MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1993
Caps and gowns and the flickering flashbulbs of cameras all were present Wednesday night as Booker T. Washington High School held a historic graduation. The Class of ’93 became the first to hold commencement at the high school in more than 50 years and the first to do so in the school’s completely revamped auditorium, said Imogene Bolden, an English teacher and senior adviser for commencement. In the past, because of a lack of space in an old, crumbling school auditorium, BTW held commencement downtown in the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Graduates, parents and friends filled the new auditorium, part of a $7.5 million renovation of the school.
50 years ago — 1968
SAN FRANCISCO — Senator Robert F. Kennedy Sunday offered to form a stop-Humphrey coalition with Senator Eugene J. McCarthy after Tuesday’s crucial California primary, the last election contest before the Democratic National Convention. Kennedy did not say who would be the top man in any Kennedy-McCarthy alliance, but he indicated it should be the winner of the primary that binds 172 of California’s 174 convention delegates to the winner.
75 years ago — 1943
LONDON — Famed actor-producer Leslie Howard was killed June 1st when an unarmed British commercial plane in which he was a passenger was shot down over the Bay of Biscay. Howard, who was famous for his role as Ashley in “Gone With The Wind,” was among 13 persons aboard the plane, en route here from Lisbon. Allied diplomats suggested there was a plot to kill British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who is on his way home from a visit to the United States and who was believed to have stopped in Gibraltar.
100 years ago — 1918
A detailed war map of the western front from the North Sea to Switzerland, showing thousands of towns, forts, rivers and railroads, has been completed after two months work by Elwood Richardson and Van Court Hare, students at Central High School. The lads plan to have the map published and use the money from its sales to pay their way through college.
125 years ago — 1893
Transportation problems dominated the City Council meeting yesterday. Mr. Turley, representing the Street Car Company, said that the company would pay $6,500 to pave Jefferson, if only brick is used, and if the company retains the right to lay tracks there in the future. Another matter discussed was the extension of the East End dummy line up Monroe to Front to connect with the Raleigh Springs line. A committee reported favorably on such action.