1983

1983 was the 112th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• The first Magic City Art Connection was held at Linn Park.
• Mountain Brook High School, Homewood High School and Homewood Middle School were named

Blue Ribbon Schools by the US Department of Education.

• Isaac Stern joined the Alabama Symphony Orchestra for their 50th anniversary celebration.
• The Brother Bryan statue was returned to Five Points South from Vulcan Park.
• Frozen pipes forced a tenant evacuation of the Avon Building in Lakeview.

Elections

• Richard Arrington was re-elected as Mayor of Birmingham. William Bell, Jeff Germany, David Herring and Russell Yarbrough were re-elected to four-year terms in the Birmingham City Council. Eddie Blankenship won the two-year seat. Herring succeeded John Katopodis as Council President. (See 1983 Birmingham mayoral election)
• Ben Erdreich succeeded Albert L. Smith, Jr as Representative of the 6th Congressional District of Alabama.
• Gary White and George Perdue joined the Alabama House of Representatives.
• George Wallace succeeded Fob James as Governor of Alabama.

Business

• Richard Scrushy left Lifemark Corporation in Houston to plan for the founding of HealthSouth.
• The Redmont Hotel was purchased by an investment group made up of NBA players, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Ralph Sampson.
• The Lincoln Theater in Bessemer closed.
• Parisian became a publicly-traded company.
• First National Bank of Birmingham began operating as AmSouth Bank.
• Joel's Restaurant opened in downtown Trussville.
• The first franchise location of Milo's Hamburgers opened on Southside.
• Arlington Broadcasting bought independent TV station WTTO.
• Brantley Homes was founded.
• The Cabana Hotel closed.
• SMI Steel purchased the Connors Steel plant.

Sports

• The 1983 Birmingham Barons won their first Southern League title since resuming play in 1981.
• The 1983 Birmingham Stallions played their inaugural season at Legion Field, finishing with a 9-9 record.
• Bo Jackson rushed for 256 yards to help Auburn to a 23-20 victory over Alabama in the 1983 Iron Bowl at Legion Field.
• West Virginia defeated Kentucky 20-16 in the 1983 Hall of Fame Classic at Legion Field.
• Alabama's Mike Davis was drafted by the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
• A new Birmingham Bulls played three games in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League before folding.
• Jack Wood became head football coach at Auburn High School.
• Carl Lewis set a personal best of 19.75 seconds in the 200 meter sprint.
• Bobby Allison won the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship.
• Alabama A&M University beat Alabama State University 27-14 in the Magic City Classic.
• Watson Brown served one season as head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Works

• "Swordfishtrombone", song by Tom Waits which mentions Birmingham
• Kate Jackson starred in the television drama The Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
• Alexandra, feature film produced by David F. Friedman.
• "The Heaven That I Look For Up Above Had a Hole and I Fell Back to Earth" and "The Mystery of the White in Me", sculptures by Lonnie Holley
• "Wendel", a gay-themed comic strip by Howard Cruse, debuted in the Advocate.
• From the One That Cut You, novelty album featuring T. R. Reed.
• Coming Out, jazz album by pianist Johnny O'Neal.
• Love and Dance and Raw "Live Jazz" Featuring Miss Funky Lu albums by Cleveland Eaton
• Blue Thunder and WarGames, feature films directed by John Badham
• Shadow Waltz, feature film shot in Birmingham

Books

• Birmingham Inside Out by Glory Clark Angell
• Promethean fire: reflections on the origin of mind," by E. O. Wilson
• Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker Percy
• Mystery Walk by Robert R. McCammon
• Birmingham Bottlers: 1883-1983 by Dennis I. Smith
• Winning Isn't Everything (But it beats anything that comes in second). by Wendell Givens
• October Journey by Margaret Walker
• Escape the Night, by Richard North Patterson
• The University of Alabama: A Pictorial History by Suzanne Wolfe

Buildings

• Birmingham Parking Authority Deck 5
• Center Point 6 cinema
• Ski Lodge Apartments III
• Hoover Square 6 cinema
• Bama 6 cinema
• Expansion of Midfield Theater
• Expansion of Southern Museum of Flight
• National Register of Historic Places: John A. Hand Building, Woodward Building, Cathedral Church of the Advent, Five Points South Historic District, Redmont Hotel, Loveman, Joseph & Loeb Department Store, Leeds Southern Railroad Depot

People

• Douglas K. S. Hyland succeeded Richard N. Murray as curator of the Birmingham Museum of Art
• Jim Bob & the Leisure Suits broke up.
• The Calton Phillips Group changed its name to Split the Dark.
• Thomas E. Corts succeeded Leslie Wright as President of Samford University.

Awards

• Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame: Hooper T. Abrams, Leroy Allen, Leatha Bell, Frank Carpenter, Paul B. Coman, LaVergne Comer, Dolly Brown Gibson, Marcellus Green, Frank Greer, Monroe Kennedy, Robert McCoy, Neal McLean, Bull Simpson, and Jesse Taylor.
• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: Maxie Baughan, Tom Jenkins, George Lindsey, Billy Neighbors, Gabby Street and Billy Williams.
• Linebacker Jeff Herrod graduated from Banks High School.
• Actor Michael Papajohn graduated from Vestavia Hills High School.
• Running back Cornelius Bennett graduated from Ensley High School.
• Hugh Martin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• Russ Fine earned tenure as a professor at UAB.
• Jimbo Wood graduated from the University of Montevallo.

Births

• March 24: Baseball player Eric West (Birmingham)
• May 9: Birmingham Barons pitcher Tyler Lumsden
• May 31: Baseball player Anthony Cupps (Birmingham)
• August 7: UAB Blazers quarterback Darell Hackney (Atlanta, Georgia)
• August 24: Baseball player Alan Johnson (Birmingham)
• August 30: Birmingham Barons infielder Christ Getz (Southfield, Michigan)
• October 17: Basketball player James Lang. (Mobile)
• 2006 Miss Alabama USA 2006 Haleigh Stidham
• 2007 Miss Alabama Jamie Langley

Deaths

• January 26: Former Alabama head football coach Bear Bryant died in Tuscaloosa.

See also: List of Birmingham homicides in 1983

Context

In 1983

1980s

<< 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 >>

Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works