STAR-TELEGRAM
July 15, 2010
"ARLINGTON — Though he was mayor three decades ago, SJ Stovall's vision and strong leadership during a critical era helped make Arlington's entertainment district the thriving tourist destination it is today, friends say.
He succeeded Tom Vandergriff as mayor in 1977, just after the failure of the city-owned Seven Seas Marine Life Park. To help recover the city's investment, Mr. Stovall led efforts to build the Arlington Convention Center and an adjacent hotel on the ill-fated park's site that would draw conventions, visitors and their wallets to the city.
"If we had not successfully made it through that challenging period in Arlington's history, would the Rangers' future have been secure? The answer to that is maybe or no," said former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene.
"If no, then the next question is, 'Would Jerry Jones have ever noticed Arlington?' The answer is no."
Mr. Stovall, who served as mayor for six of his 20 years on the City Council, died Wednesday. He was 84.
His rise to the mayor's seat was quite unexpected, said Allan Saxe, a friend and long-time Arlington resident.
Vandergriff, Arlington's mayor for more than 26 years, stunned the city in January 1977 by announcing his immediate resignation at a regularly scheduled council meeting. Even Mr. Stovall, who was mayor pro tem, was unaware of Vandgergriff's plans, both Greene and Saxe said.
"The sudden change in leadership in that dramatic fashion, with the challenges the city was facing at the time, left SJ with a daunting assignment," Greene said. "It was really a pivotal time in the city's history and he did an admirable job leading us through that."
Sinking ship
Arlington opened the voter-financed marine life park, which featured dolphins and killer whales and a life-size pirate ship, near Arlington Stadium in 1972. But the crowds didn't come. The city was forced to close the park, which was also briefly known as Hawaii Kai, less than four years later because it was losing so much money.
"Following the Rangers arrival in 1972, the city was ready for its next big venture. Yet it did not work. The attendance was disappointing," Greene said.
The development of the voter-financed $10 million Arlington Convention Center and a private hotel helped the city recover. Later additions to the entertainment district included Wet 'N Wild (now known as Wet 'n Wild), which Mr. Stovall is credited with recruiting, the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium.
Basic services
While Vandergriff pushed to bring Arlington major league baseball, the General Motors assembly plant and the Seven Seas amusement park, Stovall concentrated on basic city services and infrastructure during his tenure, friends said. After he became mayor in 1977, voters approved two large-scale bond programs, including $69 million to improve streets.
Mr. Stovall said in a 1981 Star-Telegram article that he knew that following Vandergriff was going to be a tough act to follow. "I felt some pressure, yes," Stovall said. "As soon as I became mayor, I tried to make the point that Arlington was entering into another period in its life, and, in a way, I would be sort of a transition mayor. I would be a completely different type of mayor."
Mr. Stovall, who retired after 30 years from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also is credited with helping the Texas Department of Transportation navigate the best possible route for Interstate 20 to pass through Arlington during his tenure on the council.
He also was instrumental in the development of the new City Hall, recruitment of companies such as National Semi-Conductor to Arlington and the creation of Leadership Arlington, an organization that prepares community leaders for roles in local government.
"During his service as a City Council member and mayor, he and his colleagues made many wise and strategic decisions that assured Arlington would continue to thrive," Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said in a prepared statement. "We continue to benefit from those decisions."
County commissioner
Mr. Stovall decided not to run for mayor in 1983 and was succeeded by Harold Patterson. Two months after stepping down, Stovall was appointed to serve on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court after the death of Commissioner Jerry Mebus.
Mr. Stovall was appointed by County Judge Mike Moncrief, now the Fort Worth mayor. Mr. Stovall served on the commission until losing the post to O.L. Watson in 1984.
"SJ was very focused, he was very balanced, easy to get along with," Moncrief said. "He was a dedicated public servant and a very effective representative of the people he served."
Mr. Stovall was born in Lufkin on Sept. 26, 1925. He attended Texas A&M University after serving in the U.S. Air Force, according to the city. He moved his family to Arlington in 1950 to begin an assignment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
He went by the name SJ – which were his father's initials - his whole life.
"I guess I was 13 before I realized that SJ - my father's initials - didn't stand for anything," Stovall said in a Star-Telegram article from the late 1970s.
In 1991, Arlington named a 52-are park in honor of Stovall, who also served as president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, board chairman of Mission Metroplex/Mission Arlington, on the Arlington Memorial board of trustees and was active in the Crime Stoppers program.
Stovall is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Margaret "Margie" Stovall.
Services
Funeral: 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Arlington. Interment: Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Funeral Home.
(Staff writer Mike Lee contributed to this report, which includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.)"
