[For those who may not know: I am now home following two months of rehab for both arms which were broken in a fall on June 20. I’m happy to report that my rehab is going very well thus far, but all this has gotten me a little behind in my Class of ‘66 blog. I now offer for your reading and remembering pleasure…August 1962.]

Jerry

As expected, August 1962 was hot (highs were in the 90s) and dry (there was less than 0.1 inch of precipitation) and not much of a breeze (an average of less than 10 miles/hour) was blowing. So, our class members all engaged in more sedentary activities along with occasional active pursuits such as playing golf in the morning and tennis at night. We also found that swimming, laying out in the sun and mowing grass were enough to give us more than adequate tans.

Mid-August brought both football and band camps. Madison’s football team spent a week of training at Valley View Bible Camp and the band prepared for its marching season back home at Madison High. Practices were held during early morning and late afternoon, but temperatures still reached the high 80s to low 90s. By the end of August, we were all slim, trim and fit.

Our MHS Class of 1966’s Jerry Malone remembers football camp that year:
“Ours was the 1st freshman team to attend summer camp with the varsity at Valley View in August of ’62. As such, we were pretty much bait and fodder and got our young butts kicked on a daily basis. The heat was near unbearable, especially with all those pads and other football garb. But I guess getting beaten up by the eventual AAAA NIL champions and Clinic Bowl team made us better. And as I remember, our freshman team was not too shabby. We finished 5-3 but lost 2 close games we really should have won.

I know Mr. Wade pushed you guys in the band to the max as well. At least the band had some really attractive, I do mean attractive, players. As I remember it, Baby Graves had nice legs but not nearly as nice as those majorettes, color guard, and other female band members.”

Members of our MHS Class of 1966 who were on that Freshman Team were: Lloyd Callis (Manager), Joe Higgins, Jerome Hooper, Jim Norris, Jimmy Whittle, Charlie Ligon, Forrest “Hots” Pate, Earl Smith, Don Traylor, Bobby Williams, Jerry Malone, Randy Chance, Larry Gillem, Jim Pigue, Jack Green, Mike Brown, Joe Woodson, Dan Hire, Ernest Pitt, Gary Sloan, Mike Buchanan, Alex Beavers, Harold Murff, Bob Chaffin, Al Womack, Norman Crawford, Richard Nimmo and Glen Watrous. Coaches were Anderson and Overby.

According to Malone, the Freshman Team offense looked something like this:

• Front seven (l-r): Don Traylor, Jack Green, Bobby Williams, Jerry Malone, Randy Chance, Jim Pigue, Mike Brown;

• Backfield: Harold Murff, Mike Buchanan, Bob Chaffin and Alex Beavers.

• Freshmen members of the Senior Band that fall were: Noroma Carr, Terry DeLosh, Bobby Huffine, Mary Lidtke, Judy Durham, Linda Gillem, Linda Petty, Jim Baxter, Rudy Carver, Dwight Moore and Jerry Armour.

“Back to School”
“Back to school” became a popular theme for television and radio commercials, newspaper ads, and magazine covers during mid- to late-August. Locally, there was Doochin’s offering school supplies. Mr. Doochin didn’t have to do much advertising…We all knew where to go for anything school-related.

For girls’ attire there was Castner-Knott, Cain-Sloan, Harveys, Three Sisters, Chesters and McClures among several other shops. The boys had Harveys, Penney’s, Castner-Knott, Cain-Sloan, Kornman’s and Levy’s among others.

On August 30th, Levy’s of Madison placed the following ad in the Tennessean:
“A Good Tradition Does Not Change”
Year after year hundreds and hundreds of young men outfit for school in The Young Men’s Shop of Levy’s. That's because year after year Levy's experienced buyers assemble one of the south's greatest collections of traditionally styled clothing, furnishings and sportswear, inspired in the world's foremost young men's fashion centers. Come in and choose from the most of the best.

