 4.1 million unmarried women between those ages did so. Although the image of "Rosie the Riveter" reflected the industrial work of welders and riveters during World War II,

4343-469: The Riveter" was first used in 1942 in a song of the same name written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb . The song was recorded by numerous artists, including the popular big band leader Kay Kyser , and it became a national hit. It was also recorded by the R&;B group, The Four Vagabonds . The song portrays "Rosie" as a tireless assembly line worker, who earned a "Production E" doing her part to help

4444-434: The Riveter". Norman Rockwell 's image of "Rosie the Riveter" received mass distribution on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post on Memorial Day , May 29, 1943. Rockwell's illustration features a brawny woman taking her lunch break with a rivet gun on her lap and beneath her penny loafer a copy of Adolf Hitler 's manifesto, Mein Kampf . Her lunch box reads "Rosie"; viewers quickly recognized that to be "Rosie

4545-476: The Riveter, who wields a rivet gun as a weapon (first appearing in Green Lantern vol. 2 No. 176, May 1984). In the video game Fallout 3 there are billboards featuring "Rosies" assembling atom bombs while drinking Nuka-Cola. Of the female hairstyles available for player characters in the sequel, one is titled "Wendy the Welder" as a pastiche. Boeing Orbital Flight Test 2 , an uncrewed test flight of

4646-481: The TV show featured Ish Kabibble and vocalists Mike Douglas , Sue Bennett and Liza Palmer, plus The Honeydreamers vocal group and the dance team of Diane Sinclair and Ken Spaulding. Ben Grauer was the announcer during the first season. Always the businessman, Kyser reunited his band especially for this series and just as quickly disbanded it when the show ended. After a four-year hiatus, the "Kollege of Musical Knowledge"

4747-405: The age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were not families. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 26.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population

4848-594: The ceremony. In 2014, Phyllis Gould, one of the original Rosie the Riveters, visited President Barack Obama in support of a National Rosie the Riveter Day; the United States Senate approved the observance on March 21 in 2017. She also pushed for a Gold Medal for Rosies that will be given starting in 2022. Also in 2014 a nationwide program, run by the organization Thanks! Plain and Simple,

4949-411: The changes were temporary and that immediately after the war was over, women were expected to return to traditional roles of wives and mothers. A third group has emphasized how the long-range significance of the changes brought about by the war provided the foundation for the contemporary woman's movement. Leila J. Rupp , in her study of World War II, wrote "For the first time, the working woman dominated

5050-650: The character of Rosie the Riveter. The Rose City Riveters is the fan club for the Portland Thorns Football Club , a National Women's Soccer League team in Portland, Oregon , nicknamed the Rose City. They have taken their inspiration (and their name) from the 30,000 women who worked in the Portland shipyards in Portland during World War II. In 1942, Pittsburgh artist J. Howard Miller

5151-404: The city. The population density was 1,312.6 inhabitants per square mile (506.8 inhabitants/km ). The city had 26,953 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 61.3% African American , 32.4% White , 0.6% Native American , 1.0% Asian , and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.7% of the population. Of the 23,097 households, 27.3% had children under

SECTION 50

#1732798234050

5252-527: The closing of the mill. The workers had to find other housing. However, when the mill closed, the property remained intact. Though the property has been a rental for its entire existence, covenants are placed on the property to assure home ownership and owner occupancy and protect the historical integrity. Rocky Mount has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ) characterized by cool, sometimes moderately cold winters, and hot, humid summers. The average high temperatures range from 51 °F (11 °C) in

5353-413: The command of Brigadier General Edward E. Potter . They burned down the mill, which supplied Confederate yarn and cloth. After the war ended, the owners rebuilt the mill. On February 19, 1867, the village outside the mill, which was largely devoted to worker housing, was incorporated as a town. In the latter half of the 19th century, the tobacco industry became established in the state. Adjacent to

5454-521: The construction of a wing in St. John's hospital in Santa Monica, and there is a portrait of him at the entrance of its medical library. He also helped raise $ 62 million to build more hospitals and train nurses in his home state of North Carolina, lobbied the state legislature, and had his entertainment friends including Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore do a commercial in support of expanding healthcare in

