From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for April 20, 1972:

About 30 local business owners met this morning to form the “Downtown Lawrence Association.” The members agreed to bylaws and a membership fee schedule for the organization. Pete Whitenight, chair of the organization committee, said that he had fairly firm commitments from 30 business owners, but that there were about 100 downtown merchants whom he thought would likely become members. The new association would concern itself with “Christmas lighting, general beautification of the area, improvement in the appearance of sub-standard properties, to aid in the filling of vacancies in the area, and suggest hours during which the area shops and stores will remain open, and any other purpose which the association as a whole may deem appropriate.”