• Shetland Sport Coats. . . from $29.95

• Traditional Slacks … from $9.95

• Imported Loden Coats … $45.00

• Jantzen Traditional Sweaters . . . from $11.95

• Traditional Sport Shirts . . . from $5.00

• Button-Down Shirts … from $5.00

• Snap-Tab Shirts… from $5.00

[This was certainly an impressive ad from an impressive men’s store. And for those able to afford their impressive prices, I figure the ad cost each patron about $1.00 per word.] Yes, you got the best, but you definitely paid for it! And, it was worth it!! (or so I’ve been told). FYI: Loden sport coats cost as much as $469.00 today; and a Loden 100% Cashmere, full-length overcoat can cost $1,500.00.]
--The Tennessean, 30 Aug 1962, Page 22

And, of course, the Sportsman’s Store was there to provide any sports gear needed.
Several area doctors were available for back-to-school vaccinations and physicals. City law required successful vaccination against smallpox as a prerequisite for entrance in the public schools. Most of us had already been vaccinated against typhoid fever and polio, and had been given the multiple antigen vaccine against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria.

“Pre-season High School Football”
In mid-August, WSM, WLAC, and WSIX TV sports segments as well as sports pages in the Nashville Tennessean and Banner began their annual high school football pre-season coverage. The first official practice sessions got underway on August 15. And, NIL football membership this year reached an all-time high of 29 teams.

This year, Madison joined Ryan, Litton, Donelson, MBA, Glencliff, Hillsboro and Franklin in the AAAA Division.

“Fall TV Programing”
In looking to the Fall TV lineup, a couple of Madison High connections were found. “McHale’s Navy” lists Bobby Wright (MHS ’60) as the actor who played the part of Willy Moss, the PT-73 radio operator, a role Bobby played through the entire series; and, the top-rated “Beverly Hillbillies” theme song, “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” was performed by Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs. Earl was the father of MHS Rising 8th grader Gary Scruggs).

Madison High News:
"Madison Head Football Coach Talks Multiple Offenses During Coaching Clinic"
August 3—Madison Rams Football may have multiple offenses well into the future. Head Coach Bill Brimm was seen talking with Dave Nelson, head coach of the University of Delaware, during the recent Blue Ribbon Coaching Clinic at Tennessee A & I. Coach Nelson has emerged as perhaps the finest student of the running game in American colleges. He fathered the modern version of the Winged T, which employs single wing blocking with a T formation. –The Tennessean, 3 August 1962, Page 20

"Sports: This N’ That”
August 12—The Tennessean reported that one of Nashville's top pro hockey fans this winter will be Madison assistant coach Harry DeLosh, who gained playing experience years ago in Canada. –The Tennessean 12 Aug 1962, Page 56

“MHS Senior Yvonne Sutton Models Back-to-School Fall Fashions”
August 18—Madison senior Yvonne Sutton and two other teen models Lynda Dunlap (Hillsboro) and Mary Hugh Evans (Lebanon) were pictured in today’s Tennessean showing off eye-catching fall fashions. Yvonne wore a red and gold sweater with red stretch pants and jeweled gold shoes. Lynda was decked out in “kilties,” and Mary Hugh modeled a grey and black flat knit ensemble with a black velveteen hat. The models were members of a teen-aged modeling class at Harveys. Their event showcased new fashions in an elaborate “Fashionorama.”

Guide to Fall Fashions

• The sportswear look will be more sophisticated, classic and sleek.

• The No. 1 color will be grey. Shades of brown will be followed by camel, green and red in that order.

• Flat knits are the biggest news especially mix-and-match and tops that can be switched around for a whole wardrobe of smart outfits.

• Most girls will probably stretch their wardrobe by buying a basic, classic skirt with three or four different tops to match.

• The number 1 look will be the plaid pleated skirt, usually worn with Shetland sweaters. The blazer is also back this season.