5555-716: The construction of the longest continuous railroad in the world up to that time, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad , which ran about two miles (3 km) east of the mill. It connected the area to major ports in Virginia to the north and the port of Wilmington, North Carolina to the south. The tracks first reached Rocky Mount on Christmas Eve in 1839. In 1840, a train of cars en route to Wilmington stopped in Rocky Mount to import some "Old Nash" for special toasts at opening festivities. The fame of Nash County apple brandy spread from there. The railroad stimulated development of

5656-594: The downtown, the Douglas Block is a commercial area that was a former African-American business district. Station Square is a shopping area located next to city hall and the train station. The city is home to multiple venues for the performing arts. The Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences hosts the Maria V. Howard Arts Center, a Children's Museum and Science Center, and a community theater. The Dunn Center for

5757-532: The dupe in a scam where Barrymore pretends to teach him how to act in Shakespearean drama. Kyser also appeared in a Porky Pig cartoon, Africa Squeaks (1940). In the cartoon, he voiced a caricature of himself called "Cake-Icer," at the request of director Bob Clampett . A caricature (unnamed) of Kyser as the "Lil Perfessor" was seen in the Warner Brothers cartoon Malibu Beach Party . After

5858-636: The economy of Rocky Mount has diversified into biomedical pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and logistics. Rocky Mount has twice received the All-America City Award from the National Civic League : in 1969 and 1999. The region around the Tar River was continuously inhabited by various cultures of indigenous people for 12,000 years. It had long been home to the historic Tuscarora people , who spoke an Iroquoian language . After English colonists and indigenous allies waged

5959-582: The flooding until the water came into their homes, and many required rescue. The hurricane resulted in the worst flooding in history of the Tar River, which had become saturated in August. It exceeded 500-year flood levels along its lower stretches, and many homes and businesses were destroyed. During the first decades of the 21st century, the city has encouraged efforts to revitalize the historic downtown. It has supported projects to renovate buildings such as

6060-414: The group in 1943. Within a year, she and Kyser married. Kyser was also known for singing song titles, a device copied by Sammy Kaye and Blue Barron . When the song began, one of the band's lead singers (usually Babbitt) sang the title phrase, and then the first verse or two of the song was performed instrumentally before the lyrics resumed. Several of his recordings spawned catch phrases, such as " Praise

6161-407: The icon and posing in front of a " We Can Do It! " sign often mistaken as part of the Rosie campaign. It garnered over 1.15 million likes, but sparked minor controversy when newspaper The Guardian criticized it. Other recent cultural references include a " Big Daddy " enemy type called "Rosie" in the video game BioShock , armed with a rivet gun . There is a DC Comics character called Rosie

SECTION 60

#1732798234050

6262-400: The indigenous people in this area of the falls of the Tar River beginning in the mid-1700s. Incorporated in 1867, the community continued to develop through the 19th century based on agriculture (cotton and tobacco), manufacturing of textiles (made possible by the water power of the falls), and development of rail transportation to link the town to major markets. Since the late 20th century,

6363-492: The industry and take over jobs previously done by men. During World War I women across the United States were employed in jobs previously done by men. World War II was similar to World War I in that massive conscription of men led to a shortage of available workers and therefore a demand for labor which could be filled only by employing women. Nearly 19 million women held jobs during World War II. Many of these women were already working in lower-paying jobs or were returning to

6464-424: The juncture of a number of highways and railway, distribution and logistics are important to local businesses. The area has a strong service sector and a number of financial and customer support centers are located here. Rocky Mount is located 45 mi (72 km) from the state capital Raleigh and the associated Research Triangle . This has helped attract new companies to Rocky Mount seeking skilled labor and

6565-522: The late 1920s ( Camden, New Jersey in November 1928 and Chicago in early 1929). These were issued on Victor's V-40000 series devoted to country music and regional dance bands. Following graduation, Kyser and his band, which included Sully Mason on saxophone and arranger George Duning , toured Midwest restaurants and night clubs and gradually built a following. They were popular at Chicago's Blackhawk restaurant , where Kyser came up with an act combining

6666-553: The line between Edgecombe and Nash counties, which follows the railroad tracks through the center of the city running north to south. Situated near the Tar River, the Rocky Mount Mills Village grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a small community of tenants working for the mill. Built between 1885 and 1940, each house in the historic district is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places . Changes in industrialization eventually forced

6767-476: The majority of working women filled non-factory positions in every sector of the economy. What unified the experiences of these women was that they proved to themselves (and the country) that they could do a "man's job" and could do it well. In 1942, just between the months of January and July, the estimates of the proportion of jobs that would be "acceptable" for women was raised by employers from 29 to 85%. African American women were some of those most affected by

