Madison High School Class of 1966-June 1962 [Rising High School Freshmen]
by Jerry Armour

I offer the following strictly for informational purposes in describing social influences and challenges which defined this particular time in our lives. No other meaning should be attributed to this historical narrative, especially any meaning relevant to the current (2020) events of unrest affecting our country. My historical account, documented here, was written well before the events of May 25, 2020.

Jerry

I don’t know about you, but, at 13 years of age and living in Madison, TN in June of 1962, I’m afraid I wasn’t very aware of issues like “segregation/integration” or “annexation/consolidation.” But these were primary issues facing Nashville as well as other U.S. cities at this time.

I. “Segregation/Integration”
For over two years, Nashville college students (black and white) had sought to end segregation at a few downtown businesses. Nashville sit-ins, which lasted from February 13 to May 10, 1960, were part of a nonviolent direct action campaign to end racial segregation at lunch counters in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

The sit-in campaign, coordinated by the Nashville Student Movement and the Nashville Christian Leadership Council, was notable for its early success and its emphasis on disciplined nonviolence. It was part of a broader sit-in movement that spread across the southern United States in the wake of the Greensboro sit-ins in North Carolina.

Efforts at integrating Nashville continued in 1962. There were demonstrations at the downtown Wilson Quick Pharmacy, the Andrew Jackson Hotel and the Hermitage Hotel.

• A small group of black and white students, including John Lewis, had a “sit-in” demonstration in front of the downtown Wilson-Quick Pharmacy on Jan. 6, 1962. Peacefully, students talked with police officers and sang.
• A small group of black and white students again held a sit-in demonstration at the downtown Wilson-Quick Pharmacy on Jan. 13, 1962. They asked the public not to shop at the store to put pressure on their segregation views.
• A black student demonstrator attempted to register at the Andrew Jackson Hotel on Feb. 1, 1962, and was refused. So, 24 male black students sat down in the hotel's lobby where they said they would spend the night.
• Ten female student demonstrators, eight black and two white, attempted to register at the downtown Hermitage Hotel Feb. 1, 1962, but they were refused. They sat down in the lobby where they said they would spend the night.

Several celebrities soon became involved.

• Actor Sidney Poitier was at Hubbard Hospital in Nashville on March 1, 1962, where he brought an ailing cousin for treatment. On March 4, 1962, he made a surprise appearance and speech at a fund-raising rally for the Nashville Christian Leadership Council at First Baptist Church on Eighth Ave. N. The meeting was held to help finance the organization's desegregation movement.
• Jackie Robinson talked with candidates for governor on April 15, 1962. Present were P.R. Olgiati, Frank Clement and William Farris. Robinson, formerly with the Brooklyn Dodgers, told a Ryman Auditorium rally and the gubernatorial candidates that the black's vote is his greatest weapon for civil rights.
• Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the NAACP, addressed a Freedom Fund Rally sponsored by the Nashville branch of the association on May 14,1962. "Freedom is indivisible," Wilkins told the Fisk gymnasium audience.
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke before a press conference in Nashville May 17, 1962. The integration leader chided President John F. Kennedy, saying he did not raise his voice to get the administration's literacy test bill passed in the Senate.

Later in 1962…

• Pickets, calling for an end to segregation in places of public accommodation, demonstrated during a Nashville City Council meeting on Nov. 8, 1962. The group promised to attend each council meeting.
• Two employees of Herschel's Tic Toc restaurant formed a human barricade to block sit-in demonstrators, including local leader John Lewis, from entering the Church Street establishment Nov. 24, 1962. Nashville police quelled a series of incidents throughout the two-hour sit-in.
• Sit-in demonstrators attempt to enter B&W Cafeteria on Church Street Nov. 24, 1962.
• Demonstrators target Cross Keys Restaurant with a 2-hour sit in on November 24, 1962.
• A group of sit-in demonstrators (black and white) are stopped at the door of the Wilson-Quick Pharmacy on Church Street on Nov. 24,1962, by employees.
• On Dec. 1, 1962, another sit-in was attempted at the Herschel's Tic Toc restaurant on Church Street.
• Sit-in demonstrators, with help from Rev. J. Metz Rollins Jr., tried unsuccessfully to get inside of the B&W Cafeteria on Church Street on Dec. 1, 1962.
• After leader John Lewis, chairman of the Nashville Non-Violent Committee, was arrested, two Tennessee A&I students, Lester McKinnie and Frederick Leonard stage a sit-down on a Church Street sidewalk on Dec. 2, 1962. Nashville Police placed them under arrest.
• On December 8, 1962, Dr. David Kotelchuck, assistant professor of physics at Vanderbilt University, was one of the 13 sit-in demonstrators trying to get in the Herschel's Tic Toc and two other restaurants.
• A band of 13 sit-in demonstrators march in front of the downtown B&W Cafeteria on Sixth Ave. N. on Dec. 8, 1962. One of the leaders of the demonstrators was Lester McKinnie.
• The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was the keynote speaker to officially open a three-day conference on racial problems on Dec. 28, 1962. The session was held in Underwood Auditorium on the University of Vanderbilt Law School campus and sponsored by the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen and the Southern Regional Council. Rev. King said that the price America will pay if it refuses to deal with the problems of racial discrimination is "destruction of our democracy." --The Tennessean Nashville Then: June 1962