• Car coats will be longer, reaching almost to the knee. The traditional Navy-p-Jacket will stage a comeback. --The Tennessean, 18 Aug 1962, Page 7

“Doris Ann Lewis & Judy Vantrease Win In 4-H Dress Review”
August 22—Sophomores Doris Anne Lewis and Judy Vantrease won awards in the sewing competition of the Davidson County 4-H Club “Dress Review” at Cain Sloan’s in Nashville. 80 girls competed. Both Doris Anne and Judy competed in the Senior Cotton Dress Category. –The Tennessean, 22 Aug 1962, Page 12

“AJBC Awards Presented to MHS Students at Madison Bowl”
August 23—The Madison team composed of senior Dean Perry, junior Harry Haberthear and 8th graders Chip Pearson, Ronnie Eatherly, and Jerry Armour won First Place in the American Junior Bowling Congress (AJBC) League at Madison Bowl during the 1961-1962 season. The boys’ averages (Dean Perry—182, Chip Pearson—173, Jerry Armour—167, Harry Haberthear—163 and Ron Eatherly—159) totaled an average 3-game series of 2,532. Dean Perry had the highest average in the league this year. –The Tennessean, 23 Aug 1962, Page 18

“Madison 7th Grader Bobby Watral Named Discovery of the Year”
August 26—The Nashville Tennessean/Centennial Park Concerts named its “1962 Discovery of the Year” yesterday. Bobby Watral (12- years-old) from Madison High School won the prize after previously winning the “Discovery of the Week” award earlier in the summer. Bobby will perform this Sunday at the Centennial Park Bandshell for the traditional “Sunday Afternoon Concert” sponsored by the Tennessean. Bobby is well known on the local gospel music circuit. [Four years later, Bobby would join another “Discovery of the Year” group (Hugh Howell, Gary Scruggs, Rudy Carver and Jerry Armour) from Madison High, “The Cavaliers.” The Cavaliers, a rock/blues combo, would be the “1966 Discovery of the Year.”] –The Tennessean, 26 Aug 1962, Page 10

“Coach Bill Brimm Concerned Over Rams’ Physical Condition”
August 28—Madison coach Bill Brimm came back from camp still concerned over the physical condition of his squad . . . "In general, we're way behind in our conditioning and I'm concerned," he said. . . "Butch Cartwright (190) is running well at fullback and my quarterbacks (Wayne Bailiff and Chuck Boyd) are looking good," Brimm went on. "But, we'll have to pick up before playing any kind of game. , . The Rams, working toward a Sept. 7 opener with Goodlettsville, currently has captain Bobby Sloan, an end, out with strep throat and center Mike Bumbalough in bed with a virus. –The Tennessean, 28 Aug 1962, Page 14

“Coach Brimm Named to Steering Committee of Nashville FCA”
August 29—Madison High football coach Bill Brimm has been named to serve on the Steering Committee of the Nashville Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He joins chairman Hank Duvier, Bobby Mason, Jack Pirrie, Bill Cobb, Jimmy French, Bill Bradshaw, A.M. Downing, Billy Smith, Jimmy Webb and ex-officio members: Chicago Bears quarterback Bill Wade and State Senator Bob Taylor. –The Tennessean, 29 Aug 1962, Page 19

“School Registration and Opening Schedule Announced”
August 29—Mr. Depriest will be at school to register new students, transfer students and failures on the afternoons of August 29 and 30 from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. All other high school pupils are registered. Classwork begins Tuesday, September 4. All students will report for classwork on a ½ day schedule. Wednesday, September 5, and thereafter a full day schedule will be in place. School buses will not operate until September 4. –The Tennessean, 29 August 1962, Page 17

Madison High Alumni News
MHS ’59: “Tony Beavers Will Be Helping the East High Football Team”
Aug. 23—Former Madison lineman Tony Beavers will be helping the East High coaching staff this fall. –The Tennessean, 23 Aug 1962, Page 23

MHS ’62: “Linda Crain Wins $300 Scholarship”
August 29—A Madison girl who plans to become an elementary school teacher was awarded a $300 college scholarship by the Davidson County Education Association. The association, made up of teachers in the county system, presented the award to Linda Crain, 18, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James K. Crain of Madison.

