1961: Difference between revisions
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* [[February 17]]: The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [[Integration of Birmingham Terminal Station|ruled against segregated facilities]] at the [[Birmingham Terminal Station]]. | * [[February 17]]: The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [[Integration of Birmingham Terminal Station|ruled against segregated facilities]] at the [[Birmingham Terminal Station]]. | ||
* [[May 14]]: [[Freedom Rides|Freedom Riders]] were attacked at the [[Birmingham Trailways Station]]. | * [[May 14]]: [[Freedom Rides|Freedom Riders]] were attacked at the [[Birmingham Trailways Station]]. | ||
* [[May 15]]: U. S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy was unsuccessful in attempts to negotiate safe passage for the [[Freedom Rides|Freedom Riders]] out of [[Birmingham]]. | |||
* [[May 17]]: [[Fred Shuttlesworth]] was arrested for failure to obey a [[Birmingham Police Department|Birmingham Police]] officer. | * [[May 17]]: [[Fred Shuttlesworth]] was arrested for failure to obey a [[Birmingham Police Department|Birmingham Police]] officer. | ||
* [[May 18]]: "[[Who Speaks for Birmingham?]]", a documentary by Howard K. Smith, aired on CBS | * [[May 18]]: "[[Who Speaks for Birmingham?]]", a documentary by Howard K. Smith, aired on CBS |
Revision as of 04:00, 27 February 2011
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.
- The Cumberland School of Law relocated from Lebanon, Tennessee to Samford University.
- Ben Morton donated a group of Tang dynasty ceramics to the Birmingham Museum of Art Asian collection.
- A 1961 Birmingham comprehensive plan called for massive redevelopment of the City Center with elevated pedestrian skyways.
- February 8: The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company closed its Docena mine.
- February 20: Floodwaters engulfed areas of Mountaindale in Crestline
- 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.
- November 11: Jones Valley High School was destroyed by arson.
- December 25: Light snow flurries fell on Birmingham at Christmas.
Civil Rights Movement
- January: Birmingham Police detectives began recording mass meetings of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.
- * February 6: Fred Shuttlesworth's car was impounded as part of the judgment against him in the case later overturned as New York Times Co. v. Sullivan.
- 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 15: U. S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy was unsuccessful in attempts to negotiate safe passage for the Freedom Riders out of Birmingham.
- May 17: Fred Shuttlesworth was arrested for failure to obey a Birmingham Police officer.
- 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.
- September 23: The Interstate Commerce Commission issued rules prohibiting segregation of interstate passengers, effective November 1.
- October 24: Judge Harlan Grooms ruled that Birmingham parks must be integrated. Rather than comply with the order, the Birmingham City Commission closed all parks.
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.
- Architects Pembleton and Mims became Mims and Gaunt.
- The architecture firm of Poole, Pardue and Morrison was formed.
- Architect David O. Whilldin retired from practice.
- Kenneth Daniel was promoted to executive vice-president at ACIPCO.
- WJLD-AM was upgraded to 1000 watts in the daytime and 250 at night.
- Birmingham View Company, one of the city's first professional photography studios, closed.
- Krown Kredit opened on 3rd Avenue North
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.
- 1961 Iron Bowl: Alabama 34-Auburn 0
- The 1961 Birmingham Barons played a final season in the Southern Association.
- Shorty White became the head football coach at Banks High School, winning a city-wide championship in his first year.
- Banks High School also won city-wide championships in basketball and baseball.
- Willie Scoggins became head basketball coach at Hayes High School.
- 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.
- Lum Harris managed the Baltimore Orioles.
- Tennis player Ed Terrell earned the #1 singles and doubles ranking in Alabama.
- Shreveport's Paul Seitz started on the mound for Rickwood Field's first racially-integrated game.
- Lee May signed with the Cincinnati Reds.
- Ted Kubiak signed with the Kansas City Athletics.
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.
- Unidentified jazz album by Country swing star Hank Penny
- "Bozo the Clown" debuted on WBRC with Bart Darby as host.
- The Birmingham Grotto published its final edition of Cavea Novea.
- "Oogsy-Moo"/"Locomotive" and "Are You Alright?" singles by The Premiers
- Betty Lou Gerson starred as Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmations.
- Marion Worth's single "I Think I Know" peaked at #7 on the country charts.
Books
- The Moviegoer, National Book Award-winning novel by Walker Percy.
- Revolutionary Road, National Book Award finalist by Richard Yates.