*************************************************************************************

Later in 1962…II) “Annexation/Consolidation”

“1962—Relationships Between the Governments of Nashville And Davidson County Are Dangerously Strained”

Background—
After World War II, Davidson County, Tennessee experienced dramatic growth as people began moving out of Nashville's older urban neighborhoods into new modern houses being rapidly built in new suburbs. The county's educational system attempted to keep up with the increased school-age population by building new schools in the suburbs, but it did not have the financial resources to provide other basic services, such as fire protection, sanitary sewers, or garbage collection.

This population shift also created a financial challenge for Nashville's city government as its tax base began to erode. In addition, county residents enjoyed many city services such as the use of its public libraries and parks system without paying the city taxes which funded those services.

Elected officials and community leaders in both the city and county recognized that they needed to work together to solve these problems. After 20 years of lengthy debates over the best solution, the residents of the city of Nashville and Davidson County eventually voted to consolidate their governmental functions into a completely new form of government now known as the Metropolitan Government of Nashville-Davidson County. —By Dr. Carole Bucy, Davidson County Historian

“Choice: Annexation Or 1-Unit—Rep. Thomas Shriver”
June 14—The economics of government make a future of annexation inevitable unless the consolidated government charter is adopted, Rep. Thomas Shriver said last night. Speaking on behalf of the charter to a meeting of the Men's Club of Christ the King School, Shriver said: "The most important major jobs of government are financed by bond issues and bond issues require enough property which can be mortgaged to assure their payment. The city had no other choice than to carry out the 1960 annexation program to get needed real estate."

He said further such programs are inevitable as the community grows and that they offer less than the planned growth offered the community under the consolidated government charter.

Shriver then pointed out what he called "the six ways in which consolidated government offers a better solution to our problems than the current governmental structure."

(1) The charter offers planned growth to the people of the community. It promises that the property owners will not pay for services until they actually receive them.

(2) The people, under the charter, will not be forced to pay for something someone else receives. Here, Shriver cited the pension plan currently in force in the city which he said "will cost more to maintain in 1975 than the city government itself."

(3) Under the charter, "each person outside the urban services area will have eight representatives: a district councilman, five councilmen-at-large, the vice mayor and the mayor—all of whom they will vote for."

(4) The charter provides “a more efficient government which will help us hold down a rapidly rising cost of government."

(5) The charter presents “a better climate to attract business which is something we vitally need if we are to stop the mass exodus of Tennesseans from the state."

(6) "Most important of all," Shriver concluded, "the charter will stop the bickering which is inherent in our present two-government system.”—The Tennessean, 14 Jun 1962, Page 11

June 28—The voters of Nashville and Davidson County voted in favor of the creation of a consolidated metropolitan government. Beverly Briley would be elected the first Mayor of Metro-Nashville in November and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County would be implemented on April 1, 1963. Although other cities had partial consolidation, Nashville was the first city in the country to achieve true consolidation.

Madison High School News: “Vacation Views”

“Designing Beckons Art Winner Shirley Apple”
—By Sarah Taylor of The Tennessean

Shirley Faye Apple, 17, who started her art career years ago by drawing on the wallpaper with crayons, is looking forward now to a career as a fashion designer. Shirley, a recent graduate of Madison High School, has been awarded a $500 scholarship by the Nashville Art Directors Club for the Famous Artists School.

