Historymaker Adam Diaz and Luhrs Tower

Arizona Historymaker Adam Diaz had much to do with the Luhrs Tower. He was thirteen when he left school to support his family after his father’s death. Later, he enrolled in night business school to learn communication skills. Upon meeting George Luhrs, Jr. in the 1920s, Adam was hired as an elevator operator in the Luhrs Building, eventually becoming a building manager for the Luhrs Properties. Adam attributes his many civic accomplishments to the support he received from Mr. Luhrs, who encouraged him to join community organizations and allowed him time off from his job to do so. More at https://www.historicalleague.org/historymakers/adam-diaz

Thanks to Arizona History/ Jimi Giannati for following text/photo. "Sitting on the corner of First Ave and Jefferson and looking like a wedding cake made for a princess with a tower that reaches a height of 185 ft.; the Luhrs Tower is an iconic art-deco skyscraper that was built in 1929 by George Luhrs Jr., a prominent local Phoenix native, It was Phoenix’s first 10-story high-rise when it opened to great fanfare on April 1, 1924 built at a cost of $553,000. Since then it has been added to the Phoenix Historic Property Register. If it looks familiar, it might be because you spotted it in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”

Jana Bommersbach reviews ARIZONA Recollections and Reflections

"You can't know Arizona unless you know her people. There's no better way to know her people than through the Historical League's Commemorative Book. It's a priceless contribution to the history of Arizona and offers hours and hours of wonderful stories about wonderful people." --Jana Bommersbach, journalist and author

Celebrate Arizona’s Centennial by turning 320 pages of history in this beautiful leather-bound 8.5”x 9.5” book!

Living when honored, first-person oral histories from these Arizona Historymakers serve as the basis for this collection of biographies and memories. Photographs, many from personal family albums, provide further glimpses into the lives of these men and women whose achievements have impacted Arizona’s record of events in such diverse areas as the arts, community service, politics, sports and entertainment.

Read the interesting stories of Historymakers such as Erma Bombeck, Eddie Basha, Adam Diaz, John Driggs, Barry Goldwater, Jerry Colangelo and Sandra Day O'Connor in this collections that will be great for your coffee table.

Contact RuthMcLeod@earthlink.net for more information or visit www.HistoricalLeague.org

Oral Histories for www.HistoricalLeague.org

Since the Historymakers Gala and Recognition Program started in 1992, we have honored 55 notable Arizonans and recorded their stories; such names as John F. Long, Barbara Barrett, Erma Bombeck, John Rhodes and Adam Diaz.
Interviewing our Historymakers for their oral history is a daunting task yet very rewarding. As each person tells his life story, we begin to visualize their life, their childhood, their education, their career, their impression of Arizona.
This summer, members of the cookbook committee and many other Historical League members edited these oral histories so they could be put on www.HistoricalLeague.org. Pictured are Zona Lorig and myself working on Barry Goldwater interviews. As a Centennial Legacy Project, the League’s website will contain all the Historymakers personal stories along with formal portraits and family photos, making this information readily available to the public.
I did not realize how extensive this project was we started it. Comparing it to a great novel, comes to mind. You don’t want to put the book down or have the story end. It will debut this fall. Visit www.HistoricalLeague.org to enjoy a good read and help celebrate Arizona’s Centennial.