1982

1982 was the 111th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• WTTO-21 went on the air as the city's first independent television channel.
• WBRC-6 began receiving network programming by satellite feed.
• The Church of the Advent was designated the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.
• George Wallace won the 1982 gubernatorial election to claim his fourth term as Governor of Alabama.
• The Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington was founded in Columbiana.
• Organist Tom Helms resumed annual Halloween performances of the Phantom of the Opera at the Alabama Theatre.
• A former alleyway near Five Points South was named Cobb Lane in honor of restauranteur Virginia Cobb.
• The Birmingham Festival of Arts organized a Salute to Japan.
• Rock group Hotel disbanded.
• Eddie Kendricks joined a reunion tour of The Temptations.
• The Friends of the Hoover Public Library was formed.
• Birmingham's "Batman", Willie Perry, appeared on That's Incredible!.
• The Southeastern Blind Rehabilitation Center opened at the Birmingham VA Medical Center.
• Members of the UAB Gospel Choir founded the More Than Conquerors Faith Church.
• The first Mulberry Fork Canoe and Kayak Festival was held.

Business

• Birmingham Trust National Bank became SouthTrust Bank.
• BE&K moved its corporate headquarters to Inverness.
• Bruno's Supermarkets spun off its Big B Drugs division into an independent company.
• Colonial Bank acquired the Exchange National Bank of Birmingham.
• Highlands Bar and Grill was opened by Frank Stitt.
• Snoozy's College Bookstore was founded.
• UAB began operating the former Guest House Motor Inn as the [[ University Inn.
• Larry Langford was hired as community relations director for Birmingham Budweiser.
• The Screening Room adult cinema opened.
• New York Pizza opened in the Edgewood Business District.
• City Hotels, Inc., operator of the Holiday Inn-Medical Center, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
• The Homewood Library purchased the former Homewood Chuch of Christ to serve as its new home.
• Joe Lee founded Lee's Buildings and Sheet Metal in Moody.
• WERC-AM switched to an all-news/talk format.
• Summerfest Musical Theatre presented ShowBoat, Lil’ Abner, and Guys and Dolls in the 1982 season.
• Cahaba Cycles first opened.
• The first Guthrie's opened in Auburn.
• T. Morris Hackneyn acquired Dixie Type and Supply and formed the Citation Corporation as a holding company.

Sports

• The Alabama Magic of the American Football Association went 6-4 in their only season.
• The Birmingham South Stars of the Canadian Hockey League played a sole season.
• The BJCC hosted the 1982 Mideast regional Semifinals and finals of the NCAA college basketball tournament. The 4th-seeded UAB Blazers upset top seed Virginia 68-66 in the round of sixteen, then lost to 3rd-seed Louisville in the regional final.
• The Alabama Crimson Tide also made it to the Sweet Sixteen, led by Ennis Whatley.
• Auburn won the 1982 Iron Bowl 23-22 on freshman Bo Jackson's last second touchdown.
• Marvin Warner founded the Birmingham Stallions for the new United States Football League.
• Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500.
• Benny Parsons turned in a qualifying lap for the Winston 500 at over 200 mph, setting a NASCAR record at the Talladega Superspeedway.
• Bear Bryant coached his final Alabama team, retiring with 323 wins after an 8-4 season which ended with a 21-15 victory over Illinois in the Liberty Bowl on December 29.
• Alabama's Jeremiah Castille, Mike Pitts and Tommy Wilcox were named College Football All-Americans.
• Sprinter Carl Lewis beat the 10-second 100-meter sprint at Modesto, California
• Pitcher Vida Blue was traded to the Kansas City Royals.
• Alabama State University joined the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
• Vince Gibson retired as head football coach at Tulane University.
• Lamar Johnson signed with the Texas Rangers.
• UAB Blazers star Oliver Robinson was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs.
• Alabama Crimson Tide star Eddie Phillips was drafted by the New Jersey Nets.
• Eli Gold began hosting NASCAR Live on the Motor Racing Network.
• David Cutcliffe was hired as an assistant at Tennessee.
• Jerry Pate won the PGA Tournament Player's Championship
• Jackie Sherrill became head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies.

Works

• Strange Celestial Road, album by Sun Ra
• Birmingham's Homage to Leonardo: Vitruvian Man, modeled by Enzo Plazotta, was cast.
• All About Birmingham board game.

Books

• Marylin Davis Hahn, Cemeteries of Jefferson County, Vol. I. Birmingham: Birmingham Public Library
• James Caldwell Fletcher, Coping With Genetic Disorders: a Guide for Clergy and Parent. San Francisco, California: Harper & Row ISBN 0060626658

Buildings

• Financial Center
• Southridge Office Building
• West Jefferson Correctional Facility
• Hewitt-Trussville High School
• Garywood Assembly of God
• Addition to the St Clair County Courthouse
• The Empire Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places

People

• Astronaut Hank Hartsfield made his first space flight as pilot of the Columbia on mission STS-4, carrying a West End High School banner.
• Kenneth Daniel succeeded Robert E. Luckie, Jr as president of The Club.
• Birmingham News editorial cartoonist Charles Brooks was invited to the White House.
• Organist Cecil Whitmire returned to Birmingham from Knoxville and took a job at Long Lewis Hardware.
• Madelyn Poole retired from the Town and Gown Theatre.
• James Crutcher left the pulpit of 16th Street Baptist Church.
• Joseph Marino was assigned to the Catholic campus ministry at UAB.
• Paul Zahl began his ministerial career as Rector of St Mary's Church in Scarborough, New York.
• Jay Glass became Chief Deputy Coroner for Jefferson County.
• Sam Pointer, Jr became chief judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Births

• February 10: Soccer player Cat Whitehill (born Catherine Reddick)
• February 20: Baseball player Kerri Fair
• March 7: Baseball player Austin Tubb
• April 15: Baseball player Edwardo Sierra
• October 29: Football player and prison guard Kenny Hollis

Awards

• Nell Carter won an Emmy for her starring role in NBC's televised version of Ain't Misbehavin'.
• Yolanda Fernandez was named Miss Alabama.
• Mike Anderson graduated from the University of Tulsa.
• Alan King and Greg Shaw earned degrees from the Cumberland School of Law.
• Susan Swider earned her bachelor of arts at Ohio State University.
• Eduardo Neiva earned his masters in communications studies at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
• Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, 15 inductees
• Dorothy Hoeschen's "Rock and Water Interaction" won the Bluff Park Art Association purchase award.
• Raymond Weeks was given the Presidential Citizens Medal for his efforts to establish Veterans Day as a national holiday.
• Andrew Toney was named to the NBA's All-Star Team.

Deaths

• March 1: Temple W. Tutwiler, II, civic booster
• May 17: Fred Walker, baseball player
• June 8: Satchel Paige, baseball player

See also: List of Birmingham homicides in 1982

Context

In 1982

1980s

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works