The 1964 Organ Fund

The following bulletin article is reprinted from the church's archives.

During August, September and October, the Music Committee (Irene Cain, Don Correll, Wayne Addington, Gene Jacob, Norma Allen, Gene Aldridge, Buck Haynes, Roberta Madden, Ida Kaufman, Thelma Handy, Stan Nethery, Rev. Bob Middlebrooks and Jack Jeanes, Chairman) within the Commission on Worship, studied organs. The Committee unanimously agreed that we should have a pipe organ in our new sanctuary and appropriately made the following recommendation to the Official Board:

The Committee on Music recommends that the First Methodist Church of Richardson contract with Sipe-Yarborough for our electrical action pipe organ, to contain 28 stopes and 37 ranks, at a cost of $28,500.00.

The Official Board accepted the recommendation and voted to intitiate the contract as soon as money or satisfactory financing, as determined by The Official Board, is made available.

The financing schedule requires that 15% of the total cost be paid at time of contract, 15% at start of construction, 20% upon delivery of the organ to the church, and the final 50% upon completion and acceptance. For financing, the organ is accepted as a memorial at a unit value of $28,500, to contain 43 shares at $200 per share. The church needs $9,000 cash on hand of the total $28,500 before a contract (15%) and construction (15%) could be considered.

Those of you (groups, individuals, or otherwise) who are planning to purchase organ memorial shares are strongly urged to take specific action and pay as much as possible by April 1, 1964, so the $9,000 will be available. All remittances should be made to The First Methodist Church Memorial Fund and identified as Organ Fund.

Submitted by Frances Long,
Church Historian