Other days

100 YEARS AGO Oct. 11, 1923

EL DORADO — An attempt to break all time records between El Dorado and Little Rock will be made by the Rock Island railway management tomorrow morning with the special train which leaves here at 6:30 carrying a party of several hundred El Doradoans to the state fair for celebration of El Dorado day. The train will make no stops between El Dorado and Little Rock. It has been given the rightof-way over all other trains in the speed trial.

50 YEARS AGO Oct. 11, 1973

■ Four Airmen sued the Arkansas Air National Guard in federal court Wednesday over Air Force regulations against long hair and wigs. All four have long hair but not allowed to wear short-haired wigs during their week end drills and at summer camp. Robert L. Barratt, William J. Forbes, Richard L. Stingham and Jack L. Ziegler filed the complaint, which said Guardsmen spend only 5.2 per cent of their time participating in Guard activities. The regulation, which requires Guardsmen to have short hair, infringes on the civilian portion of the lives of Guardsmen and unconstitutionally prohibits them from exercising their right to govern their own appearance, the petition said.

25 YEARS AGO Oct. 11, 1998

■ The heroism of nine black teen-agers who were cursed and spat upon as they integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957, would be recognized with Congress’ most prestigious civilian award under a bill the House passed Friday.

Skip Rutherford, spokesman for the Central High Museum and Visitor Center, said he thought the Congressional Gold Medal would be a “well-deserved tribute” for the group known as the “Little Rock Nine.” “These nine people, who I have gotten to know well during the 40th anniversary of the Central High crisis, are outstanding people and terrific citizens,” Rutherford said. “Their stories are remarkable and what they accomplished makes them true, worldwide heroes.”

10 YEARS AGO Oct. 11, 2013

■ Little Rock Catholic High School will receive nearly $10 million for its ongoing capital-improvement campaign from the owners of two NFL teams and an anonymous donor — all of whom have strong ties to the all-boys school. Arkansas native and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced the gift — funded by the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Charities of Dallas, Denise and John York of San Francisco and an anonymous alumnus — on Thursday to 350 cheering Catholic High juniors and seniors, faculty members and friends of the school. The gift, which includes a component for matching the donations of others, is going toward the $15 million renovation of the 53-year-old building and its athletic facilities, including air conditioning for the high school, which has never had it. Jones and his wife have two sons and a son-in-law who graduated from Catholic High in the 1980s. John York, who is co-chairman and owner with his wife of the San Francisco 49ers, graduated from Catholic High in 1967.