July 15, 2010
"ARLINGTON — Though he was mayor three decades ago, SJ Stovall's vision and strong leadership during a critical era helped make Arlington's entertainment district the thriving tourist destination it is today, friends say.
He succeeded Tom Vandergriff as mayor in 1977, just after the failure of the city-owned Seven Seas Marine Life Park. To help recover the city's investment, Mr. Stovall led efforts to build the Arlington Convention Center and an adjacent hotel on the ill-fated park's site that would draw conventions, visitors and their wallets to the city.
"If we had not successfully made it through that challenging period in Arlington's history, would the Rangers' future have been secure? The answer to that is maybe or no," said former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene.
"If no, then the next question is, 'Would Jerry Jones have ever noticed Arlington?' The answer is no."
Mr. Stovall, who served as mayor for six of his 20 years on the City Council, died Wednesday. He was 84.
His rise to the mayor's seat was quite unexpected, said Allan Saxe, a friend and long-time Arlington resident.
Vandergriff, Arlington's mayor for more than 26 years, stunned the city in January 1977 by announcing his immediate resignation at a regularly scheduled council meeting. Even Mr. Stovall, who was mayor pro tem, was unaware of Vandgergriff's plans, both Greene and Saxe said.
"The sudden change in leadership in that dramatic fashion, with the challenges the city was facing at the time, left SJ with a daunting assignment," Greene said. "It was really a pivotal time in the city's history and he did an admirable job leading us through that."
Sinking ship
Arlington opened the voter-financed marine life park, which featured dolphins and killer whales and a life-size pirate ship, near Arlington Stadium in 1972. But the crowds didn't come. The city was forced to close the park, which was also briefly known as Hawaii Kai, less than four years later because it was losing so much money.
"Following the Rangers arrival in 1972, the city was ready for its next big venture. Yet it did not work. The attendance was disappointing," Greene said.
The development of the voter-financed $10 million Arlington Convention Center and a private hotel helped the city recover. Later additions to the entertainment district included Wet 'N Wild (now known as Wet 'n Wild), which Mr. Stovall is credited with recruiting, the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium.
Basic services
While Vandergriff pushed to bring Arlington major league baseball, the General Motors assembly plant and the Seven Seas amusement park, Stovall concentrated on basic city services and infrastructure during his tenure, friends said. After he became mayor in 1977, voters approved two large-scale bond programs, including $69 million to improve streets.
Mr. Stovall said in a 1981 Star-Telegram article that he knew that following Vandergriff was going to be a tough act to follow. "I felt some pressure, yes," Stovall said. "As soon as I became mayor, I tried to make the point that Arlington was entering into another period in its life, and, in a way, I would be sort of a transition mayor. I would be a completely different type of mayor."
Mr. Stovall, who retired after 30 years from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also is credited with helping the Texas Department of Transportation navigate the best possible route for Interstate 20 to pass through Arlington during his tenure on the council.
He also was instrumental in the development of the new City Hall, recruitment of companies such as National Semi-Conductor to Arlington and the creation of Leadership Arlington, an organization that prepares community leaders for roles in local government.
"During his service as a City Council member and mayor, he and his colleagues made many wise and strategic decisions that assured Arlington would continue to thrive," Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said in a prepared statement. "We continue to benefit from those decisions."
County commissioner
Mr. Stovall decided not to run for mayor in 1983 and was succeeded by Harold Patterson. Two months after stepping down, Stovall was appointed to serve on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court after the death of Commissioner Jerry Mebus.
Mr. Stovall was appointed by County Judge Mike Moncrief, now the Fort Worth mayor. Mr. Stovall served on the commission until losing the post to O.L. Watson in 1984.
"SJ was very focused, he was very balanced, easy to get along with," Moncrief said. "He was a dedicated public servant and a very effective representative of the people he served."
Mr. Stovall was born in Lufkin on Sept. 26, 1925. He attended Texas A&M University after serving in the U.S. Air Force, according to the city. He moved his family to Arlington in 1950 to begin an assignment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
He went by the name SJ – which were his father's initials - his whole life.
"I guess I was 13 before I realized that SJ - my father's initials - didn't stand for anything," Stovall said in a Star-Telegram article from the late 1970s.
In 1991, Arlington named a 52-are park in honor of Stovall, who also served as president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, board chairman of Mission Metroplex/Mission Arlington, on the Arlington Memorial board of trustees and was active in the Crime Stoppers program.
Stovall is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Margaret "Margie" Stovall.
Services
Funeral: 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Arlington. Interment: Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Funeral Home.
(Staff writer Mike Lee contributed to this report, which includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.)"
