Behind the Headlines

By Charles Slat
A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about Frank Upham, whose idea for a flag-marketing campaign led to the creation of the Pledge of Allegiance. I got a bit of feedback from that column, most from people who thought it was a pretty interesting story.
But Monroe residents Richard and Jeanne Micka provided some additional information that shed a little more light on the tale.
The Mickas related how Elizabeth “Aunt Bett” McWebb, Monroe’s own author of the Little Brown Bear stories, would talk about an uncle of hers who was a real crackerjack.
Mrs. McWebb, of course, was special in her own right — a masterful storyteller in addition to being a kind and gentle lady. She truly was one of Monroe’s treasures and was known for enthralling hundreds of schoolkids with her tales. That’s one of the reasons there’s that Little Brown Bear monument to her near the Dorsch Memorial Library in downtown Monroe.
What the Mickas told me, that I didn’t know, was that Frank Upham — the guy behind the masterful Pledge of Allegiance flag marketing campaign — was that crackerjack uncle of Mrs. McWebb’s. And that’s one of the reasons the Mickas made sure the National Flag truck came to Monroe to honor Aunt Bett after she passed away.
You may recall that Aunt Bett’s full name was Elizabeth Upham McWebb.
Now you know the rest of the story.