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Commercial Appeal
Mid-South Memories
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The Memphis
Commercial Appeal has a series that features "Mid-South Memories" of
the past 125 years.
Below are a few of the past "memories", related to Tech. |
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December 7, 1954
Photo by The Commercial Appeal files
With football
careers in view, three of the Prep League's outstanding
players are University of Alabama-bound. Crimson Tide
assistant coach Tilden "Happy" Campbell (left) signed
(from second left) Don Owen and Ray Hardage of Treadwell
and
Randy Hale
of Tech to scholarships .
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November 29, 1954: 1954
Gridiron standouts honored: High school football
players who won the Memphis Quarterback Club's
prep player-of-the-week awards in the 1954 season
gathered at the club's luncheon at Nov. 30, 1954,
at the Gayoso. The group, which would make any
college coach's heart throb, includes Tech
fullback
Terry West
(seated from left), Humes halfback Jerry Sanders,
CBC halfback Charles Torti, CBC center Hugh
Provine, Tech tailback
Randy Hale
(standing from left), Tech guard
Bruce Holliman,
South Side quarterback Fred Hearn, Treadwell
halfback Robbie Robinson, Central center Richard
Sperry, Central quarterback David Robertson,
Treadwell halfback Ray Hardage and Catholic High
tackle Jimmy DiSalvo. |
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Photo by The Commercial
Appeal files |
Photo by The Commercial Appeal files
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November 28, 1951
Holiday floats will travel Main Street: High
school and college students have been busy in
November 1951 putting finishing touches on the 12
floats and two tally-hos for the annual Spirit of
Christmas Parade on Main Street. One of the
most colorful will be the merry-go-round float,
the pride of
Eugene Gill,
886 Bingham, Memphis State student, and
Bobbie
Gladden
of
1675 Overton Park, who goes to Tech. |
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April 1958
Still strumming
along: Junior Hawkins (left) and
Travis Wammack
perform in this image from 1958. Wammack is
scheduled to appear at today's (April 2011)
Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival. |
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
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January 26,
1954
The
ball-grabbing attempt by CBC's Charles Tiller (right)
results in a foul shot for Tech's Wayne Arterburn in a
Prep Leagues game at Tech on Jan. 26, 1954. Don
McCaskill (left) of CBC and
Bruce Holliman
of Tech
alertly watch the play.
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February 19,
1952
Circle of
excellence: The All-Memphis basketball team in
February 1952 included (clockwise from lower left)
Jerry Cobb, Central guard; Bill Schilling, CBC
forward;
Jim Ballard,
Tech center; Joe Guess, East
forward and Herbie Kosten, Central guard.
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files
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January 15, 1957
One might be Miss
Dixie Belle: The latest entrants in the Miss Dixie
Belle contest on Jan. 16, 1958, are (from left) Miss
Elaine Henderson, 18, of 1935 Clovia Lane;
Miss Sonja Bailey
(Tech
1957),
19, of 3468 Buchanan, and Miss Mary Carolyn Campbell,
16, of 192 Windover Cove.
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January
7, 1951
Wooden valentine has
practical purpose: Students in the Tech High School
workshop are utilizing their class work not only to
learn but to serve their community in January 1951. As
part of their work they are building huge plywood hearts
such as pictured here for display in downtown lobbies to
call attention to the Memphis Heart Association's fund
drive, to be held during February. Here,
Howard Taylor
of 364 North McNeil (left) measures the first of the
hearts, while
Martin J. Bradley
of 847 North Avalon
(center), Tech woodworking instructor, looks on, and
Gladwyn Caldwell
of 37 North Bingham helps hold the
tape. |
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
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December
20, 1975
Miss
Ann Polk, 20, won the Miss Black Memphis
Pageant on December 20, 1975 at the Towne 11 Theater.
A student at Elkins Institute studying radio
broadcasting, Miss Polk is the daughter of Laura Watson
of 2333 Dwight. She won over 16 other girls and
will represent Memphis in the Miss Black Tennessee
pageant. |
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December
18, 1952
Former stars gather for 1952 league: All-Memphians
of the past, Rodney Dunn (from left) of Central, 1950,
Jimmy Childers of Messick, 1948, and
Jimmy Ballard of
Tech, 1952, are stars in the 1952 All-Memphis Basketball
League at Gaston Community Center. Dunn is with Standard
Parts, Childers with Master Television and Ballard with
Nat Buring. |
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April
16, 1955
Curtis
Person checks his score of 69 against the others
after the first round of the Tennessee Open Golf
tournament at Chickasaw Country Club on April 16,
1955. Person finished in third place in the
tournament won by Pat Abbott in a playoff with
Mason Rudolph. |
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May
18, 1954
Dapper Robby
Joe Moore (front), senior class president at Tech High,
is flanked by the three equally well-dressed Tech
students who tied for valedictorian May 18, 1954.