STAR-TELEGRAM
July 15, 2010
"ARLINGTON — Though he was mayor three decades ago, SJ Stovall's vision and strong leadership during a critical era helped make Arlington's entertainment district the thriving tourist destination it is today, friends say.
He succeeded Tom Vandergriff as mayor in 1977, just after the failure of the city-owned Seven Seas Marine Life Park. To help recover the city's investment, Mr. Stovall led efforts to build the Arlington Convention Center and an adjacent hotel on the ill-fated park's site that would draw conventions, visitors and their wallets to the city.
"If we had not successfully made it through that challenging period in Arlington's history, would the Rangers' future have been secure? The answer to that is maybe or no," said former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene.
"If no, then the next question is, 'Would Jerry Jones have ever noticed Arlington?' The answer is no."
Mr. Stovall, who served as mayor for six of his 20 years on the City Council, died Wednesday. He was 84.
His rise to the mayor's seat was quite unexpected, said Allan Saxe, a friend and long-time Arlington resident.
Vandergriff, Arlington's mayor for more than 26 years, stunned the city in January 1977 by announcing his immediate resignation at a regularly scheduled council meeting. Even Mr. Stovall, who was mayor pro tem, was unaware of Vandgergriff's plans, both Greene and Saxe said.
"The sudden change in leadership in that dramatic fashion, with the challenges the city was facing at the time, left SJ with a daunting assignment," Greene said. "It was really a pivotal time in the city's history and he did an admirable job leading us through that."
Sinking ship
Arlington opened the voter-financed marine life park, which featured dolphins and killer whales and a life-size pirate ship, near Arlington Stadium in 1972. But the crowds didn't come. The city was forced to close the park, which was also briefly known as Hawaii Kai, less than four years later because it was losing so much money.
"Following the Rangers arrival in 1972, the city was ready for its next big venture. Yet it did not work. The attendance was disappointing," Greene said.
The development of the voter-financed $10 million Arlington Convention Center and a private hotel helped the city recover. Later additions to the entertainment district included Wet 'N Wild (now known as Wet 'n Wild), which Mr. Stovall is credited with recruiting, the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium.
Basic services
While Vandergriff pushed to bring Arlington major league baseball, the General Motors assembly plant and the Seven Seas amusement park, Stovall concentrated on basic city services and infrastructure during his tenure, friends said. After he became mayor in 1977, voters approved two large-scale bond programs, including $69 million to improve streets.
Mr. Stovall said in a 1981 Star-Telegram article that he knew that following Vandergriff was going to be a tough act to follow. "I felt some pressure, yes," Stovall said. "As soon as I became mayor, I tried to make the point that Arlington was entering into another period in its life, and, in a way, I would be sort of a transition mayor. I would be a completely different type of mayor."
Mr. Stovall, who retired after 30 years from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also is credited with helping the Texas Department of Transportation navigate the best possible route for Interstate 20 to pass through Arlington during his tenure on the council.
He also was instrumental in the development of the new City Hall, recruitment of companies such as National Semi-Conductor to Arlington and the creation of Leadership Arlington, an organization that prepares community leaders for roles in local government.
"During his service as a City Council member and mayor, he and his colleagues made many wise and strategic decisions that assured Arlington would continue to thrive," Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said in a prepared statement. "We continue to benefit from those decisions."
County commissioner
Mr. Stovall decided not to run for mayor in 1983 and was succeeded by Harold Patterson. Two months after stepping down, Stovall was appointed to serve on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court after the death of Commissioner Jerry Mebus.
Mr. Stovall was appointed by County Judge Mike Moncrief, now the Fort Worth mayor. Mr. Stovall served on the commission until losing the post to O.L. Watson in 1984.
"SJ was very focused, he was very balanced, easy to get along with," Moncrief said. "He was a dedicated public servant and a very effective representative of the people he served."
Mr. Stovall was born in Lufkin on Sept. 26, 1925. He attended Texas A&M University after serving in the U.S. Air Force, according to the city. He moved his family to Arlington in 1950 to begin an assignment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
He went by the name SJ – which were his father's initials - his whole life.
"I guess I was 13 before I realized that SJ - my father's initials - didn't stand for anything," Stovall said in a Star-Telegram article from the late 1970s.
In 1991, Arlington named a 52-are park in honor of Stovall, who also served as president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, board chairman of Mission Metroplex/Mission Arlington, on the Arlington Memorial board of trustees and was active in the Crime Stoppers program.
Stovall is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Margaret "Margie" Stovall.
Services
Funeral: 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Arlington. Interment: Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Funeral Home.
(Staff writer Mike Lee contributed to this report, which includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.)"