6868-521: The mill hosts summer music festivals and other events throughout the year. Since 2014 it has been in redevelopment by Capitol Broadcasting Company, which also owns the popular American Tobacco campus in downtown Durham, North Carolina . Nearby are dozens of historical homes for rent in the Rocky Mount Mills Village . The next phase of development is Goat Island on the Tar River, which will offer public access to hiking trails, sandy beaches, and rafting/canoeing. A Rocky Mount Railroad Museum has been in

6969-471: The need for women workers. It has been said that it was the process of whites working alongside blacks during the time that encouraged a breaking down of social barriers and a healthy recognition of diversity. Women quickly responded to Rosie the Riveter, who convinced them that they had a patriotic duty to enter the workforce. Some claim that she forever opened the work force for women, but others dispute that point, noting that many women were discharged after

7070-418: The next 18 years I couldn’t think of anything except how to make better records and how to make the music more danceable. ... Underlying that was the unquenchable desire to serve mankind’s needs." In the 1940s, he began to experience his own health problems, which at times confined him to a wheelchair, and he turned to the religion in earnest; becoming a practitioner himself in 1961, a teacher of Christian Science

7171-474: The number one hit, " Strip Polka "), Ginny Simms (who had her own successful acting and singing career after leaving Kyser's band), Sully Mason, Mike Douglas (years before he became a popular TV talk show host) and Georgia Carroll . Carroll, a blonde fashion model and actress whose best-known role was Betsy Ross in Yankee Doodle Dandy , was dubbed "Gorgeous Georgia Carroll" when she joined

7272-577: The oldest house in Chapel Hill, and raised their three daughters – Amanda, Carroll, and Kimberly, who all graduated from his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Kyser died of a heart attack in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on July 23, 1985. He was buried at Old Chapel Hill Cemetery in Chapel Hill. Kyser was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1990. Kyser

7373-469: The other proprietors before turning over the enterprise to his cousin James Smith Battle. Until the 1850s, the mill operated with the labor of enslaved African Americans . They also comprised most of the labor on the cotton plantations. Beginning then, the mill owners hired exclusively white women and girls as mill workers for the rest of the century. The Battle family was also involved in

7474-583: The picture depicts. The Post ' s cover image proved hugely popular, and the magazine loaned it to the United States Department of the Treasury for the duration of the war, for use in war bond drives. After the war, the Rockwell "Rosie" was seen less and less because of a general policy of vigorous copyright protection by the Rockwell estate. In 2002, the original painting sold at Sotheby's for nearly $ 5 million. In June 2009

7575-1087: The planning stages for a number of years. The railroad was basic to the city's development: in the early to mid-1900s the Emerson Shops of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad employed more than 2,000 people. The museum organizers are seeking a suitable facility. It has been proposed for location inside the train station. The area includes individually recognized properties, such as the Bellamy-Philips House , Bellemonte , Benvenue , Machaven , The Meadows , Rocky Mount Electric Power Plant , Rocky Mount Mills , and Stonewall . It also has numerous recognized districts: Edgemont Historic District , Falls Road Historic District , Lincoln Park Historic District , Rocky Mount Central City Historic District , Rocky Mount Mills Village Historic District , Villa Place Historic District , and West Haven Historic District ; all are listed on

7676-406: The population is below the poverty line . Rocky Mount's population is 40.3% religiously affiliated, below the state average of 48.9%. Christianity is the largest religion , with Baptists (13.3%) making up the largest religious group, followed by Pentecostals (4.5%) and Methodists (3.5%). Presbyterians (1.5%), Episcopalians (0.9%), and Catholics (0.8%) make up a significant amount of

7777-428: The public image. Women were riveting housewives in slacks, not mother, domestic beings, or civilizers." After the war, as the nation shifted to a time of peace, women were quickly laid off from their factory jobs. The "Rosies" and the generations that followed them knew that working in the factories was in fact a possibility for women, even though they did not reenter the job market in such large proportions again until

7878-489: The repair and maintenance department in the hangars at LaGuardia airfield for service, repair and overhaul on the fleet of aircraft including the Boeing 314 Flying Boat flying to and from Europe. Many women discovered they enjoyed the autonomy these jobs provided them with. It expanded their own expectations for womanly duty and capabilities. Unfortunately, this was reckoned as unnatural and as men began to return home from

