1947

1947 was the 76th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• January 2: The USS Birmingham (CL-62) was decommissioned.
• June 26: The 1947 Dairy Month Parade was held in downtown Birmingham.
• September 9: The Birmingham City Commission purchased right-of-way in front of Woodlawn Methodist Church for widening of 1st Avenue North.
• Arthur Shores filed the first legal challenge to Birmingham's segregated zoning laws on behalf of Samuel Mathews.
• August 18: The home of Samuel Mathews in North Smithfield was targeted by a racially-motivated bombing.
• November 11: Birmingham put on the nation's first Veterans Day celebration.
• The North American Numbering Plan went into effect, giving Alabama the 205 area code.
• The Birmingham Children's Theatre was founded.
• The City of Birmingham acquired the Alabama State Fairgrounds property.
• The Federated Women's Club purchased the former W. S. Brown residence on Highland Avenue.
• Birmingham won a Jaycees' National Safety Award for its "Light for Life" road safety beacon (Vulcan's neon torch).
• James Sulzby Jr founded the Alabama Historical Association.
• The American Heritage Foundation canceled the "Freedom Train"'s planned visit to Birmingham due to local segregation ordinances.
• Epp Sykes donated the copyright to his song, "Yea Alabama!" to the University of Alabama.
• The Robert R. Meyer Foundation was established.
• The Birmingham Bird Club became the Birmingham Branch of the National Audubon Society.
• The Southern Negro Youth Congress was labeled as "subversive" by U.S. Attorney General Thomas C. Clark.

Business

• January 2: "The Club" was incorporated.
• The Alhambra Restaurant opened on 5th Avenue North.
• The Birmingham Electric Company began using 47 new PCC-type streetcars.
• Busch's Jewelers purchased Brackin's.
• Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Company began manufacturing slag wool at its North Birmingham Furnaces.
• Citizens Trust Bank joined the Federal Reserve.
• La Paree was incorporated.
• Charles Byrd purchased George Ward's former Vestavia estate and converted it into a restaurant.
• Emmett Ware purchased the 270-acre Spring Lake Farms from Robert Jemison Jr and developed the Twin Lakes subdivision around it.
• The St Louis–San Francisco Railway acquired the assets of the Muscle Shoals, Birmingham & Pensacola Railroad.
• Alabama Fuel & Iron purchased the Swann & Co. Building for its headquarters offices.
• The Shades Mountain Country Club lost its state liquor license.

Establishments

The "Roman Rooms" restaurant at George Ward's former Vestavia estate opened in 1947.

• Belcher Evans Millwork was founded.
• Cobb Theatres was founded.
• The College Theatre opened in East Lake.
• Newman Waters opened the Downtown Club.
• The Fox Theater in Brighton opened.
• Sam Raine opened the Lincoln Theatre in Bessemer.
• Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood was founded.
• Gus's Hot Dogs opened on 4th Avenue North.
• Induron Protective Coatings was founded.
• Raymond's Five Points Market opened.
• Roy Lumber opened in Bessemer.
• Spivey Hobby, Toys & Gifts opened on Tuscaloosa Avenue
• The Douglas Clinic opened in the former Frank Lathrop residence on 14th Avenue South.

Government

• January 20: Jim Folsom Sr succeeded Chauncey Sparks as Governor of Alabama.
• January 20: James Inzer succeeded Leven Ellis as Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.
• May: Residents of Homewood and Mountain Brook approved a 5-mill property tax to support development of Shades Valley High School.
• December: The Homewood City Council rezoned the site of the future Valley View Apartments.
• Fultondale was incorporated.
• Mulga was incorporated.
• Trussville was incorporated.
• The Alabama State Fair Authority was established by the Alabama Legislature as a successor to the Alabama State Fair & Exhibit Association.
• Homewood deeded land on Shades Creek Parkway to the Armory Commission of Alabama for a Homewood National Guard Armory.
• The Jefferson County Planning Commission was established.

Education

• John Carroll Catholic High School opened.
• Wenonah Elementary School opened.
• Southeastern Bible College acquired the former Frank Nelson residence on Pawnee Avenue.
• The Alabama Supreme Court's ruling on the estate of Harvey Woodward allowed planning for the Indian Springs School to move forward.

Media

• January 1: WAFM-FM went on the air.
• WVOK-AM went on the air.