July 15, 2010
"ARLINGTON — Though he was mayor three decades ago, SJ Stovall's vision and strong leadership during a critical era helped make Arlington's entertainment district the thriving tourist destination it is today, friends say.
He succeeded Tom Vandergriff as mayor in 1977, just after the failure of the city-owned Seven Seas Marine Life Park. To help recover the city's investment, Mr. Stovall led efforts to build the Arlington Convention Center and an adjacent hotel on the ill-fated park's site that would draw conventions, visitors and their wallets to the city.
"If we had not successfully made it through that challenging period in Arlington's history, would the Rangers' future have been secure? The answer to that is maybe or no," said former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene.
"If no, then the next question is, 'Would Jerry Jones have ever noticed Arlington?' The answer is no."
Mr. Stovall, who served as mayor for six of his 20 years on the City Council, died Wednesday. He was 84.
His rise to the mayor's seat was quite unexpected, said Allan Saxe, a friend and long-time Arlington resident.
Vandergriff, Arlington's mayor for more than 26 years, stunned the city in January 1977 by announcing his immediate resignation at a regularly scheduled council meeting. Even Mr. Stovall, who was mayor pro tem, was unaware of Vandgergriff's plans, both Greene and Saxe said.
"The sudden change in leadership in that dramatic fashion, with the challenges the city was facing at the time, left SJ with a daunting assignment," Greene said. "It was really a pivotal time in the city's history and he did an admirable job leading us through that."
Sinking ship
Arlington opened the voter-financed marine life park, which featured dolphins and killer whales and a life-size pirate ship, near Arlington Stadium in 1972. But the crowds didn't come. The city was forced to close the park, which was also briefly known as Hawaii Kai, less than four years later because it was losing so much money.
"Following the Rangers arrival in 1972, the city was ready for its next big venture. Yet it did not work. The attendance was disappointing," Greene said.
The development of the voter-financed $10 million Arlington Convention Center and a private hotel helped the city recover. Later additions to the entertainment district included Wet 'N Wild (now known as Wet 'n Wild), which Mr. Stovall is credited with recruiting, the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium.
Basic services
While Vandergriff pushed to bring Arlington major league baseball, the General Motors assembly plant and the Seven Seas amusement park, Stovall concentrated on basic city services and infrastructure during his tenure, friends said. After he became mayor in 1977, voters approved two large-scale bond programs, including $69 million to improve streets.
Mr. Stovall said in a 1981 Star-Telegram article that he knew that following Vandergriff was going to be a tough act to follow. "I felt some pressure, yes," Stovall said. "As soon as I became mayor, I tried to make the point that Arlington was entering into another period in its life, and, in a way, I would be sort of a transition mayor. I would be a completely different type of mayor."
Mr. Stovall, who retired after 30 years from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also is credited with helping the Texas Department of Transportation navigate the best possible route for Interstate 20 to pass through Arlington during his tenure on the council.
He also was instrumental in the development of the new City Hall, recruitment of companies such as National Semi-Conductor to Arlington and the creation of Leadership Arlington, an organization that prepares community leaders for roles in local government.
"During his service as a City Council member and mayor, he and his colleagues made many wise and strategic decisions that assured Arlington would continue to thrive," Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said in a prepared statement. "We continue to benefit from those decisions."
County commissioner
Mr. Stovall decided not to run for mayor in 1983 and was succeeded by Harold Patterson. Two months after stepping down, Stovall was appointed to serve on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court after the death of Commissioner Jerry Mebus.
Mr. Stovall was appointed by County Judge Mike Moncrief, now the Fort Worth mayor. Mr. Stovall served on the commission until losing the post to O.L. Watson in 1984.
"SJ was very focused, he was very balanced, easy to get along with," Moncrief said. "He was a dedicated public servant and a very effective representative of the people he served."
Mr. Stovall was born in Lufkin on Sept. 26, 1925. He attended Texas A&M University after serving in the U.S. Air Force, according to the city. He moved his family to Arlington in 1950 to begin an assignment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
He went by the name SJ – which were his father's initials - his whole life.
"I guess I was 13 before I realized that SJ - my father's initials - didn't stand for anything," Stovall said in a Star-Telegram article from the late 1970s.
In 1991, Arlington named a 52-are park in honor of Stovall, who also served as president of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, board chairman of Mission Metroplex/Mission Arlington, on the Arlington Memorial board of trustees and was active in the Crime Stoppers program.
Stovall is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Margaret "Margie" Stovall.
Services
Funeral: 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Arlington. Interment: Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Funeral Home.
(Staff writer Mike Lee contributed to this report, which includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.)"
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