1977

1977 was the 106th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• 22 people died during the 1977 Smithfield tornado, which also destroyed much of the Daniel Payne College campus, forcing it to close.
• Robert Chambliss was convicted of murder for the 1963 church bombing.
• Eddie Aldridge purchased the land that he later opened to the public as Aldridge Gardens.
• Birmingham voters approved a $3.3 million bond issue for the preservation of Sloss Furnaces as a historic site.
• In the 1977 Birmingham City Council election Bessie Estelle, Nina Miglionico, and E. C. Overton won re-election to four-year terms. John Katopodis and Larry Langford were elected to two-year terms. Bud Hendricks ran unsuccessfully.
• Anne G. Miller founded the Alabama Wildlife Center.
• The Birmingham Oktoberfest was organized by Freunde Deutscher Sprache und Kultur.
• The Red Mountain Museum opened to the public.
• Cabaret group Wit's Other End was founded at Oaks Street's Brandy Room on Morris Avenue.
• The Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition acquired a 24-acre mountainside parcel in South East Lake which later became the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center.
• The Gospel Harmonettes performed together for the last time.
• The North Birmingham Church of God purchased a 7-acre lot on Tarrant Road in Gardendale.
• Gateway changed its name to Family and Child Services.
• Garywood Assembly of God began holding an annual Easter Drama.
• Richard Arrington, Jr founded the Jefferson County Citizens Coalition.
• The Birmingham Genealogical Society received tax-exempt status.
• Gay rights group Lambda was founded.
• The William Given residence was one of the stops on a tour of historic homes in Forest Park.

Business

• Scott Green opened Scott's Koneys on 20th Street South.
• Dan L. Hendley became president of First National Bank of Birmingham.
• E. A. Gregory sold the Parliament House to Palmer G. O'Barr.
• Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q moved to its present location on Bessemer Road.
• The Pasquale's Pizza & Pasta chain peaked at 244 locations.
• Aubrey Garrison served a 1-year term as president of AIA Birmingham.
• Peoples Bank of North Alabama was founded.
• Harold Ruttenberg opened his first shoe store at Century Plaza.
• Edgewood Frame Shop moved to 1003 Oxmoor Road.
• The Coffee Shoppe opened on Hollywood Boulevard.
• WKXX-FM ("Kicks 106") was launched as a rival Top-40 station to WERC-AM and WSGN-AM.
• Shihan Oyama opened the New Tokyo restaurant on Highland Avenue.
• Colonial Stores was sold to Grand Union.
• Rick Little bought his first grocery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• The Wheel-A-Wave skate park opened.
• Drummond Company secured a majority interest in Alabama Byproducts Corporation.
• Strong Automotive Merchandising was founded by Mike Strong.
• Fob James sold his Diversified Products, Inc. to the Liggett Group.
• The Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce was founded.
• Larry Striplin, Jr founded American Fine Wire in Selma.
• Bill King began working for the Regional Poison Control Center.
• Sarah Cole Brown retired as Chief Librarian and Director of the Lister Hill Library. Nancy Clemmons took her place as acting director.
• Porter, White & Company was hired by Richard Arrington, Jr to serve as financial advisors to the city of Birmingham.

Sports

• Jacksonville State University won the Division II National Championship in football.
• Neil Bonnett earned his first NASCAR victory at the Capital City 400 in Richmond, Virginia.
• Buddy Aydelette began playing football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
• The Auburn Tigers football team finished the season at 5-6 (later changed to 6-5 after forfeit by Mississippi State)
• Bob Baumhower was drafted by the Miami Dolphins with the 40th overall pick in the 1977 NFL draft.
• Vince Gibson took his Louisville Cardinals football team to the Independence Bowl.
• Alabama won the 1977 Iron Bowl 48-21.
• Johnny Musso played his final season for the Chicago Bears.
• Joe Namath signed with the L. A. Rams.
• T. R. Dunn was selected in the 2nd round of the 1977 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
• Steve Sloan left Texas Tech to coach the University of Mississippi football team.
• Jack Baker played his final season for the Boston Red Sox.
• Jerry Pate won the Phoenix Open and Southern Open on the PGA Tour.
• Jackie Sherrill became head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
• Black players for the Alabama Vulcans were housed at the A. G. Gaston Motel.

Works

• Saturday Night Fever, feature film directed by John Badham
• Luxury Liner, album by Emmylou Harris
• "You'll Love Again", single by Hotel

Publications

• Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide by Marjorie Longenecker White
• The Birmingham Historical Society began publishing a quarterly Journal

Buildings

• Calera High School
• Red Mountain Museum

People

• Robert Vance was appointed to the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals by President Jimmy Carter.
• Howard Cruse became an art director for Starlog magazine.
• Dennis Edwards was fired from The Temptations.
• Jack Farr succeeded Edna Snow as principal of Edgewood Elementary School.
• Poet Sonia Sanchez accepted a Presidential Fellowship to teach at Temple University in Philadelphia.
• Astronaut Hank Hartsfield retired from the United States Air Force.
• Richard North Patterson became writer-in-residence at UAB.
• Jan Willis became a visiting professors at Wesleyan University.
• J. Frank Alexander succeeded John McQueen as pastor of South Highland Presbyterian Church.
• Robert W. Carter became an Adamsville Police Officer.
• Ray Reach worked as a graduate assistant for the jazz program at the University of Alabama.
• Jerry Haynes succeeded Edwin H. Wood as Chief of the Homewood Police Department.
• Joe Bruno retired as CEO of Bruno's.
• David Wright purchased the Canebrake Farm in Calhoun County.
• Marguerite Kinney joined the UAB nursing faculty.
• James Orange left the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to work for the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.

Awards

• A. G. Gaston and Minnie Gaston were the first to be added to the Birmingham Gallery of Distinguished Citizens.
• Frances Carter was named Birmingham Woman of the Year.
• Julie Houston was crowned Miss Alabama.
• Oak Hill Cemetery and Bryce State Mental Hospital were added to the National Register of Historic Places.
• Chris Clark graduated from Ensley High School.
• "Weaving" by Susan Harris Finley was purchased by the Bluff Park Art Association.
• Charles J. Cooper graduated first in his class from theUniversity of Alabama School of Law.
• Emily Lyons graduated from UAB with a bachelor of science in nursing.
• Carl Harper began working for Birmingham Fire & Rescue.
• Reverend John Cross became director of black church relations for the Atlanta Baptist Association.
• Jo Kittinger graduated from the University of Montevallo.
• Andy Andrews graduated from Berry High School.
• Joe Sewell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Births

• January 8: Amber Benson, actress
• March 3: Barret Swatek, actress
• March 12: Gary Wheat, jazz saxophonist
• April 6: Andy Phillips, baseball player
• June 4: Jefferey Farrow, firefighter
• Daniel Alarcón, novelist
• Ahmad Austin, artist and art instructor
• John Green, author
• Edwin Marty, urban farmer
• Tina Watson, allegedly murdered by her husband while scuba diving in Australia

Deaths

• Nigel Harlan was abducted from his Bachelor's Showboat nightclub on Morris Avenue and murdered.
• August 30: Virginia Simpson was found murdered in her bed at the Theodore Swann residence.

See also: List of Birmingham homicides in 1977

Context

Ram Jam scored a hit with their remake of Leadbelly's "Black Betty"

1970s

<< 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 >>

Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works