MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1996
Memphis in May International Festival is planning a world-class party this year, and officials Sunday put Mary Sims in charge of the invitations. Officials of the festival held a reception in East Memphis to announce the selection of Sims to design the fine arts poster for the 20th anniversary celebration. “This is our first special event that starts the season off,” said Mike Cody, 1996 festival president. He said the fine arts poster highlights the festival’s “educational and cultural” ties with those involved with the arts in this area. Sims, a Memphis native who lives in Eureka Springs, Ark., plans for her 1996 Memphis in May work to “evoke images of a world celebration.” “There will be something from each of the 18 countries honored in the past by Memphis in May,” she said. “There will be an object representing each country.” Officials of Memphis in May pointed out that there are only 18 countries previously honored because Japan was selected twice.
50 years ago — 1971
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Former President Lyndon B. Johnson has been admitted to the Army’s Brooke General Hospital with “probable pneumonia,” officials said Thursday. They said Johnson, who was hospitalized here for 11 days last March for chest pains, was admitted to Brooke Wednesday evening. Officials said Johnson’s ailment was mild. “There is no indication of any cardiac problem,” a statement said.
75 years ago — 1946
A pattern for converting Tennessee’s agriculture from war to peacetime production was fashioned here yesterday by the state’s two top rural planners in addresses before some 600 county farm leaders and specialists attending the 31st annual conference of the State Extension Service at The Peabody. First speaker at the opening session of the five-day meeting was Dr. C.E. Brehm, state extension director and dean of the University of Tennessee College of Agriculture, who warned that “the aftermath of war may bring chronic surpluses, depressed price levels, low farm income and more subsistence farming.” The second was J.H. Mcleod, vice extension director, who emphasized the main objective of all agricultural planning programs is “better home on better farms.”
100 years ago — 1921
“Old King Coal,” the last member of the high price family to join in the wave of price reductions, has at last abdicated his throne. This cheering news was contained in an announcement from local coal dealers yesterday that prices beginning today will range from $8.50 to $9.50 a ton. The $8.50 price has been established by the independent dealers of the city, while the dealers belonging to the Memphis Coal Association have fixed their price, $9 and $9.50.