7979-518: The sandy coastal plain , Rocky Mount was well situated to take advantage of the rapidly rising demand for brightleaf tobacco that grew best in the sandy soil. Tobacco also shaped the city's social life. Warehouses where tobacco was stored and marketed began hosting balls for the community in the 1880s; these became known as "june germans" for the time of year and style of dance. June Germans eventually transformed into all-night dance parties and attracted musicians and socialites from miles around well into

8080-595: The song " Rosie the Riveter ". During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Kyser's band appeared in several motion pictures, usually as themselves, beginning with the successful That's Right – You're Wrong (1939), You'll Find Out (1940), Playmates and My Favorite Spy . Some of the films built a plot around the band. Around the World (1943) fictionalized the band's international tours of military camps. In Carolina Blues (1944), Kyser has to replace his lead singer (Carroll) who has run off to get married. Caught in

8181-584: The state. Kyser also supported his old school, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , especially the arts, through the Kyser Foundation which gave scholarships to UNC music and drama students; and supported the university's theatre, pharmacy school, and its Center for Public Television. He also gave to the North Carolina Symphony Society, the first state symphony orchestra in the country. In 1962, several members of

8282-750: The successor company of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, broke ground on a new intermodal cargo terminal that is expected to stimulate the local economy in the next decade. Rocky Mount is located in northeastern North Carolina, at the fall line between the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the east and the Piedmont region to the west. The city is 58 miles (93 km) east of Raleigh , the state capital, 91 miles (146 km) northeast of Fayetteville , 144 miles (232 km) north of Wilmington , 19 miles (31 km) north of Wilson , 42 miles (68 km) south of Roanoke Rapids , and 127 miles (204 km) south of Richmond, Virginia . According to

8383-566: The town of Battleboro to the north of the city. In 1999, the city won its second All-America City Award. In the fall of 1999 two hurricanes made landfall in eastern North Carolina . Both passed over Rocky Mount: Hurricane Dennis as a tropical storm in August with 20 inches (510 mm) of rain and Hurricane Floyd in September with nearly 17 inches (430 mm) of rain. Floyd is especially memorable because most localized flooding happened quickly overnight. Many residents were not aware of

8484-491: The town. In 1871, the county line was moved from the Tar River to its present location in the center of the tracks. The Raleigh - Tarboro stage route also passed just south of Rocky Mount (roughly where I-95 and U.S. 64 run today), and for a time was the logical debarking point for railroad travelers wishing to proceed east or west. During the Civil War , the surrounding region was raided in 1863 by Union troops under

8585-415: The war and their jobs were given to returning servicemen. These critics claim that when peace returned, few women returned to their wartime positions and instead resumed domestic vocations or transferred into sex-typed occupations such as clerical and service work. For some, World War II represented a major turning point for women as they eagerly supported the war effort, but other historians emphasize that

8686-475: The war, Kyser's band continued to record hit records, including two featuring Jane Russell as vocalist. It's All Up to You features vocals by Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore , although Kyser's participation in this recording is disputed, record label showing Axel Stordahl as conductor. Kyser had intended to retire following the end of the war, but performance and recording contracts kept him in show business for another half decade. During this time, Kyser made

8787-461: The war, the government instituted another propaganda campaign urging women to "return to normalcy". Although most women took on male-dominated trades during World War II, they were expected to return to their everyday housework once men returned from the war. Government campaigns targeting women were addressed solely at housewives, likely because already-employed women would move to the higher-paid "essential" jobs on their own, or perhaps because it

8888-756: The wartime industries, and studies the real working conditions of many female industrial workers. "Rosie the Riveter" is frequently referenced. On October 14, 2000, the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park was opened in Richmond, California , site of four Kaiser Shipyards , where thousands of "Rosies" from around the country worked (although ships at the Kaiser yards were not riveted, but rather welded). Over 200 former Rosies attended

8989-483: The west side of town, such as Villa Place and West Haven . Black neighborhoods, such as Crosstown and Around the "Y", where jazz musician Thelonious Monk was born, were concentrated on the east side of town. Several notable Civil Rights events occurred in Rocky Mount. In 1946, African-American tobacco warehouse workers voted to organize in Rocky Mount as part of a broader nationwide movement known as Operation Dixie . It included voter registration to fight against

