MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1993
Each day, several infants are rocked to sleep in a piece of St. Peter Village history. Four wire breadbaskets hang from the ceiling on the second floor of the St. Peter Day Care center at Poplar and McLean, babies within. These makeshift cradles are 140 years old, donated to the Catholic Church by a bakery that went out of business before the Civil War. Originally, St. Peter workers used the baskets for orphans of yellow fever, civil and world wars, and poverty and injustice. Now, the babies are more likely to be there just for the day, children of working parents. The padded breadbaskets swing on, comfortable enough even for these fortunate sons and daughters. It’s this sort of common sense frugality that has helped St. Peter Village survive and thrive during its 140-year history.
50 years ago — 1968
KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee officially becomes a statewide system Monday under a re-organizational move approved by its board of trustees there June 20. In the change, UT President Andrew D. Holt will concentrate on the statewide system, while Dr. Charles H. Weaver, engineering dean, steps up to become chancellor of the Knoxville campus. “No longer will Dr. Holt be the chief administrative officer of the Knoxville campus as well as for the entire system,” said Dr. Joseph Johnson, UT vice president of institutional research. “With this changeover,” Dr. Johnson said, “the Knoxville campus will get the full attention it needs from a separate administrative staff.”
75 years ago — 1943
Allied Headquarters, Australia — Allied land, naval and air forces under the personal direction of Gen. Douglas MacArthur have occupied the Trobriand and Woodlark Island groups between new Guinea and the Solomon Islands and are attacking the neighboring New Georgia Islands, it was announced Thursday. This is the first American offensive in the Pacific since the occupation of the southern Solomons last year.
100 years ago — 1918
Little Everett E. Cook has sent his name to The Commercial Appeal’s Birthday Band to trade greetings with other children whose birthdays are this week. His is tomorrow. Cards may be sent to him in care of this newspaper or to Box 13, Harrisburg, Miss.
125 years ago — 1893
The Teachers’ Institute of Germantown opened yesterday with 46 area teachers in attendance. The meeting was opened by the Rev. John Porter, who prayed most fervently. Some of the papers read were “School Management,” “Busy Work,” “How to Teach Manners in the Schoolroom,” “Mistakes in Teaching” and “Composition and Letter Writing.”