“I’m overwhelmed," Shirley said. “I just didn’t think I had a chance of winning. I just entered the contest for fun."
Shirley submitted samples of her work to the scholarship committee. Among the samples were pen and ink fashion designs, an oil painting of a 3-year-old boy’s face and pastel portraits including a bullfighter.

She and other finalists were interviewed by the committee last week. The scholarship will be presented to Shirley at the June meeting of the Nashville Art Directors Club. The scholarship is awarded annually to a high school graduate who shows unusual talent and ability and who is seriously interested in a career in commercial art.

"I guess I've been interested in art all my life," Shirley said. "I can't remember a time when I wasn't drawing pictures." At Madison High School, Shirley, a brunette with green eyes, was a cheerleader. She kept busy painting signs and posters for ball games. And every time any club needed a poster in a hurry, Shirley was implored to help. "Lately I’ve been doing pastel portraits," she said. "I've even sold a few of them."

Shirley studied art for five years from Howard Wolery, instructor at Madison High. "As soon as I heard about winning the scholarship, I called Mr. Wolery," Shirley said.

She plans to complete the three-year art course in two years by extra hard work. "I would like to go to college, too, if I can," she said. "I'd like to go to Austin Peay and get some more art training there."

Shirley's interest in fashion goes beyond merely sketching layouts that are the product of somebody else's imagination. "I want to design clothes myself," she said, "clothes that I would like to wear.”

“I don't see eye-to-eye with the high fashion magazines. Most of the fashions in those are too extreme and the models don't look like real people at all," she said. "I want to design clothes that won't require that much nerve to wear." –The Tennessean, 23 Jun 1962, Page 9

“Eddie Benson & David Vester Play in Schoolboy Golf Tournament”
June 5—Richard Eller, a 15-year-old from Dupont, knocked in a 10-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole for a two-under par 33 at Old Hickory yesterday to take a five-stroke lead in the “Schoolboy Golf Tournament.” From Madison High, junior Eddie Benson, also in the 15-Over Division, shot a 42 and freshman David Vester, in the 13-14 Division, a 44. –The Tennessean, 05 Jun 1962, Page 19

"Babe Ruth Baseball”

“Old Hickory Beats Madison Post 105 (12-11) in Babe Ruth Baseball”
June 5—In the wildest game of the day in Babe Ruth play, Old Hickory came up with six runs in the fourth inning to beat Madison Post 105, 12 to 11. Madison got off to a six-run lead in the first frame. Madison pitchers were Tim Menees, Tory Bogle and George Sloan. Catching duties were handled by Arthur Alexander. Draper and Hoggarth pitched for Old Hickory and Conatser caught.

Other games found Madison Kiwanis [Danny Robinson (p) and Gary Scruggs (c)] beating Madison Jaycees [(Ken Apple (p) and Nelson Turner (c)] 11-5; and, Madison Civic Club [Dale Brady pitching with Bobby Cartwright and Jim Norris (6) catching] popping Knights Drugs [Woodcock pitching, Bailey catching] 6-3. –The Tennessean, 06 June 1962, Page 44

“J. L. Warpool Throws 3-Hitter Against Kiwanis for 7-2 Victory”
June 12—J. L. Warpool’s three-hitter and Bobby Cartwright’s hitting (a single and a triple, driving in 3 runs) provided the Madison Civic Club team with a 7-2 victory over the Kiwanis team in Babe Ruth play. Dale Brady caught Warpool. Old Hickory Boys Work-Jaycees were rained out.--The Tennessean, 13 June 1962, Page 25

“Junior Foster’s Four-Hitter Beats Jaycees 13-5”
June 16—Junior Foster pitched a four-hitter yesterday as Madison Post 105 beat the Madison Jaycees 13-5 in the Madison Division of the Nashville Babe Ruth League. Chipper Pearson had three hits, including a triple for the victors. Madison Post 105: Foster and Alexander; Madison Jaycees: Traylor, Pigue (5) and Apple. –The Tennessean, 16 June 1962, Page 14

