1968

1968 was the 97th year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

• Birmingham voters approved $400,000 in bonds for the purchase of land to expand the Birmingham Museum of Art.
• Margaret Walker founded the Institute for the Study of History, Life, and Culture of Black People.
• Branchville was incorporated.
• Green Valley elected to incorporate but was struck down after challenged by nearby Hoover.
• February 16: The nation's first 911 call was taken at the Haleyville police station.

Business

• Sol's Sandwich Shop opened on the bottom floor of the John A. Hand Building.
• Cinema West opened.
• Thunderbird Drive-In opened.
• SMI Steel merged with CMC Steel Alabama.
• Sikes & Youngs Shoe Company opened in Vestavia Hills.
• Mercy Home was renamed Gateway.
• BASS was founded by Ray Scott in Montgomery.
• Big B Drugs began operation as part of Bruno's Supermarkets.
• July: South Central Bell was founded as a split from Southern Bell.

Religion

• Philip Silverstein became rabbi at Temple Beth-El.
• Reverend John Cross left as pastor of 16th Street Baptist Church.

Sports

• The final NASCAR race was held at Birmingham International Raceway.
• May 23: Groundbreaking was held for Talladega Superspeedway.
• September 22: A NFL regular season game was played at Legion Field.
• December 3: Auburn lost to Alabama by a score of 24-16 in the 1968 Iron Bowl at Legion Field.

Works

Early Days in Birmingham

Buildings

• Lawson Field
• Calder Building renovated as Citizens Federal Savings Bank's headquarters
• Green Acres Baptist Church education building
• Inglenook Community Center

Books

• September: Early Days in Birmingham

Films and TV

• The Alabama Television Corporation, headed by John Jemison was awarded the broadcast rights to UHF Channel 21 by the FCC.

Music

• Dennis Edwards replaced David Ruffin as lead singer of The Temptations.
• The Torquays disbanded.
• Samford Memorial Pipe Organ was constructed at Southside Baptist Church.

Theater

• Birmingham Dinner Theatre was founded.

Individuals

• Bull Connor was re-elected as Alabama Public Service Commission director.
• Judge Robert Vance led the first racially mixed Alabama delegation to a Democratic National Convention.
• Newton H. DeBardeleben succeeded John A. Hand as CEO of First National Bank of Birmingham.
• Muzaffar I. Sheikh arrived in the United States for graduate study.
• Marvin Warner was appointed a delegate to the 23rd General Assembly of the United Nations.
• Helen Fuller succeeded Estelle McNutt as principal of Edgewood Elementary School.
• Ann Jordan succeeded Aleen Mitchell as principal of Hall-Kent Elementary School.
• Leonard and Bettie Lawley purchased the R. F. McKibbon residence in Montevallo.
• Charles E. Bugg and William Bridgers accepted positions at UAB.
• Robert F. Henry succeeded Howard M. Phillips as president of Birmingham-Southern College.
• Reverend Edward Gardner became president of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.
• Sonia Sanchez married poet Etheridge Knight.
• Don Morrison served as president of AIA Birmingham.
• Edward Ernest succeeded Don Watts as Mayor of Hoover.
• April 1: John Garrett became a traffic engineer for the City of Birmingham.
• May 7: Albert Brewer was appointed Governor of Alabama upon Lurleen Wallace's death.
• June: Attorney Arthur Shores became the first black Birmingham City Councilor after being appointed to fill the seat vacated upon the death of R. W. Douglas.

Births

• Maytown mayor Ann Hodges Goolsby
• Retailer Ken Shaia
• Jefferson County CFO Jeff Hager
• Columbiana police chief Johnny Brown
• Magazine editor Julie Keith
• Politician Eric Major
• Mayor of Pinson Hoyt Sanders
• Newspaper publisher Pam Siddall
• Photographer John Trobaugh
• January 3: Football player and coach Thomas Rayam
• February: Chef Thomas Robey
• April 20: Olympic heptathlete DeDee Nathan
• April 24: Baseball player Todd Jones
• May 6: Actor Tyler Layton
• May 27: Baseball player Frank Thomas
• June 14: Lobbyist Slade Blackwell
• August 6: Football player Siran Stacy
• August 24: Attorney and politician Zeb Little
• August 25: Architect Jeremy Erdreich
• August 27: UAB staffer Randy Sandford
• September 6: Robber Kevin Dudley
• September 14: Football player DeMond Winston
• November 21: Miss Alabama USA 1992 Candace Michelle Brown

Graduations

• June: Mountain Brook High School's first graduation ceremoney was held.
• Nell Carter from A. H. Parker High School
• Howard Cruse from Birmingham-Southern College
• Richard North Patterson from Ohio Wesleyan University
• Don Siegelman from University of Alabama

Deaths

• Printmaker Martha Fort Anderson
• April 12: Gorilla Victorine
• May 7: Governor Lurleen Wallace
• November 6: Governor Chauncey Sparks
• December 12: Actress Tallulah Bankhead

See also List of Birmingham homicides in 1968

Context

1968

1960s

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works