MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1993
WASHINGTON — Vice President Gore said Monday that the administration’s “rock ‘em, sock ‘em, shake ‘em up” plan to change the federal bureaucracy would make the government work better and cost less. The Vice President, point man on the proposal to make sweeping changes in the federal government, will unveil the blueprint today in a White House ceremony with President Clinton. Gore said changes are necessary because “this government has grown stale, wasteful, inefficient, bureaucratic and is failing the American people.” The White House estimates Gore’s proposals will save $108 billion over five years.
50 years ago — 1968
The Memphis Board of Education, which is two years behind in its building program, has identified building needs of nearly 90 million dollars in the next five years, if city annexation plans are followed. During the same time, the enrollment in city schools is expected to be 152,990, an increase of about 29,000 from the 123,280 enrolled this September. The board has sent a detailed list of needs to Mayor Henry Loeb’s office. The mayor is expected to make his capital improvement recommendations soon to the City Council. The school building situation has been called critical by E.C. Stimbert, superintendent of city schools.
75 years ago — 1943
FORREST CITY, Ark. — The magnificent horses of the Magnolia Farms of Memphis scored five first places at the annual horse show here last night, giving owner Everett Pidgeon and the crowd of 2,500 a night of thrills.
100 years ago — 1918
The social and business circles of Jackson, Miss., are losing one of their most worthy young men and Memphis is the gainer. James Vardaman, son of Mississippi’s Senator James K. Vardaman, will move here to assume new duties as trust and bond officer for the Commercial Bank and Trust Company.
125 years ago — 1893
The Indianapolis Sentinel says: “In a recent sermon the Rev. G.A. Nunnally of Memphis claimed that half the people of Memphis are rogues, liars and deadbeats, while the other half are robbers, extortioners and shylocks.” Now we do not doubt that the Memphis people are indeed a bad lot, but as a purely mathematical proposition, how can there be any left to do that “suspecting.”