Library Historical Marker-Jack Lummus

On Sunday, November 21, 1999, during the consecutive, second term of Governor George Walker Bush, the Ellis County Historical Commission sponsored a dedication ceremony for the unveiling of a Texas State Historical Marker honoring Jack Lummus. Sylvia Stanford-Smith, Chairman of the Ellis County Historical Commission, conducted the ceremony.

At precisely 2:30 p.m. the ceremony began to unfurl as the U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard marched into the courtyard on the west side of Ennis Public Library over a multi-hue, red brick path to post the colors.

The afternoon was warm, the sky mostly cloudy with occasional scraps of blue showing through. The invocation was given by Dr. Jack Manning. *The Honorable Bill Lewis, Mayor of Ennis, was the master of ceremonies, and read the names of the members of Jack’s family, who were in attendance. A number of those attending the dedication ceremony were third-generation nieces and nephews.

The principle speaker was *The Honorable Martin Frost, United States Representative for the 24th Congressional District of Texas, which includes part of Ellis County and all of Ennis. Congressman Frost spoke of Jack inspiring his men to keep going. He spoke of World War II as being a great victory for America, and Tom Brokaw’s characterization of those who served their country in World War II as, “The Greatest Generation,” and Congressman Frost further characterized them as, “ordinary people who did extraordinary things.” He concluded by saying, “Young people need to be constantly reminded of the sacrifices of those made before them.”

*Sylvia Stanford-Smith who assisted in unveiling the plaque said, “Besides honoring Lummus and helping to ensure his memory will live forever the historical marker also will serve another purpose to all who see it. It reminds us of a time and lifestyle we’re not accustomed to—of patriotism—that’s not anymore. This will be a reminder for those that may not remember the way it was.”

The Texas Historical Marker honoring Jack is an eighteen by twenty-eight inch plaque. The inscription is raised lettering that reflects the color of the metal against a black background, and the plaque is mounted on a metal post with a twelve by six inch supplemental plaque beneath. It stands within a white, metal, gated fence, with a nameplate inscribed I. Cerf, in the courtyard on the west side of the Ennis Public Library at 501 West Ennis Avenue, Ennis, Texas.

BORN ON AN ELLIS COUNTY FARM, JACK LUMMUS ATTENDED SCHOOL AT ALMA AND ENNIS, AND BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ON AN ATHLETICS SCHOLARSHIP. HE PLAYED MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN TEXAS AND FOOTBALL FOR THE NEW YORK GIANTS. HE JOINED THE U.S. MARINES IN 1942 AND ON FEBRUARY 19, 1945, LANDED WITH THE FIFTH MARINE DIVISION IN THE FIRST WAVE OF ASSAULT TROOPS ON IWO JIMA. ON MARCH 8, AFTER FIGHTING WITHOUT RESPITE FOR TWO DAYS AND NIGHTS, LUMMUS AND HIS RIFLE PLATOON SLOWLY ADVANCED TOWARD A COMPLEX OF PILLBOXES BEFORE BEING HALTED BY JAPANESE FORCES. DESPITE INJURIES FROM TWO GRENADE EXPLOSIONS, LUMMUS SINGLE- HANDEDLY DESTROYED THREE ENEMY EMPLACEMENTS BEFORE STEPPING ON A LAND MINE, SUSTAINING FATAL WOUNDS. HIS CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR CELEBRATES HIS “CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND TENACIOUS PERSEVERANCE IN THE FACE OF OVERWHELMING ODDS.”

The smaller plaque below references the special Lummus exhibit inside the library.

Following the dedication ceremony, a reception hosted by the City of Ennis was held inside the library.

The Ennis Public Library sits on land once owned, and bequeathed to the City of Ennis by the Cerf family. In July of 1876 Leon and Isadore Cerf, born in Loraine, France, immigrated to Ennis, and established a grocery store in the one hundred block of South Main Street. They were among the first merchants to establish businesses in Ennis. They were successful and they prospered, and in 1904 Isadore and Mamie Shwarts Cerf built a fourteen-room house that was a replica of the Missouri Hospitality House at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. The house and grounds occupied the south side of the five hundred block of West Ennis Avenue. An ornate, black metal fence marked the boundaries of the property, and red roses grew along the fence. The house deteriorated, and was demolished, but the fence lives on in the design of the courtyard of the new library. A small portion of that fence with gate surrounds the marker honoring Jack.

The Ellis County Historical Commission is an integral part of the Texas Historical Commission, the State Agency for Historic Preservation: “Texans boast a unique history. As the state agency for historic preservation, the Texas Historical Commission works with citizens throughout the state to identify, interpret and preserve our heritage.”

As in most projects, many people were involved in the final unveiling of the Texas Historical Marker honoring Jack Lummus. Integrity and dignity were the key elements of the moment. Jack's family wishes to express special thanks to the following:

Mrs. Sylvia Stanford-Smith, Chairman of the Ellis County Historical Commission

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Mr. Steve Howerton, City Manager of the City of Ennis

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Ms. Ann Peeler, Director of the Ennis Public Library

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The Honorable Bill Lewis, Mayor of the City of Ennis

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The Honorable Martin Frost, United States House of Representatives, 24th Congressional District of Texas

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Ms. Cynthia J. Beeman, Director Local History Programs, History Programs Division, Texas Historical Commission

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The Staff of The Ennis Daily News

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The Staff of the Ennis Journal

On March 17, 1945 Admiral Chester William Nimitz, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, said, "On Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."