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Happy birthday, Fort Worth!
Today, June 6, is the 174th anniversary of Maj. Ripley Arnold digging in stakes at what he called Camp Worth in honor of his former commander Maj. Gen. William J. Worth, who had died only recently in San Antonio, cholera the culprit.
To commemorate the occasion, we’re gonna down a little hooch. We don’t ordinarily drink on school nights, but Fort Worth doesn’t turn 174 years old just every day. We owe much to all those leaders who made our community what it is.
Moreover, we thought we’d have a little fun with AI, asking ChatGPT for his — or her, or their — ideas on a Mount Rushmore of Fort Worth.
We took a stab at this last year on the occasion of Fort Worth’s 173rd birthday. That was quite a task, though we did not attempt to make a “Mount Rushmore” of Fort Worth. Mount Rushmore, of course, is the acclaimed landmark in the Black Hills of South Dakota, featuring the carved faces of four U.S. presidents — Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt I … that is, Theodore.
Our September cover of that issue featured seven faces of the “Great Lives” of Fort Worth. It was designed to be a diverse cross section — a sampling — of the city’s great faces.
Not a Mount Rushmore.
Singling out 173 influential individuals who have made significant contributions to the city's history, culture, and development was difficult enough, subjective though it may be.
So, with all that said, I went to someone without a heart or soul for criticism to injure or esteem to harm. I asked ChatGPT to take a swing at The Four Fort Worthians, the Mount Rushmore of Fort Worth.
You can see by his — or her, or their — response why we didn’t try this.
We’d have been roasted, second-guessed more than Sonny Dykes or any other coach, name a coach.
I also asked it twice. The first time I was at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. Sitting in the media room, the idea took root. The second time was today.
ChatGPT gave me two responses — one with newsman Bob Schieffer and the other with former Mayor Betsy Price.
“Remember,” he told me on both occasions, “this is just one interpretation, and there are certainly other notable individuals who have contributed to Fort Worth's history.”
- Amon G. Carter Sr. — A prominent businessman, philanthropist, and publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Carter played a key role in the growth and development of Fort Worth, supporting projects such as the construction of the Fort Worth Amon Carter Airport and the establishment of cultural institutions.
- Sid Richardson — An oil tycoon and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Fort Worth. Richardson's philanthropic endeavors included donations to educational institutions and the establishment of the Sid Richardson Foundation, which supports various charitable causes.
- Van Cliburn — A world-renowned pianist who achieved fame by winning the inaugural Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958. Cliburn, a Fort Worth native, brought international recognition to the city and established the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which is held in Fort Worth.
- Bob Schieffer — Bob Schieffer is a renowned broadcast journalist and television anchor who was born and raised in Fort Worth. He had a distinguished career spanning several decades, including his work as the anchor of the CBS Evening News and as the moderator of Face the Nation, one of the longest-running news programs on television. Schieffer's achievements in journalism make him a significant figure associated with Fort Worth.
A second inquiry delivered the Price nomination.
Betsy Price — The longest-serving mayor of Fort Worth, having held the position from 2011 to 2021. Price worked to enhance the city's economic development, improve infrastructure, promote sustainability initiatives, and strengthen community engagement during her tenure.
Amon Carter obviously makes a Fort Worth Mount Rushmore all day every day. Sid Richardson, too, particularly if you get a two-for-one with him and the Bass family. A solid case could be made for Sid and, say, Ed Bass.
Then it gets a little iffy. ChatGPT has a recency bias.
I can make a very good argument for Van Cliburn, the Elvis of classical music. And certainly Cliburn, Schieffer, and Price have all lived great lives, make no mistake about it. They have all been among the city’s finest citizens and big, perhaps even the biggest, contributors in their respective fields.
Do any of them, though, beat out John Peter Smith or Ripley Arnold himself?
What about Burk Burnett? The city owes its very existence to the cattle industry and ranchers like Burnett, who transformed primitive, open prairies to the west into fertile acres on which cattle were produced for market.
The fortune he built and was cultivated by heirs remains today a robust springtime garden for the city and beneficiaries. The Burnett School of Medicine at TCU speaks to that.
K.M. Van Zandt and, later, Jim Wright could all make a case for inclusion.
A personal favorite of mine is William Madison McDonald, a businessman believed to be the state’s first Black millionaire.
Wyatt Hedrick and Wiley Clarkson are just two of the notable architects whose fingerprints are plastered all about town.
As it concerns another pop culture figure, Ben Hogan would get more than a few votes. (Plenty of birdies, too.)
And then, of course, there is the immeasurable Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth.
I’m certainly missing someone.
So, while we have big affection for everyone on ChatGPT’s Mount Rushmore list, infallible or otherwise demonstrating a high level of accuracy, I judge it does not.
He does, though, think and type awfully fast. How does he do that?