Hospital rising
MAY 25
25 years ago: 1991
City Schools Supt. Willie Herenton announced Friday that he will run for mayor of Memphis. His decision to enter the race comes despite Rep. Harold Ford’s unfinished effort to unite blacks behind a single candidate. Herenton said time had run out on the congressman’s unity plan and he predicted Ford and other black leaders would rally to him and make him the consensus black challenger to Mayor Dick Hackett in the Oct. 3 city election.
50 years ago: 1966
Governor Frank Clement will be principal speaker at groundbreaking ceremonies at Arlington tomorrow for the $10 million West Tennessee Hospital and School for the Mentally Retarded. Work on the seven buildings called for in the initial contract is expected to be finished in two years. The hospital will have 688 beds and will employ nearly 2,000 persons.
75 years ago: 1941
Those rains last week washed away the biggest part of any reason for unemployment in the Memphis territory, City Hall officials learned yesterday. Mayor Chandler’s help was asked in finding 5,000 cotton choppers for the WPA’s Farm Placement Division. Any choppers reporting to the Farm Placement Office this week will be carried free in trucks to nearby plantations and brought back in the evening, Hoes, also, are furnished free of charge. The rate of pay is $1 per day.
100 years ago: 1916
The preparedness parade movement has grown so rapidly during the past few days the executive committee in charge of the organization work believes the Memphis parade is going to be the biggest thing of the kind ever seen in the south. The parade executives and secretary are so proud of enthusiasm shown in Memphis that yesterday an invitation was telegraphed to President Woodrow Wilson to come to Memphis on June 3 and see the people of Memphis and neighboring cities march to show their approval of his preparedness policies and their patriotism to their country.
125 years ago: 1891
The Mississippi River should be utilized far more than it is by the people of Memphis for purposes of pleasure and recreation. It should be the people’s great resort during the summer evenings. The excursion business should be developed.