They are Richard Ashman, Dorothy Smith, and John
Craddock.
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files
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May
31, 1955
Tech
High's leaders prepare for graduation The trio of
fair coeds surrounding Terry West, son of Mrs.
Opal West of 1331 Isabel and Tech High School
senior class president, are valedictorians who
will participate in the school's commencement
exercises at Ellis Auditorium on May 31, 1955.
They are (from left) Barbara Clifton, daughter of
Mrs. Claudin Clifton of 351 North Cleveland;
Martha Barker, daughter of Mrs. John Barker of
1080 Monroe; and Linda Wilbanks, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. W.L. Wilbanks of 2518 Lowell. |
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April 15, 1945
Debate team
heading to Knoxville: Two debate teams from Tech High
School will represent Memphis and Shelby County in the
Tennessee Interscholastic Literary League at Knoxville on
April 30, 1954. They are composed of Barbara Clifton of
351 North Cleveland and Robert Ashton of 2864 Arlington
(front), Orville Duncan of 310 North Garland and Harvey
Cox of 2773 Filmore, both on the back row. The teams swept
a preliminary debate tournament at Memphis State the
second week of April. |
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
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March 20,
1952
Wrestling win by decision:
Bearing in is Paul Tase (left) of Tech High, who took a
decision from his foe, Lonnie Wilson of Humes, in the finals
of the prep wrestling tournament at the Central YMCA on March
20, 1952 |
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November 1951 |
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Roane Waring Jr., commander
of American Legion Post No. 1, presents Cadet Commander Bobby
Joe Johnson (second from left) and Nancy Fisher, both of Humes
High ROTC, with a saber and red ribbon as first-place awards
in competitive marching at the Victory Day Parade on a rainy
Nov. 12, 1951. Looking on is Maj. John R. Ellis (left),
director of public school ROTC training. Patsy Young and Cadet
Commander Walter Moore (back left) accepted the second-place
white ribbon for Messick High.
The third-place
blue ribbon was presented to Cadet Commander Thomas Neely and
Joyce Lewis, both of Tech High.
The girls were sponsors of their ROTC units. |
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Tom
Neely - Joyce Lewis, Tech 1952 |
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
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August 1956 |
Sign on the dotted line: Checking the cards on Aug. 22, 1956,
to make sure they really won the Memphis golf tournament
pro-am are Curtis Person (from left), Jake Fondren, the pro
member, and Vernon Bell. Billy Bobbitt was the fourth member
of the Colonial combine that had a best ball of 61, nine under
par. |
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Curtis
Person, Tech 1933 |
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Photo by The Commercial Appeal files |
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July 1959 |
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My
Hero! : Boy scout to the rescue
Eight-year-old
Sherron Lynn Thorne of 4257 Belle Meade Circle shyly and
gratefully felt the muscle of 16-year-old Walter Robbins Jr.
of 312 North Watkins on July 29, 1951, after he had saved
her from possible drowning in Tennessee Chute off Riverside
Park. The two are distant cousins and were attending a
family reunion picnic. Walter is a Tech High Boy Scout |
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Walter
Robbins, Tech 1952 |
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The Commercial Appeal
Files |
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Among those exhibiting hobbies at Captain
Jerry's Hobby Show in June 1951 are these three hobbyists, who
took time out to sample a box of candy. They are (from left)
Bobbie Nell Speck, 13, of Capleville,
Paul T. Richter,
9, of 982 Rozelle, and Frances Andrews, 11, of 760 Cypress.
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Paul
Richter, Tech 1960 |
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NEW MOVIE THEATER TICKET
PRICES
June
1934:
New prices at downtown movie theaters are 15 cents in the afternoon
at the Strand and Warner's, and 25 cents a seat after 5. At
the Loew's Palace and Loew's State, the afternoon prices are 25
cents and the night prices are 40 cents a ticket. |
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April 1939 |
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Memphis singer went on to national
fame: Kay Starr is pictured in April 1939. Her real name was
Kathryn Starks, but already she was using the radio name of Kay
Starr on Memphis' WMPS where she was featured regularly with the
"Rhythmaticians." Starr went on to become known nationwide for
her singing. By 1950, her most frequently requested numbers
included "Mississippi" (one line of which goes, "What a thrill
it is to be back in Memphis, Tennessee"), "Bonaparte's Retreat,"
"Wabash Cannonball," "I Wanna Be Loved," "And Maybe You'll Be
There," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Mama Goes Where Papa Goes," "He's
a Good Man to Have Around" and "I'm the Lonesomest Gal in Town,"
one of the all-time Starr favorites.
