MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1994 The worst ice storm to hit the Memphis area in more than 50 years left half of Shelby County without electricity Friday, triggered more than a dozen fires and shut down businesses, government, schools and sporting events. Thousands of trees collapsed under the weight of the ice, causing massive power failures. Dr. Wilton Accola, a Memphis State University professor, was killed when a tree limb crushed his car near Audubon Park. City and county officials opened shelters, including The Pyramid, for residents forced from their homes because of the cold. There was one bit of good news: The temperature was not expected to go below freezing overnight, and was forecast to climb into the lower 50s today. 50 years ago — 1969 The Memphis school system may be ordered to change school zones annually and sharply increase teacher transfers to achieve greater desegregation, Federal Judge Robert Mcrae indicated yesterday. Judge Mcrae also referred to the possibility of busing to relieve overcrowding at some Negro schools, such as Melrose and Carver. But, he said, such busing would not be ordered to correct racial imbalance. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits court-ordered busing for that purpose. The judge’s comments came at the end of the four-day trial of the desegregation suit against the Memphis Board of Education. The board has opposed ratios, which would apply to the number of white and Negro students and teachers in each school. As an alternative, the board proposed exchanges of principals, teachers and students to further understanding between the races. 75 years ago — 1944 WASHINGTON — Tennessee ham and greens were the chief dishes at a luncheon Senator Mckellar of Tennessee gave yesterday for E.H. Crump, Shelby County political leader, and Mayor Walter Chandler of Memphis. The luncheon was held in the office of Col. Edwin A. Halsey, Senate secretary, and guests included Senators Barkley of Kentucky, Connally of Texas, Mcclellan of Arkansas, Eastland of Mississippi, Stewart of Tennessee, Clark of Missouri, Byrd of Virginia, Overton of Louisiana, Bankhead of Alabama, and Bailey of North Carolina. 100 years ago — 1919 The Memphis Woman’s Club met yesterday at the home of Mrs. Napoleon Falls on Bellevue. She read a paper on “Developments in Science.” Mrs. C.P.J. Mooney read a paper on “The Submarine,” and Mrs. R.P. Woodson and Mrs. S.M. Williamson discussed “Aerial Navigation.” 125 years ago — 1894 Mayor Lucius Clapp left yesterday for his plantation in Mississippi, but before leaving he and the other commissioners overhauled the city engineer’s department by dropping two men from the payrolls. The men were the wagon driver who earned $720 a year and the level man who made $920. Stringent economy is the watchword for city government this year. The city engineer will have only $70,000 to spend on streets and roads, as opposed to $188,000 last year.