1975

1975 was the 104th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• February: The first meeting of the Birmingham Citizens Advisory Board was held.
• June 23–29: Birmingham hosted the premier of the Thornton Wilder classic “The Skin of Our Teeth” by American Bicentennial Theatre at the BJCC Theater.
• October 23–25: Spirit of Labor Festival was held at Western Hills Mall.
• The Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences was established at UAB.
• American Revolution Bicentennial celebrations began to be held.
• The Birmingham Festival of Arts celebrated a Salute to Brazil.
• Birmingham University School merged with Brooke Hill School for Girls to form the Altamont School.
• Dora High School began awarding the "Andrews Award" to graduating senior athletes.
• The first phase of revitalizing Highland Avenue began.
• Indian Springs School became coeducational.
• Mercy Hospital was re-named Cooper Green Hospital

Business

• September: Mr P's Deli opened in Bluff Park.
• November: O'Carr's started in Homewood as an ice cream parlor.
• Alabama Outdoors was founded.
• Bank of Alabama was founded as Fultondale's first bank.
• The Book Rack opened in Roebuck.
• Century Plaza opened in Eastwood.
• Mortgage Corporation of the South was spun off from Cobbs, Allen, and Hall.
• Harry Crawford purchased what became The Flagman in Columbiana business.
• Dale's Cellar restaurant moved to the Essex House.
• Oak Grove Mine was opened by U. S. Steel in Adger.
• Investment banking firm Porter, White & Company was founded.
• Vincent Joseph Sazera bought East Side Barbecue and renamed it VJ's on the Runway.
• Alternative newspaper Southern Style began publication.
• Stancil R. Starnes and his son, Stan Starnes, co-founded the firm of Starnes & Starnes.
• U. S. Steel began shutting down the Ensley Works.
• The Birmingham location of Victoria Station restaurant opened.
• Vinyl-Mark Products Inc. was founded.

Government

• Mayor of Hoover O. E. Braddock died in office; John Hodnett was appointed to finish the term.
• Earl Hilliard began his term in the Alabama house.
• Thomas Stubbs ended his run as Alabama State Senator.
• David Vann succeeded George Seibels as Mayor of Birmingham.

Sports

• January: The WFL revoked the Birmingham Americans' franchise.
• July–October: The Birmingham Vulcans played their only season with the WFL.
• November 27: The first Vulcan Run took place under the name "Bicentennial Run".
• November 29: Alabama defeated Auburn in the Iron Bowl, 28–0.
• Coach Robert Higginbotham led the Mountain Brook Spartans to the state football championship.
• Shug Jordan retired as Auburn University's head football coach.
• Legion Field's Poly-Turf was replaced with AstroTurf.
• Tiny Lund is killed in the running of the Talladega 500 in a seventh lap crash.
• The Birmingham A's folded.

Works

Albums

• Elite Hotel by Emmylou Harris
• Pieces of the Sky by Emmylou Harris, including "Boulder to Birmingham"

Books

• The House on Pendleton Block by Ann Waldron
• The Integration of Mary-Larkin Thornhill by Ann Waldron
• Sociobiology: The New Synthesis by E. O. Wilson

Buildings

Postcard of the Hyatt House

• Century Plaza
• Clarion Hotel
• Hyatt House Birmingham Hotel
• Palmer Norris Center
• Pelham City Hall
• Red Cross Building renovations and expansion

Film

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest featuring Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched
• The film version of Stay Hungry was shot in Birmingham.

Individuals

• Paul Bailey became acting president of Birmingham-Southern College.
• Radio DJ Greg Bass joined Boutwell Studios.
• Bo Berry joined the jazz group Alpaca Phase III.
• Tommy Charles returned to WSGN-AM, co-hosting the T. C. and John Ed morning show with newcomer John Ed Willoughby.
• Don Cornutt became principal of Homewood Middle School.
• Russ Fine was recruited to UAB by the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
• Frank Fleming returned to the University of Alabama as an artist in residence.
• Vince Gibson became head football coach at the University of Louisville.
• Juliet Lovoy became chef of Lovoy's Italian Restaurant.
• Lou Marini joined the Saturday Night Live house band.
• Pat Morrow succeeded Freddie Pollard as the director of the Homewood High School band.
• Wayne Rogers left the TV show M*A*S*H after three seasons.
• Master engraver Bob Rosser received a book called "The Art of Engraving".

Births

Bo Bice

• April 7: Kenya Marshall, attorney
• April 14: Avner Dorman, composer
• August 29: André Natta, publisher
• September 2: Cedric Sparks, Birmingham Department of Youth Services director
• October 6: Koundu, gorilla
• November 1: Bo Bice, rock musician
• Melanie Bouyer, Mayor of Lipscomb
• Walton Creel, artist
• Matthew Dent, businessman
• Corey McKern, opera singer
• Larry Rackley, painter
• Brandee Skinner
• Tommie Watkins, AIDS activist

Awards

• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: Paul Grist, William Hitchcock, Frank House, Zipp Newman, Euil Snider, Travis Tidwell, Pat Trammell, and George Wallace
• Miss Alabama: Susie Vaughn
• Mr Crestwood: Murry Davis

Graduations

• Robert Baker from Gregorian University, graduate degree in dogmatic theology
• John L. Carroll from Harvard University, master of laws
• Alan Jacobs from Banks High School
• James Jones from the University of Alabama Law Enforcement Academy
• J. Gordon Melton from Northwestern University, Ph.D. in the History and Literature of Religions
• Pat Moore from UAB, Bachelor's in accounting
• Samantha Shaw from Homewood High School

Deaths

See also: List of homicides in 1975

1970s

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