Kay Starr
graduated from Tech in 1940 |
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The Commercial Appeal
Files |
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The Commercial Appeal
Files |
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March 1957 |
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Meeting the officers Tony Barrasso, 11, of 884
North Parkway, inspected a line of patrolmen at Police
Headquarters after being named Junior Police Chief in March
1957. From left to right are: Chief J.C. Macdonald, Junior
Chief Tony, and Patrolmen Lloyd Allsop, Robert Tabor, Frank
Bruno and J.R. Cartwright.
Chief
MacDonald is a Tech Alumnus |
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The Commercial Appeal
Files |
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January 1956 |
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Trying his hand at police work Jerry O'Daniel,
who wants to be a policeman, didn't get on the force in
January 1956, but he managed to take the fingerprints of Chief
J.C. Macdonald. The chief visited the boy in his home at 1045
Rozelle after the youngster wrote a letter asking for a job as
a law enforcement officer.
Chief
MacDonald is a Tech Alumnus |
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February 1951 |
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Two officers of the newly created Shelby County High School
Publications Advisers Council discussed common problems in
February 1951 with Bob DeZonia, editor of the Tiger Rag, Memphis
State College student newspaper.
Formed after a luncheon at Memphis State, the council named Mrs.
Louise Askew Rauscher (right) of Central High School, President,
and Miss Margaret Kelly (center) of Tech High, Vice President.
Margaret Kelly
was a long-time teacher at Tech |
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The Commercial Appeal
Files |
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February 15, 1951
Havin' a Heatwave / Swinging hips to a Latin rhythm in
February 1951 is this turbaned little replica of Carmen
Miranda - pretty Sonja Bailey of Peabody School. Sonja was
one of the entries in a Kiwanis Club-sponsored party at
Linden Circle Theater for Safety Council patrol members. |
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Sonja Bailey,
Tech 1957 |
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- Rudolph
Vetter. The Commercial Appeal filess |
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November 10, 1952
With rag and oil
can in hand, Fred Goldsmith (left) and Bill Thaxton put finishing
touches on one of the floats, which will roll down Main Street in
the brilliant Spirit of Christmas Parade in November 1952. Mr.
Goldsmith is general chairman of the event. Mr. Thaxton is
artist and production manager. Helping is Mrs. Mike Abt,
whose late husband arranged many of the parades for Memphians.
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Mrs. Abt was
the wife of Mike Abt, Tech Art Teacher 1918-1950 |
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Robert E. Lee birthday celebration photographed in front of Tech.
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January 14, 1934
Memories of the Old South will be revived this week at Tech High as
the ever-thinning ranks of Confederate veterans in Shelby County take
part in the annual celebration of Gen. Robert E. Lee's birthday. This
year 14 wearers of the gray, three less than last year, will take part
in the fete. |
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October 25, 1951
Career Day at Tech High School in the Home Economics
section. Mrs. Owen Massie of The Looking Glass, a modeling
school, shows how the sweater fits Glynda Pruette of 2761 Burns.
During Career Day, students are allowed to choose sessions on a
variety of subjects, ranging from Crime Prevention to Art.
Former graduates of Tech often discuss their field with students.
The Career Day observance is part of the school's vocational
guidance program.
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Glynda
Pruette graduated from Tech in 1952 |
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September 21, 1950
Kay Starr
opened a 10-evening engagement at the Fairgrounds Casino,
singing twice each evening. Her most request numbers
included "Mississippi" (which has a line that goes:
"What a thrill it is to be back in Memphis, Tennessee"),
"Bonaparte's Retreat, "Wabash Cannonball", "I Wanna Be Loved",
"And Maybe You'll be there", "Ain't Misbehaving", "Mama Goes
Where Papa Goes", "He's a Good Man to Have Around", and "I'm
the Lonesomest Gal in Town", one of the all-time Starr
favorites. |
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Singer Kay Starr
graduated from Tech in 1940 |
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...To be Continued... |