MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1994 St. Louis – The basketball whizzed around the perimeter as center Lorenzen Wright planted himself in the low post. Wright, a University of Memphis signee playing for the undefeated East squad here in the Olympic Festival, put a forearm on 265-pound North center Rashard Griffith of Wisconsin to clear some room. “He didn’t even move,” said Wright, a lithe 6-11, 225 pounds. “I knew then why I need to lift weights year-round.” The exchange with Griffith is just another lesson Wright has learned at the Festival since reporting a week ago. With the four teams a mix of incoming freshmen and sophomores-to-be, Wright is discovering that one year of college experience makes a vast difference. That’s why U of M coach Larry Finch was overjoyed for Wright and sophomore Cedric Henderson to get a chance to play in the Festival. 50 years ago — 1969 A $20,382 grant by the United States Public Health Service’s National Institute of General Medical Services has been awarded to the University of Tennessee Medical Units to train people in a new field. The money will finance the first year of a five-year training program under the direction of Dr. John Autian, director of the Materials Science Toxicology Laboratory in the College of Dentistry and Pharmacy. 75 years ago — 1944 Dr. Charles C. King of the First Congregational Church has been named committee head of the Memphis Round Table, a new organization of Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jews, both clergy and laymen. The group will try to build mutual respect and understanding. 100 years ago — 1919 The annual barbecue and picnic of the Mccallum & Robinson Cotton Pickery, which has always been regarded as one of the principal events of its kind of the season, will be held this afternoon at the grove near the site of the plant on Mallory Avenue. More than 1,500 guests are expected, and last night 2,000 pounds of pork and mutton were placed on the charcoal. 125 years ago — 1894 Members of the Memphis Neely Zouaves, who are in Little Rock for the great military drill, include Capt. T.K. Deffrey, William Durich, H.A. Belone, J.L. Bill, F.F. Ellis, L. Wells, B. Rainey, J. Ritter, W. Lawrence, W. Hunter, J. Johnson, W. Miles, J. Thornton, J. Faquin, H. Piper, E. Strehl, L. Lane and H. Kortrecht.