“Journey Hurls No-Hit Game”
June 21—Wally Journey fanned 12 batters en route to pitching a no-hitter as Knight's Drugs beat the Madison Jaycees 10-0 in the Nashville Babe Ruth League. Journey also led the Druggists in batting with three hits in four at bats, including a double, to drive in two runs. Knight’s Drugs: Journey and Bailey; Madison Jaycees: Ken Apple and Nelson Turner. In other Babe Ruth action, Madison Civic clipped Madison Post 105 9-4. Madison Civic: J. L. Warpool and Bobby Cartwright; Madison Post 105: Tory Bogle and Arthur Alexander. –The Tennessean, 22 June 1962, Page 40

“Once-Beaten Madison Civic Raps Knight's 4-2”
June 22—Madison Civic chalked up its eighth victory against only one defeat to hold firm to the lead in the Madison Division of the Nashville Babe Ruth League by besting Knight's Drugs 4-2. The victory was achieved as Dale Brady got his fourth win of the season. Madison Civic: Brady and Birdsong; Knight’s Drugs: Woodcock, Bracey and Bailey.

In another Madison game. Old Hickory topped Madison Post 105 6-2 as John Thomas got 3 hits, including a triple, to drive in 3 runs. Old Hickory: Draper, Hoggarth and Conatser; Madison Post 105: Foster, G. Sloan and J. Sloan. –The Tennessean, 23 June 1962, Page 15

“Alex Beavers Pitches Kiwanis to Victory”
June 26—Pitcher Alex Beavers pitched a six-hitter en route to a 5-2 victory for the Madison Kiwanis over the Madison Jaycees yesterday at Sulphur Dell in Nashville Babe Ruth League action. Two of the hits were by Jaycee catcher Kenneth Apple, including a big double that went halfway up the dump in left field. Madison Kiwanis: Beavers and Malone; Madison Jaycees: Callaway and Apple. –The Tennessean, 26 June 1962, Page 21

“Ronnie Smith Paces Post 105 Win”
June 27—Ronnie Smith drove in two runs with a single and pitched a one-hitter as Madison Kiwanis dropped Madison Post 105 10-4 in the Nashville Babe Ruth League yesterday. Madison Kiwanis: Smith and Malone; Madison Post 105: Bogle, G. Sloan and J. Sloan.

Bobby Cartwright went four-for-five and Dale Brady three-for-five as Madison Civic ripped Madison Jaycees 19-2. Madison Civic: Warpool and Cartwright; Madison Jaycees: Pigue, Brown and Apple. –The Tennessean, 27 June 1962, Page 29

Madison Civic Gets 10th Win
June 30—Madison Civic won Its 10th straight game in the Madison Division of the Nashville Babe Ruth League by belting Madison Kiwanis 16-2 as Dale Brady and Walter Adams each got three hits. The victory went to Brady, who got his fifth against no losses and drove in three runs. Madison Civic: Brady and Cartwright; Madison Kiwanis: Robinson, Beavers, Johnson and Malone.

In another game, Old Hickory Boys Work drilled the Madison Jaycees 7-2 as catcher Jimmy Jones got three hits, driving in three runs in the last inning with a triple. Old Hickory Boys Work: Bell, Garner and Jones; Madison Jaycees: Traylor and Turner, Apple. —The Tennessean, 30 June 1962, Page 13

[I remember this game well. It was my last game in organized baseball. Garner was pitching. I grounded a fastball to short and was thrown out at first. It was the last out of the game. And, at 13 years of age, I just didn’t see a future for myself in baseball, unless it was to be spending more time on the bench. I thank baseball for teaching me valuable life lessons and for helping to keep me humble. I still had my career in fast-pitch softball, but…]

“Madison High’s ‘Ramblers’ Set to Play at Centennial Band Shell”
June 8—Remember the big-band sounds of yesteryear? Well, if you do, you're sure to enjoy the "Discovery of the Week" that the Nashville Tennessean has lined up for Sunday's Centennial Park concert. It’s the Ramblers Stage Band from Madison High, and they’ll join the Willis Brothers for the big outdoor concert. The music and fun start promptly at 4:30 p.m. at the park bandshell.

The Ramblers group Is composed of students and 1962 graduates of Madison High School. Members of the 1961-1962 Ramblers are Glen Wilkinson, Howard Johnston, Billy Joe Gaines, Larry Kirk, Leonard Brown, Gary Clayborne, Carol Crosslin, Colin Doyle, Harold England, Ronald Peterson, David Lewis, Phillip Johnson, Albert Cheatham, Jimmy Organ, Emily Litton and Lynn Williams. The band was organized four years ago by John T. Wade, Madison Band Director, with the co-operation of Herman DePriest, principal of Madison.

