MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 Years Ago -- 1995
Four decades after being seduced by the challenge of educating and still firmly guiding Grahamwood Elementary, Margaret Taylor is retiring. “I’ve been in this business 40 years. I’ve been here at Grahamwood 24 years. I’m 77 years old. And if I’m ever going to do anything else, then I think it’s time I do it,” said Taylor, who as principal built Grahamwood into one of the city’s most respected schools. “I’m sad, and I’m happy over it,” said the Arkansas native, who moved to Memphis when she was 5. “I just have real mixed emotions because this has been my family. I’ve had challenges -- lots of them. It’s been exciting, and it’s been really fun. I’ve never had a time when I didn’t want to come back to work. And that’s been good.” Known for running a tight ship and for her zealous dedication to the job, Taylor is apparently the city school district’s oldest principal. Few would dispute that she also is probably one of the best.
50 Years Ago -- 1970
Washington -- President Nixon signed legislation Thursday to give either a free or a cut-rate lunch to all needy school pupils by Thanksgiving. Under present law, school districts are authorized to provide such service and about 4 million children participate. But under the new law, schools are required to provide the service and the number of participating pupils is expected to be doubled. The measure provides that the subsidized lunches be made available to children whose families come under the official poverty level set annually by the agriculture secretary. It now includes farm families with an annual income of less than $3,200 and urban families with an annual income of less than $3,800.
75 Years Ago -- 1945
Shelby County is out to help finish the job and bring her men back home. This is evident in unofficial reports that a record number of war bonds was purchased yesterday on the opening day of the Mighty Seventh War Loan
Drive.
100 Years Ago -- 1920
New York -- The national convention of the Socialist Party today acclaimed Eugene Victor Debs, federal convict No. 2253 in the Atlanta penitentiary, its candidate for the fifth time for the president of the United States. Debs is serving a 10-year sentence for violation of the wartime espionage act. A speech he made in Canton, Ohio, on June 16, 1918, led to his arrest two weeks later for opposing war and urging labor to cease all activities which in any way tended to prolong it.