9090-402: The winter to around 90 °F (32 °C) in the summer. The average low temperatures range from 31 °F (−1 °C) in the winter to around 69 °F (21 °C) in the summer. As of the 2020 census , there were 54,341 people, 22,260 households, and 14,334 families residing in the city. At the 2010 census , there were 57,477 people, 23,097 households, and 14,639 families residing in

9191-546: The work-force after being laid off during the depression. Only three million new female workers entered the workforce during the time of the war. Women responded to the call of need the country was displaying by stepping up to fill positions that were traditionally filled by men. They began to work heavy construction machinery, taking roles in lumber and steel mills as well as physical labor including unloading freight, building airships , making munitions, and much more. Forty women were hired by Pan American Airways to replace men in

9292-736: Was 54,341 as of the 2020 census , making it the 20th-most populous city in North Carolina. The city is 45 mi (72 km) east of Raleigh , the state capital. It is the principal city of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area —often called the "Twin Counties"—which had an estimated population of 145,383 in 2023. Rocky Mount is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids, NC Combined Statistical Area , which had an estimated population of 288,366 in 2023. English and Scots traders encountered

9393-555: Was acquitted in court on the charges. In 2018 the city council officially apologized to him for the case. After WWII , the city continued to grow. In the 1950s and 1960s the city's economy diversified to include banking, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and the headquarters of a fast food chain known as Hardee's . New higher education facilities were founded, including North Carolina Wesleyan College in 1956 and Nash Community College and Edgecombe Community College in 1968. In 1970, Rocky Mount received an All-America City Award . In

9494-726: Was assumed that most would be housewives. One government advertisement asked women: "Can you use an electric mixer? If so, you can learn to operate a drill." Propaganda was also directed at their husbands, many of whom were unwilling to support such jobs. Many of the women who took jobs during World War II were mothers. Those women with children at home pooled together in their efforts to raise their families. They assembled into groups and shared such chores as cooking, cleaning and washing clothes. Many who did have young children shared apartments and houses so they could save time, money, utilities and food. If they both worked, they worked different shifts so they could take turns babysitting. Taking on

9595-410: Was distributed as 27.5% between the ages of 1 and 19, 6.4% from 20 to 24, 24% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38.7 years. 45.8% of the population are males compared to 54.2% for females. The median income for a household in the city was $ 37,059, and for a family was $ 39,929. The per capita income for the city was $ 21,779. About 19.0% of

9696-440: Was established at the falls of the Tar River on March 22, 1816. At this point, the name "Rocky Mount" officially appears in documented history, referring to the rocky mound at the falls of the Tar River. Rocky Mount Mills , the second cotton mill in the state of North Carolina, was built there soon after in 1818. Its proprietors were two entrepreneurs and Joel Battle, grandson of an original colonial settler here. Battle bought out

9797-613: Was founded to encourage cities to pick a project that "Rosies" can do with younger generations, in order to educate young people about women's roles in World War II, and to involve the "Rosies", many of whom have become isolated as they have gotten older, in community projects. The name and logo of the Metropolitan Riveters , one of the founding members of the National Women's Hockey League , are inspired by

9898-519: Was hired by the Westinghouse Company's War Production Coordinating Committee to create a series of posters for the war effort. One of these posters became the famous " We Can Do It! " image, an image that in later years would also be called "Rosie the Riveter" although it had never been given that title during the war. Miller is thought to have based his "We Can Do It!" poster on a United Press International wire service photograph taken of

9999-565: Was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 1999. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is custodian of a large archive of documents and material about Kyser which was donated by his widow and made available to the public on April 8, 2008. Rocky Mount, North Carolina Rocky Mount is a city in Nash and Edgecombe counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina . The city's population

10100-399: Was revived by Tennessee Ernie Ford , prior to the launching of his own NBC program, The Ford Show , which ran from 1956 to 1961. Kyser and Ginny Simms co-starred in "Niagara to Reno" (described as "an original comedy") on CBS radio's Silver Theater April 6, 1941. After retiring from music, Kyser became involved with his church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist . When he was

10201-506: Was senior class president and was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. Owing to his popularity and enthusiasm as a cheerleader, he was invited by Hal Kemp to take over as bandleader when Kemp ventured north to further his career. He began taking clarinet lessons but was better as an entertaining announcer than a musician. He adopted the initial of his middle name as part of his stage name, for its alliterative effect. Long before his national success, Kyser recorded two sessions for Victor in

#49950