16. The twentieth anniversary was celebrated in 1956 with separate spring and fall editions
In a self-congratulatory article which opened the 1956 autumn edition of the Green Book, a staffer wrote of potential trips to the moon, “When travel of this kind becomes available, you can be sure your Green Book will have the recommended listings”. Green inserted a comment of thanks to the readers, claiming that large numbers of White-owned businesses had come to value the patronage of Black customers through the use of the guides. Advertisements for products not associated with travel began to appear within the listings. A guide to fall and winter vacations appeared in the book, with up-to-date descriptions of highway re-constructions and routes to ski resorts and other winter attractions.
The 1956 fall edition also contained a notice from the Nationwide Hotel Association (NHA) of which the Green Book was a member. The NHA was an association of Black hotel owners. The notice informed readers of the Green Book that spring efforts to maintain and spruce up the appearance of their hotels were ongoing, and mandatory for those hotels which displayed the NHA logo. The notice addressed the impression that many of the hotels of its members were seedy and run-down (they were) and asked for patience from the consumers as the problems were addressed. “When you are traveling, stop at a hotel, motel, or guest house which displays the NHA emblem”, it requested of its readers.