“Stage Bands are a new movement in music in this area,” Wade said yesterday. “Basically, the title is derived from the instrumentation of the group, which follows the tradition of Glenn Miller and other big band greats.”

In organizing the group, Wade said that he was “trying to bring the school music program more up-to-date. I feel that there are too few high school musicians playing horns after graduation.”

"This is mainly because they don’t have a band similar to the one with which they've been playing. Playing with a group like the Ramblers gives them more opportunity to play in the type of bands you hear at the park during the summer." –The Tennessean, 08 June 1962, Page 13

“Hugh Howell (MHS ’67) Is A Winner in Donelson Horse Show”
June 9—Fine horses and ponies from leading Southern stables competed for gold and glory at the 17th annual Donelson Lions Club Horse Show last night. Claiming the 3rd place award in the “Fine Harness Ponies” classification was “Hugh Dlnni,” Riverview Pony Farm, driven by Madison’s Hugh Howell, an 8th grader at Madison High School. –The Tennessean, 10 June 1962, Page 68

“Hugh Howell Is A Winner in Madison Horse Show”
June 18—The crowd thrilled to a lot of fast action at the annual Madison Horse Show as many outstanding walking horses turned in top performances. Quality as well as quantity was exhibited in every class. Madison Community Park was the scene of the show sponsored Saturday by the Madison Civic Club. Hugh Howell, an 8th grader from Madison High placed 3rd in the “Harness Show Pony, 50 Inches And Under” category. Hugh was up on “Hugh Dinni,” Riverview Pony Farm. –The Tennessean, 18 June 1962, Page 13

Madison High Alumni News:
MHS Class of 1958—"Edward Clark (Sparky) Edgin Receives B.A. (cum laude) Degree from The University of the South”

June 4—Edward Clark Edgin from Madison, Tennessee received his B.A. (cum laude) degree today during commencement services at the University of the South (Sewanee, TN). Mr. Clark is a 1958 graduate of Madison High School in Madison, Tennessee where he lettered in 4 sports while maintaining high scholarship. He was also president of the Madison High Student Council. –The Tennessean, 04 Jun 1962, Page 23

MHS Class of 1960—“Earl Bullock Is President of TN UMC Youth”
June 22—About 325 young people attended “Youth Day” yesterday at the United Methodist-Tennessee Conference’s annual session in Gallatin, TN. Bishop Roy H. Short of Nashville installed the youths' new officers: Earl Bullock, Madison, is the new president. Earl is a graduate of Madison High School (MHS ’60) where he was MHS Student Council President and President of the Inter-High Student Council. Earl was also a member of the football team, track team, band, swing band, chorus, All-State Chorus, All-Star Chorus, National Forensic League, and a Boys State Representative. –The Tennessean, 22 Jun 1962, Page 22

“In/Around Madison In June 1962”
June 8—A Nashville East High School athlete and a Chattanooga City High School wrestling star won party nominations yesterday for governor of Boys State. Bill Boner, Nashville, star of East High's state tournament basketball team, won the “Johnsonian” nomination, and Bruce Romick, a wrestler and tennis player from Chattanooga City, won nomination in the “Jacksonian” primary. Two independent candidates, Ronnie Hutton, Old Hickory, and Fred Oster, Trenton, joined the party nominees on the ballot in this morning’s general election. The more than 400 delegates to Boys State heard an address last night by Dr. Andrew D. Holt, president of the University of Tennessee, in which he advised the youths "to be sure that the thing toward which you are working is a worthy objective.” Tennessee’s Governor Buford Ellington delivered the principal address at 4:45 p.m. when the Boys State governor Bill Boner was inaugurated. The ceremony was held on the campus of Castle Heights Military Academy. [Bill would, of course, go on to be the third mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, serving from 1987 to 1991.] –The Tennessean, 08 Jun 1962, Page 12

