Eddie Meyer Bean Bash
Origin of the Eddie Meyer Bean Bash
In the fall of 1956 E. M. “Dan” Dannenbaum was president of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg. The President-Elect was Edmond F. “Eddie” Meyer. Let me tell you a little about Eddie.
In brief, you missed out if you never met him. Always smiling, always in the best of moods, Eddie was a “Walkin’, Talkin’, Steam Boat Rotarian.” Harrisburg Rotary would not be the same club it is today were it not for the efforts of Eddie Meyer, and many who followed in his footsteps.
Eddie was president of Industrial Equipment Company of Houston for over 50 years. He and Harry Plackemeyer ran the company, and they were a Rotary duo. They were committed to Rotary, and especially committed to Harrisburg Rotary!
In 1937 Eddie graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He had attended school on a track scholarship. One of the things he was very proud of was that, while there, Eddie raced against Jesse Owens for a place on the US Olympic Track & Field Team. Although Eddie was defeated by Owens, he took great pride in the fact that Jesse Owens went on to compete at the 1936 Olympics hosted in Berlin, Germany, and won 4 gold medals. Eddie loved the fact that an American had defeated Adolph Hitler’s athletes right there in the heart of Nazi Germany. Truthfully, though, Eddie always wished that he could have been that American!
In the Fall of 1956, the world was electrified by the events that were occurring in Europe and in Hungary. A nationwide revolution began against the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies. It was the first major threat to Soviet control since the Red Army drove Nazi Germany from its territory at the End of World War II in Europe.
The revolt began as a student protest, which attracted thousands as they marched through central Budapest to the Hungarian Parliament building, calling out in the streets using a van with loudspeakers. A student delegation, entering the radio building to try to broadcast the students' demands, was detained. When the delegation's release was demanded by the protesters outside, they were fired upon from within the building by the State Security Police. Multiple students died and one was wrapped in a flag and held above the crowd. As the news spread, disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital.
The revolt spread quickly and the government soon collapsed. Thousands organized themselves into militias, battling government and Soviet troops. During the revolt there were many violent incidents, but by the end of October, fighting had almost stopped, and the days of normality began to return. Some workers, though, continued fighting in opposition to the Stalinist regime that had taken over the government and was directed by the Soviets.
Initially appearing open to negotiating a withdrawal of Soviet forces, the Politburo in Moscow then changed its mind and moved to crush the revolution. On November 4th, 1956 a large Soviet force invaded Budapest and other regions of the country. The Hungarian resistance continued until November 10th. By the end, over 2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet troops were killed in the conflict, and 200,000 Hungarians fled as refugees. Mass arrests and denunciations continued, and by January 1957, the new Soviet-installed government had suppressed all public opposition. These Soviet actions, while strengthening control over the Eastern Bloc, were part of the early stages of the Cold War that was to continue between the East and the West for years afterwards.
This all occurred just 10 years after the conclusion of World War II. Like many Americans, Eddie wanted to do something to help the people of Hungary. He proposed to the board that the club have a meeting where everyone would pay for a regular meal, but would be served beans and rice instead. The money that was left over from the cheaper fare would be collected and donated to the American Red Cross, to help meet the needs of the Hungarian refugees. The meeting was a great success. The next year it was repeated, and then it was repeated again and again. The Bean Bash has become a time-honored meeting at Harrisburg. This year, 2021, is the 65th anniversary of the event.
Which goes to show that one never knows how your actions will turn out, and how you will be remembered for them. What began as an idea for a single meeting turned into an annual event that continues long after the passing of its founder in 2004.
And that is the story of the Eddie Meyer Bean Bash.
Join us!
This year’s proceeds went to the Open Door Mission.
Rotary Club of Harrisburg serving East End Houston is looking for new members who are interested in Serving to Change Lives.
We meet every Tuesday at 11:30 at Ninfa’s on Monroe off 45.
Come join us and see how you can be a part of Rotary!