1961

1961 was the 90th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• The first senior class at Banks High School graduated.
• The 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated during the Berlin Crisis.
• Sun Ra moved his Arkestra from Chicago to New York City.
• Dorothy Love Coates reformed the Gospel Harmonettes.
• The Downtown Action Committee was created.
• The Lane Park Committee was created by Mayor Jimmy Morgan to oversee development of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
• Birmingham Festival of Arts: 1961 Salute to the South
• Children's Hospital formed an agreement with UAB Hospital and the UAB Department of Pediatric Medicine.
• Kel Osbourne left "The Primes", leaving Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams to form "The Elgins", which signed with Motown Records and became The Temptations.

• February 8: The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company closed its Docena mine.
• May 30: 1961 Birmingham mayoral election: Art Hanes defeated Tom King and succeeded Jimmy Morgan as President of the Birmingham City Commission.
• July 8: The 20th Special Forces Group was organized at the Homewood National Guard Armory.
• August 11: Phantini the Mentalist drove police chief Jamie Moore and Mayor-elect Art Hanes from Birmingham City Hall to the Thomas Jefferson Hotel while wearing a blindfold.
• October: A group of pilots from the 106th Bomb Squadron (Light) participated covertly in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.

Civil Rights Movement

• February 17: The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against segregated facilities at the Birmingham Terminal Station.
• May 14: Freedom Riders were attacked at the Birmingham Trailways Station.
• May 18: "Who Speaks for Birmingham?", a documentary by Howard K. Smith, aired on CBS
• August 1: ACMHR founder Fred Shuttlesworth moved his family to Cincinnati, Ohio.
• October 24: Judge Harlan Grooms ruled that Birmingham parks must be integrated.

Business

• WBRC switched from the CBS network to ABC.
• WAPI-TV picked up CBS programming along with NBC, favoring NBC's news broadcasts.
• Ed Boutwell founded Boutwell Studios at his home.
• The Newhouse Broadcasting Corporation purchased WAPI-AM.
• Bromberg's acquired Montgomery's Ruth & Sons Jewelers.
• Ingalls Iron Works sold its shipyard business to Litton Industries.
• Van Keuren, Davis and Company became Davis Speake & Thrasher architects.
• Architect David O. Whilldin retired from practice.

Sports

• The 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football team went 11-0 and defeated Arkansas In the Sugar Bowl to claim a national championship.
• The 1961 Auburn Tigers football team went 6-4.
• The 1961 Birmingham Barons played a final season at Rickwood Field, not returning until 1964.
• Banks High School won city-wide championships in football, basketball and baseball.
• 56-year-old Satchel Paige pitched 25 innings with the AAA Portland Beavers.
• Sam Hairston began his scouting and coaching career with the Chicago White Sox.
• Bart Starr led the Green Bay Packers to an NFL Championship.

Works

• The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra, album by Sun Ra and his Arkestra
• Wayne Rogers starred in ABC's Stagecoach West
• Birmingham magazine was relaunched.

Books

• The Moviegoer, National Book Award-winning novel by Walker Percy.

Buildings

• A 9,000-seat upper deck was installed at Legion Field.
• An F-86D SabreJet was installed on the roof of Banks High School.
• Phillips High School gymnasium
• Tuxedo Court housing project
• John Carroll Catholic High School athletic complex on Montclair Road
• Crow Building on 6th Avenue North
• Weiss Dam on the Coosa River in Cherokee County, forming Weiss Lake
• Lewis Smith Dam on the Black Warrior River in Walker County, forming Smith Lake
• The 15-story Sheraton Motor Inn on Highland Avenue
• The west-side stands were completed at Samford University's Seibert Stadium.
• New 4-story Children's Hospital at 1600 7th Avenue South
• Paved 1/4-mile track at the Birmingham International Raceway

People

• Henry Stanford announced his resignation from the presidency of Birmingham-Southern College.
• Karl Friedman succeeded Sidney Ziff as President of Temple Beth-El.
• Bernard Feld, Jr succeeded Julian Aland as President of Temple Emanu-El.
• Martin Buerger succeeded Hans Reuter as Pastor of First Lutheran Church.
• Gene Bartow began his coaching career at Central Missouri State University.
• Roland Frye was made a researcher in residence at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C.
• Lucius Pitts succeeded William A. Bell as president of Miles College.

Graduations

• Journalist Karl Seitz graduated high school in Troy, Pike County.
• Historian Wayne Flynt graduated from Samford University.
• Film director John Badham earned his B.A. in philosophy at Yale University.
• Engineer Garry Drummond earned his civil engineering degree at the University of Alabama.
• Architect Joseph Giattina, Jr earned his bachelor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame.

Awards

• Sculptor John Rhoden won grants from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations.
• Miss Alabama: Delores Hodgens
• Mr Crestwood: Doyle Edwards

Births

• January 15: Jeremiah Castille, NFL football player
• January 25: Claude Cotten, artist and community volunteer
• February 25: Davey Allison, NASCAR driver (died 1993)
• April 12: Jimbo Wood, radio personality
• April 17: Rebecca Luker, Broadway singer
• July 1: Carl Lewis, Olympic track and field medalist
• September 25: Allen Treadaway, Alabama State Representative
• September 29: Eddie Phillips, NBA basketball player
• Lolly Lee, singer

Deaths

• April 10: Architect Harry Pembleton
• June 30: Baseball player Dizzy Dismukes

See also: List of homicides in 1961

Context

In 1961

Notable 1961 births include

Top grossing films of 1961 included

1960s

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works