June 15-16—The “Miss Nashville Beauty Pageant” was held at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville. Special guests were: Miss Rita Wilson, "Miss Tennessee of 1961;" Pat Schmidt, Miss Nashville 1961; Dave Overton, Emcee; and Penny Llewellyn, Miss Davidson County of 1961. The event was sponsored by the Jaycees. Margaret Petty, full of charm and poise, charmed judges and audience with her personality, beauty, and a song from an old high school play to become Miss Nashville. And, as Judy Bobo danced to "Falling in Love," the crowd at the War Memorial Auditorium fell in love with her too, and crowned her Miss Davidson County. Other winners were Linda Powell, first runner-up, and Diane Minor, Miss Congeniality. –The Tennessean, 17 Jun 1962, Page 1

June 20—Fund raisers have reached the $916,513 mark in their $1.5 million campaign for the Nashville Memorial Hospital. Jubilant officials said this puts them in sight of the $1 million level they must reach by the end of June in order to meet a deadline established by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The group is attempting to raise the $1.5 million to match a $1.5 million Hill-Burton grant for the 150-bed general hospital slated for construction on W. Due West Avenue in Madison. –The Tennessean, 20 Jun 1962, Page 23

June 21—The Rev. Dewey Organ, long-time pastor of City Road Chapel, UMC in Madison will be moving to Meridian Street UMC in Nashville as The United Methodist Church makes its “pastor shifts.” Rotating some of the pastors each year is an expected event. The Rev. H. H. Austin, now at Hobson Memorial UMC in Nashville, is slated to go to City Road Chapel, and the Rev. P. B. Sargent, now superintendent of the Cookeville district, is slated to move to Hobson Memorial.” –The Tennessean, 21 Jun 1962, Page 23

June 24—Within two years, Madison Square Shopping Center, one of the South's largest and most modern centers, will double its present volume of $7.5 million a year, W. H. Criswell, developer and leasing agent, predicted. "There will be more than 300,000 square feet of actual sale space when expansion has been completed, " Criswell said. "We are trying to keep up with this rapidly expanding area. Within a five-mile radius, there are 110,000 persons and a payroll of $120 million annually."

Construction scheduled for completion Sept 1 includes a 2-story building with 60,000 square feet of floor space for Harveys. A 9,000 square-foot structure is going up for Schwartz, modern ladies dress shop, to be finished September 15. Both buildings are on schedule. The Harveys store is expected to increase the shopping center's volume by $3 million the first year and $7 million the second.

In the planning stage are:

• the addition of 5,000 square feet of floor space for the Woolworth Company, which will provide a total of 20,000 square feet, making it the largest Woolworth store in Davidson County.
• a two-story cafeteria and a 50 x 125 foot store for an auto supply house.
• An extension of 15,000 square feet of floor space for Kroger, providing a total of 45,000 square feet.

When the shopping center opened in October 1956, there were 26 tenants. This number has now increased to 30. Its wide range of firms offer practically anything the shopper might care to buy.

Parking is available for 2,000 cars and an additional 350 car parking area behind Harveys will be available this fall. Madison Square’s J. C. Penney store was the first one in Nashville. Three Sisters, a women's apparel store, has a store in Madison and Green Hills shopping centers, but none downtown. One of the branches of established downtown stores is the Madison Square branch of Kay Jewelry. Levy's, a branch of one of Nashville's oldest men's apparel stores, offers the same line of merchandise as the downtown store. –The Tennessean, 24 Jun 1962, Page 72