Miss Crain, a 1962 graduate of Madison High School, plans to enter Middle Tennessee State at Murfreesboro this fall. This is the fifth year the Association has made such awards. Linda, in the top 10 of her graduating class, edited the school annual and won several other honors. –The Tennessean, 29 August 1962, Page 16

In/Around Madison In August 1962
August 5—Tennessee’s nonagricultural employment was up again for June, the Southern Regional Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported yesterday. The June gain of almost 10,000 jobs was the fifth straight month of increase. The greatest increases were in construction and manufacturing. Tennessee reported an annual employment increase of 19,000. The Tennessean, 5 August 1962, Page 76

August 10—A “Big Gospel Sing” benefiting Nashville Memorial Hospital will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday (16th) at the Isaac Litton High School football field. The Rev. Ed Cummings, pastor of Carroll Street Baptist Church said entertainers, featuring the Statesmen Quartet and the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, will be included in the program. Cummings said all proceeds from the event will go to the $3 million general hospital to be built on Due West Avenue between Gallatin and Dlckerson roads. Tickets ($1.00, $1.50) may be obtained at Harveys or at Walgreens in Madison Square Shopping Center.

August 19—Madison Jewelry (208 Old Hickory Blvd., Madison) is advertising diamonds (1 carat solitaire or sets) from $149.00 and no money down.

August 22—Victor Ellis, a former state legislator, announced his plans to seek a seat on the metropolitan council, running on a "no strings attached" platform. Ellis, who wants to represent the 7th District, said in a prepared statement: "I pledge to keep myself free of political machines and to oppose vigorously any abuse of the ballot." Ellis, who lives at 1115 E. Delmas Ave., Goodlettsvllle, said he wants to participate in an effort to "re-establish the good reputation of Nashville and Davidson County.” He is a graduate of Isaac Litton High School and is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Goodlettsville. He served with the Marine Corps in World War ll and took part in several major campaigns, including the capture of lwo Jima. –The Tennessean, 22 Aug 1962, Page 4

August 27—Period Furniture in Madison announced its “Summer Furniture Closeout.” Among pieces advertised is an antique white Laurente French Provential Bedroom Set by Drexel (Reg. $3,699.00) at 1/3 off. The Tennessean, 27 Aug 1962, Page 12

August 29—Charles Robb Robinson, 1317 Riverwood, announced his candidacy for the metropolitan council from the 9th District. He announced the following program: To establish a sound fiscal policy; to establish a youth guidance division in the metropolitan police force; to establish vocational schools with modern equipment; and, to maintain a strong civil service system. Robinson has been a resident of East Nashville and Inglewood for more than 35 years. He and his wife, the former Miss Sarah Dozier, are parents of five children. –The Tennessean, 29 August 1962, Page 8

August 29—Ben R. Betty III of 207 Beverly Drive in Madison announced as a candidate for metropolitan council from the 11th District. Betty is vice president of Betty Machine Co. A resident of his area for 27 years, he is a graduate of Isaac Litton High School and of the Vanderbilt University school of engineering. He has served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Betty, 31, is a member of City Road Chapel Methodist Church in Madison. –The Tennessean, 29 August 1962, Page 17

Elsewhere in The World in August 1962 [borrowed from Wikipedia]

August 3—President John F. Kennedy made the decision to break ties with singer Frank Sinatra after Kennedy’s brother, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, delivered him a report detailing Sinatra's connections with organized crime. Sinatra, reportedly, was so enraged by the President's decision to no longer visit the singer's home in Palm Springs, California, that he took a sledgehammer and personally destroyed a landing pad built to accommodate visits by the presidential helicopter, Marine One.

August 4—Marilyn Monroe took the fatal overdose of Nembutal at her home at 12305 5th Helena Drive in Brentwood in Los Angeles apparently at some point between a 7:15 phone call from her former stepson, Joe DiMaggio, Jr., and a 7:30 pm call from actor Peter Lawford. The Nembutal interacted with a dosage of chloral hydrate already in her body, and she was in a coma by 10:00 pm.

August 5—Nelson Mandela was arrested in South Africa, and lost his freedom for more than 27 years. While serving part of a five-year sentence for illegally leaving the country, he was tried and convicted on new charges of sabotage in 1963 and given a life sentence. He would not be released until February 11, 1990. In 1994, Mandela would be elected the first black President of South Africa.

August 5—Died: American actress Marilyn Monroe, 36, was found dead in her home from an overdose of Nembutal and chloral hydrate. The death was officially ruled a "probable suicide." However, the exact cause of death has been disputed.

