Larry Ray Lubenow, a former Grand Forks Herald reporter who prompted Louis Armstrong to break his silence on segregation in 1957, has died at the age of 77.
His obituary said the Edinburg, N.D., native battled several medical conditions before his death May 8 in Cedar Park, Texas.
Lubenow is still remembered in Grand Forks for the groundbreaking story he wrote as a UND student working part-time for the Herald. In February, a historical display noting his interview with Armstrong went up at Grand Forks Central High School, where the jazz legend would play the night of the interview.
Armstrong’s uncharacteristically forceful condemnation of school segregation in Little Rock, Ark., and President Dwight Eisenhower’s apparent inaction despite a federal judge’s ruling set off a firestorm around the country. Some believe Armstrong’s words prodded Eisenhower to send federal troops and force integration in Little Rock a week later.
After college, Lubenow joined the Army and served two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he received a Bronze Star. He left 10 years later to work for a major New York public-relations firm before starting his own firm in Austin, Texas.
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Lubenow is survived by his wife of 50 years, Vivian, three children and six grandchildren. A funeral will be held in St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin. For more on his obituary, go to bit.ly/RRez9p .