“Elsewhere in The World in June 1962”
June 3—Air France Flight 007 overran the runway on takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, killing all 122 passengers and 8 of the 10 crewmembers. Two flight attendants survived. Most (106 of the 122) victims were cultural and civic leaders of the Atlanta Art Association, who were on their way home after a tour of Europe.
June 5—The Amazing Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, was introduced by Marvel Comics with the publication of Amazing Fantasy #15.
June 6—The Beatles first auditioned for record producer George Martin at the Abbey Road Studios.
June 7—President Kennedy announced in a press conference that he would seek "an across-the-board reduction in personal and corporate income taxes," commenting that "Our tax structure, as presently weighted, exerts too heavy a drain on a prospering economy."
June 10—Cuban Missile Crisis: Operation Anadyr, to place Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, was approved unanimously by the Presidium of the Soviet Union on the recommendation of Defense Minister Rodion Malinovsky and Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev. Under the plan, 24 medium-range nuclear missiles and 16 intermediate-range missiles would be placed in Cuba, and a total of 50,874 Soviet military personnel would be placed on the island to defend against an invasion.
June 12—Three days before his high school graduation, 18-year-old George Lucas survived a near-fatal car crash caused by a fellow student. Lucas would abandon a dream to become a race car driver, and went on to become a successful filmmaker (American Graffiti, Star Wars, Star Wars prequels, etc.).
June 17—Jack Nicklaus, 22 years old at the time, won the U.S. Open golf tournament in a playoff against Arnold Palmer at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. It was Nicklaus's first professional tournament victory and the first of eighteen major championships he would win in his career.
June 19—The best-selling live album Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall was recorded. New York radio personality Jonathan Schwartz would later comment, "That was the night that Tony Bennett became Tony Bennett," as the singer performed 44 songs.
June 20—John Coltrane recorded the jazz standard, “Impressions.”
June 22—Air France Flight 117, a Boeing 707 jet, crashed into terrain during bad weather while attempting to land on the island of Guadeloupe, West Indies, killing all 113 on board. It was the airline's second fatal accident in 3 weeks, and the third fatal 707 crash of the year.
June 25—Engel v. Vitale: The United States Supreme Court ruled, 6-1, that mandatory prayers in public schools were unconstitutional.
June 27—After IBM rejected the idea of 32-year-old employee H. Ross Perot, to sell computer programs along with its equipment, Perot quit and invested $1,000 of his savings to create Electronic Data Systems (EDS). When Medicare was created in 1965, EDS contracted with two states to process the claims, turning the company into a multibillion-dollar corporation and making a billionaire of Perot.

Top Songs (Trending Up) Heading into Mid-June 1962:

1. “Soldier Boy” The Shirelles
2. “Stranger on The Shore” Mr. Acker Bilk
3. “Johnny Angel” Shelley Fabares
4. “Lovers Who Wander” Dion
5. “The One Who Really Loves You” Mary Wells
6. “I Can't Stop Loving You” Ray Charles
7. “It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'” Johnny Tillotson
8. “Moon River” Henry Mancini
9. “Palisades Park” Freddy Cannon
10. “Love Letters” Ketty Lester
***NEW*** “Johnny Get Angry” Joanie Sommers
***NEW*** “Having A Party” Sam Cooke
—Billboard Hot-100 (Week of 06-09-1962)

“Summer of ‘62”
How much did you see of your girlfriend/boyfriend in the summer of 1962? If you were in the Class of ’66, you’ll remember that we had just finished 8th grade. If your significant other didn’t live in your neighborhood or go to your church or something like that, heck, you might not see her/him until September. This song was a quintessential summer song in 1962. I think most of us can relate—"It Might as Well Rain Until September.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Prg0dIQx0

Submitted: Jerry Armour (MHS ’66); Posted: June 4, 2020.

REFERENCES:
In addition to my own memories as well as those from other former classmates, material for this project is borrowed from the following:

American Graffiti Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069704/
Billboard Charts Archive: http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1966/hot-100
Madison High School Alumni Association (MHSAA) Archives: Ram Pages, yearbooks, trophies and photos
MHSAA Website: http://www.mhsaa-rampage.com/
Movies of 1962: https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/year/1962
NASHVILLE MEMORIES FROM THE 1950's, 60's & 70's: http://www.nashlinks.com/remember.htm
On This Day: https://www.onthisday.com/
The People History: What Happened In This Year--Important News and Events, Key Technology, Cost of Living and Popular Culture: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1965.html
THE TENNESSEAN-ARCHIVES: NEWSPAPERS.COM HTTPS://WWW.NEWSPAPERS.COM/IMAGE/111875363/
The Tennessean Nashville Then: http://www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2015/06/03/nashville-then-june-1965/28422303/
Wikipedia-World Happenings (By the Month): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_1965#October_20.2C_1965_.28Wednesday.29
Wikipedia—Year in Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_in_music#December
Weather Underground: https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KBNA/1966/1/22/DailyHistory.html
The Wonder Years-TV Episode & Music Guide: www.wonder-years.tv/episodeandmusicguide.html

YOUTUBE.COM
Carole King - It Might As Well Rain Until September
1962 single. One of my favorite Carole King songs. #3 in the UK, #22 in the US. Written by King and Gerry Goffin.