Buildings
- Birmingham Fire Station No. 18 in Pratt City
- Manoir Minette on Old Leeds Road
- 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
- A second wing of Hayes High School was completed.
- Putnam Elementary School
- Avondale Regional Library at Avondale Park
- Green Acres Baptist Church new sanctuary
- Greater Shiloh Baptist Church new sanctuary
- Central section of Mountain Brook Shopping Center with Britling By The Brook cafeteria
- Treadwell Barber Shop
- Modernization of Vaughan-Weil, Krown Kredit and Epp's Jewelry storefronts on the 1800 block of 3rd Avenue North (Block 72)
- Addition to the Purcell Wing at Carraway Hospital.
- Second addition to Roebuck Shopping Center
- Bowl-O-Bama bowling lanes at Roebuck Plaza Shopping Center
People
- Gene Bartow began his coaching career at Central Missouri State University.
- Frank Bettencourt left the Jan Garber Orchestra to start his own group.
- Thomas Brigham was founding president of the Birmingham Ski Club.
- Martin Buerger succeeded Hans Reuter as Pastor of First Lutheran Church.
- Alice Chalifoux succeeded Carlos Salzedo as director of the Salzedo Summer Harp Colony in Camden, Maine.
- Bernard Feld, Jr succeeded Julian Aland as President of Temple Emanu-El.
- Karl Friedman succeeded Sidney Ziff as President of Temple Beth-El.
- Roland Frye was made a researcher in residence at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C.
- John Grenier chaired the Alabama Young Republicans.
- Angela Hernández began a 30-year career at the University of Montevallo.
- Basil Hirschowitz was naturalized as an American citizen.
- A. D. King became pastor of the First Baptist Church of Ensley.
- Martin Luther King, Jr dubbed Odetta the "Queen of American folk music"
- Ida Moffett was appointed to the United States Surgeon General's Consulting Group on Nursing.
- Joe O'Donnell joined the staff of Birmingham magazine.
- Lucius Pitts succeeded William A. Bell as president of Miles College.
- V. C. Provitt succeeded Fred Shuttlesworth as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church.
- Henry Stanford announced his resignation from the presidency of Birmingham-Southern College.
- Earl Stallings succeeded J. T. Ford as pastor of First Baptist Church of Birmingham.
Graduations
- Film director John Badham earned his B.A. in philosophy at Yale University.
- Dermatologist Robert Bentley graduated from Shelby County High School.
- Civil Rights leader James Bevel graduated from the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Robert Carter completed a master's degree in education at Alabama State University.
- Judge U. W. Clemon graduated as valedictorian of his class at Westfield High School.
- Novelist William Cobb earned his bachelor of arts at Livingston University.
- Engineer Garry Drummond earned his civil engineering degree at the University of Alabama.
- Historian Wayne Flynt graduated from Samford University.
- Architect Joseph Giattina, Jr earned his bachelor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame.
- Civil Rights leader James Orange graduated from Parker High School.
- Journalist Karl Seitz graduated high school in Troy, Pike County.
- University of Montevallo president John W. Stewart earned his doctorate of education at Florida State University.
- Attorney J. Bryan Whitworth completed his degree at the University of Alabama School of Law.
Awards
- Sculptor John Rhoden won grants from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations.
- Miss Alabama: Delores Hodgens
- Miss Samford: Janette Weaver
- Mr Crestwood: Doyle Edwards
- Birmingham Festival of Arts Award for Industrial Architecture: Fritz Woehle for Pilgrim Church
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
- December 28: Gene Chizik, football coach
- December 30: Brian Glusman, rabbi
- Keith Aaron, president of the Arlington-West End neighborhood
- Gary Chapman, artist and UAB professor
- Will Cotchery, basketball coach
- Lolly Lee, singer
- Kenneth Livesay, former CIO for HealthSouth
- Drew Mays, ophthalmologist and Van Cliburn competition-winning pianist
- Bob Roller, athletics director for Samford University
- Sheila Tyson, accountant and community activist
- Janie Lee Wallace, daughter of George and Lurleen Wallace
- Stuart Whitehurst, auctioneer and appraiser
Deaths
- January: George Bender, caterer and restaurant manager
- April 10: Architect Harry Pembleton
- June 30: Baseball player Dizzy Dismukes
- November 22: Shopkeeper Gus Jebeles
- Joseph Zoettl, creator of Ave Maria Grotto
- 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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