1975
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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.
- November: George Wallace announced his fourth and final bid for the presidency.
- December 18: USGA executive Elbert Jemison enrolled President Gerald Ford into the USGA's Associates Program in the Oval Office.
- The Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences was established at UAB.
- American Revolution Bicentennial celebrations began to be held.
- The Birmingham Asian Art Society was founded.
- 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.
- Brookside Junior High School was destroyed by fire.
- 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
- Ramsay High School became a magnet school.
- Sea lions Rumplesealskin, Julie, Jaws, and a fourth arrived at the Birmingham Zoo's Sea Lion Pool.
- The Vestavia Hills High School Math Team was founded by Kay Tipton.
Business
- September: Mr P's Deli opened in Bluff Park.
- October 16: The proposed development of Riverchase was announced.
- 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-Keepers was sold to new owners.
- 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.
- Juana Records was founded by Frederick Knight and Clinton Harris.
- Oak Grove Mine was opened by U. S. Steel in Adger.
- The Pizitz Management Group purchased the Birmingham location of Gus Mayer and kept the rights to the name.
- 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.
- Spiller Furniture purchased the Allen & Jemison Warehouse in Tuscaloosa.
- Stancil R. Starnes and his son, Stan Starnes, co-founded the firm of Starnes & Starnes.
- Thunder City Press was founded by Steven Ford Brown.
- 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.
- Roger McCondichie joined the Brookside Town Council.
- Thomas Stubbs ended his run as Alabama State Senator.
- David Vann succeeded George Seibels as Mayor of Birmingham.
Religion
- June: Joe Moore succeeded J. Grant Parris as pastor of Avondale United Methodist Church.
- Jerry Butler became pastor of Pelham First Baptist Church.
- Carter Gaston became pastor of Bethel Baptist Church.
- Milton Grafman retired as rabbi of Temple Emanu-El.
- Henry Tuttle succeeded S. Lawrence Johnson as pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church.
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.
- The Alabama Crimson Tide won the SEC championship and the Sugar Bowl.
- The Birmingham A's folded.
- Lyman Bostock, Jr was promoted to the major leagues.
- Bobby Bragan became president of the the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues.
- 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.
- Larry McReynolds began his NASCAR career.
- Parker High School won the 4A state basketball championship.
- Shorty White became a member of the coaching staff for the Alabama Crimson Tide football teams.
Works
Books
- Disturbing the Peace by Richard Yates
- The Gold Disc of Coosa by Virginia Pounds Brown
- 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
- Staying Hard by Charles Gaines
Buildings
- Brookwood Metroplex, phase II
- Century Plaza
- Clarion Hotel
- Clarkson Bridge restoration
- Hyatt House Birmingham Hotel
- Palmer Norris Center
- Pelham City Hall
- Red Cross Building renovations and expansion
- Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage: Donnelly House, McDaniel House, Oak Hill Cemetery
- National Register of Historic Places: Boshell's Mill, Druid City Historic District, Enslen House, Sadler residence, Searcy House
Film
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest featuring Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched
- The film version of Stay Hungry was shot in Birmingham.
Music
- Elite Hotel by Emmylou Harris
- Family Reunion by The O'Jays
- "It's Gonna be a Cold Cold Christmas" by Dana Rosemary Scallon
- Pieces of the Sky by Emmylou Harris, including "Boulder to Birmingham"
- Survival by The O'Jays
Television
- September 6: The Lost Saucer, co-starring Jim Nabors, premiered.
Individuals
- December: Wendy Holcombe made her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
- 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.
- Steven Ford Brown became editor of UAB's "Aura Literary Arts Review".
- 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.
- John Floyd began directing Jefferson State Junior College's Agricultural Technology Program.
- Vince Gibson became head football coach at the University of Louisville.
- Cleveland Hammonds took his first position as school superintendent in Inkster, Michigan.
- Cliff Holman was promoted to general manager and vice-president of the Parliament House Hotel.
- 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.
- Jack Nelson was promoted to bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times' Washington, D.C. office.
- Wayne Rogers left the TV show M*A*S*H after three seasons.
- Future master engraver Bob Rosser received a book called "The Art of Engraving".
- Carole Samuelson joined the Jefferson County Health Department as a part-time clinic physician.
- Abdulalim Shabazz took his current name.
- Steve Sloan became head football coach at Texas Tech.
- Nelson H. Smith began serving on the general council for the Baptist World Alliance.
- Richard Thigpen became acting president of the University of Alabama.
- Margaret Tutwiler was called to Washington as Assistant Office Manager for the Fund for Government Investors. She later assumed the job of Executive Director of President Ford's Committee for Alabama.
- Marvin Whiting joined the staff of the Birmingham Public Library.
Births
- 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
- Chris Graves, basketball coach
- Corey McKern, opera singer
- Larry Rackley, painter
- Brandee Skinner
- Tommie Watkins, AIDS activist
Awards
- Alabama Business Hall of Fame: Charles Henderson (Troy University), Frank Rushton (City Ice and Delivery & National Coal and Coke Company), Wallace Malone, Sr (First National Bank), Louis Pizitz (Pizitz), Ben May (Gulf Lumber Company), Mervyn Sterne (Sterne, Agee and Leach)
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: Paul Grist, Billy Hitchcock, Frank House, Zipp Newman, Euil Snider, Travis Tidwell, Pat Trammell, and George Wallace
- Miss Alabama: Susie Vaughn
- Miss Samford: Wynne Wilson
- Mr Crestwood: Murry Davis
- Ed Boutwell won three Clio awards for his jingle for Southern Airlines.
- James Foy was named "Dean of the Year" by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
Graduations
- Robert Baker from Gregorian University, graduate degree in dogmatic theology
- William G. Barnes from George Washington University, B.S. in business administration
- William B. Blount from the University of Alabama, bachelor's
- David Carrington from the University of Houston, master's in business administration
- John L. Carroll from Harvard University, master of laws
- Ouida Fritschi from UAB, B.S. in psychology
- Anthony Gardner from Hayes High School
- Anthony Greene from the University of Alabama, B.S. in special education
- Carol Hendrickson from Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Maine
- Alan Jacobs from Banks High School
- Lonnie Johnson from Tuskegee University, master's in nuclear engineering
- James Jones from the University of Alabama Law Enforcement Academy
- Ed McMahon from Georgetown University Law School, Juris Doctorate
- J. Gordon Melton from Northwestern University, Ph.D. in the History and Literature of Religions
- Melvin Miller from Indiana University, masters in recreation and parks administration.
- Pat Moore from UAB, bachelor's in accounting
- Dwayne Murray from Stillman College, B.S. in business administration
- Gene Robinson from the University of Alabama, bachelor's in marketing
- Samantha Shaw from Homewood High School
- Jimmie Stephens from Samford University, master's in business administration
- Anthony Underwood from Jess Lanier High School
Divorces
- Tammy Wynette and George Jones (married 1969)
- Richard Yates and his second wife, Martha Speers
Deaths
- February 4: Howard Hill, archer
- John Mancha, restaurateur
- Fred Arthur Powell, photographer
- See also: List of homicides in 1975
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