August 6—Jamaica became independent. Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and U.S. Vice-President Lyndon Johnson were among the dignitaries who watched the lowering of the British flag in Kingston.

August 6—(Sweden) - The Soviet Union exploded a large nuclear bomb high in the atmosphere. Swedish scientists estimated it to be in the 40-megaton range, second only to the Soviet 50-tonner set off last fall. In Washington, the State Department called the Russian resumption "a somber episode" but made clear a new series will not alter U.S. determination to seek a test ban. –The Tennessean, 6
August 1962, Page 1

August 7—Country music singer Patsy Cline released her final studio album, Sentimentally Yours, seven months before her death in a plane crash.

August 8—CIA Director John McCone provided his first memorandum to U.S. President Kennedy about surveillance that would lead to a U.S. and Soviet confrontation in the “Cuban Missile Crisis.” McCone described an increase of Soviet shipments to Cuba and his speculation that the Soviet Union was placing offensive missiles in the Caribbean island nation. He also gave three more warnings that month.

August 15—South Africa legalized the sale of beer, wine and liquor to Africans and Asians for the first time. Previously, the privilege had been limited to White people only.

August 16—Beatles drummer Pete Best was fired and replaced by Ringo Starr.

August 18—Ringo Starr made his first appearance as a full member of the Beatles, at a Horticultural Society dance at Port Sunlight.

August 18—An experiment in publishing a "worldwide newspaper" by satellite was conducted from New York City as seven newspaper pages were photographed, reduced in size, transmitted to the orbiting Telstar satellite, and then received at ground stations on various continents.

August 23—John Lennon secretly married Cynthia Powell at Mount Pleasant Register office in Liverpool. Lennon's fellow Beatles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, attended the ceremony, and their manager Brian Epstein was best man.

August 26—The Soviet national newspaper Pravda denounced the European Economic Community (known then as the "Common Market"), as "an imperialist agency intensifying aggressive activity against the Communist nations."

August 29—Photographs by an American U-2 spy-plane over Cuba first revealed the presence there of Soviet SA-2 missiles for anti-aircraft defense. Offensive, nuclear-armed missiles would not be discovered in Cuba until later flights, precipitating the “Cuban Missile Crisis.”

Top Songs Heading into September 1962:

     1. “You Don't Know Me” Ray Charles
     2. “Party Lights” Claudine Clark
     3. “Teen Age Idol” Rick Nelson
     4. “Devil Woman” Marty Robbins
     5. “You Belong to Me” The Duprees
     6. “Make It Easy on Yourself” Jerry Butler
     7. “Sherry” The 4 Seasons
     8. “You Beat Me to The Punch” Mary Wells
     9. “Venus In Blue Jeans” Jimmy Clanton
    10. “Beechwood 4-5789” The Marvelettes
    11. “Green Onions” Booker T. & The MG's
    12. “Surfin' Safari” The Beach Boys

--Billboard Hot-100 Chart: Week of August 25, 1962

American Graffiti (10/10) Movie CLIP - Drag Race at Paradise Road—“Green Onions”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOgqUHk-zDY

Submitted: Jerry Armour (MHS ’66) on August 31, 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/…/nashville-then-june-1…/28422303/
Wikipedia-World Happenings (By the Month): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_1965…
Wikipedia—Year in Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_in_music#December
Weather Underground: https://www.wunderground.com/…/…/1966/1/22/DailyHistory.html
The Wonder Years-TV Episode & Music Guide: www.wonder-years.tv/episodeandmusicguide.html
American Graffiti movie clips: http://j.mp/1JbQFLe
BUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/vnUSi3
Don't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6pr
CLIP DESCR...

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American Graffiti (10/10) Movie CLIP - Drag Race at Paradise Road (1973) HD
American Graffiti movie clips: http://j.mp/1JbQFLe
BUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/vnUSi3
Don't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6pr
CLIP DESCR...
American Graffiti movie clips: http://j.mp/1JbQFLe
BUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/vnUSi3
Don't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6pr
CLIP DESCR...