Religion

• June 21: Joseph Adams was appointed pastor of Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church.
• Garywood Assembly of God was founded as El Bethel Assembly of God.
• Trinity United Methodist Church began holding services in an army chapel building bought as surplus from Camp Sibert near Gadsden.
• Edward Gardner became pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church, Kingston.
• Al Mathes became pastor of South Highland Presbyterian Church.
• William Vines succeeded J. Ivey Edwards as pastor of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church.
• West End Hills Missionary Baptist Church purchased the site for their present church building on 19th Place Southwest.

Sports

• January 1: Tennessee State defeated Louisville Municipal College 32-0 in the 1947 Vulcan Bowl.
• January 28: Izzy Jannazzo lost his last boxing match to Steve Belloise.
• The Birmingham Skyhawks began play in the Professional Basketball League of America
• The Birmingham Vulcans began play in the Southern Professional Basketball League
• The Bessemer Whiz Kids began play in the Southern Professional Basketball League
• Red Drew succeeded Frank W. Thomas as coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
• Coke McKenzie caught a world record bluegill at Ketona Lakes.

Individuals

• September 1: John Caldwell succeeded Arthur Harman as President of the University of Montevallo.
• October 2: Stanleigh Malotte returned to the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ at the Alabama Theatre.
• Henry Badham Jr was made a Brigadier General and given command of the 514th Troop Carrier Wing and the 319th Bombardment Wing at Birmingham Municipal Airport.
• Laurie C. Battle succeeded Luther Patrick as Representative of the 9th Congressional District of Alabama.
• Harvie Branscomb was appointed chair of the first United States Advisory Commission for Education Exchange.
• Orville Schanbacher succeeded Joseph Loveman as president of Loveman's.
• Roy Downs became president of Central State Bank of Calera.
• John Gallalee succeeded Raymond Paty as President of the University of Alabama.
• Robert Johnson succeeded W. B. Johnson as principal of Parker High School.
• Dorothy Love left the Gospel Harmonettes.
• Willie Ruff and Dwike Mitchell formed the Mitchell-Ruff Duo.
• Hugh Thomas became dean of the Birmingham Conservatory of Music.
• Texas A&M Aggies football coach Homer Norton was fired.
• Hank Crisp began coaching the Tulane Green Wave football team.
• Grady Price succeeded Hayes Parnell as Mayor of Leeds.
• W. C. Patton became president of the Alabama NAACP.
• G. B. Baggett succeeded Powell Hamner as Walker County Sheriff.

Births

Emmylou Harris was born in 1947

• January 4: Tim Rooney actor / voice actor
• February 1: Ira Chaffin, sculptor and hotel keeper
• February 2: Henry Lovoy, vocalist
• February 4: Wallace Potts, film director / screenwriter / archivist.
• February 11: Roy Moore, Alabama Supreme Court chief justice
• February 22: Richard North Patterson, attorney / novelist
• February 23: George Curry, newspaper columnist
• March 1: Tom Hinson, accountant / embezzler
• March 11: Pat Morrow, high school band director
• March 22: Lamar Green, professional basketball player
• April 2: Emmylou Harris, singer / songwriter
• April 21: Barbara Park, children's author
• April 24: Ann Kelley, vocalist
• May 4: Dick Pigford, architect
• May 12: Patrick Cather, publisher and book collector
• May 18: Gail Strickland, actor
• June 7: Eric Wieschaus, Nobel prize-winning biologist
• June 13: Richmond Flowers Jr, professional football player
• June 18: Sandy Posey, vocalist
• July 3: Mickey Rooney Jr, actor / musician / television producer
• July 23: John Katopodis, Birmingham City Council member
• August 13: Dowd Ritter, CEO of Regions Bank
• October 26: Wade Black, director of the Birmingham Pledge Foundation
• November 18: Saleh "Sol" Bajalieh, restaurateur
• December 7: Garry Unger professional hockey player / coach
• December 28: Spencer Bachus, former U.S. Representative
• Leroy Bandy, Birmingham City Council member
• Bill Billits, Graysville City Council member
• Sandra Brown, Birmingham Board of Education member
• Tom Cosby, development director
• Edward Crenshaw, Ramsay High School band director
• John Dedrick, Homewood City Schools administrator
• Scott Douglas, director of Greater Birmingham Ministries
• Carolyn Featheringill, attorney and law professor
• Elias Hendricks, Birmingham City Council member
• Rob Henrikson, CEO of MetLife
• Janet King, nurse
• Robert Luckie III, advertising executive
• Jerry McIntosh, Irondale Police Department chief
• Diane McNaron, cabaret singer
• Joe Meadow, Birmingham Zoo Express conductor
• Mona, Birmingham Zoo elephant
• Larry Naves, judge
• Fred Plump, firefighter and youth sports promoter
• Garth Potts, artist, Levite Jewish Community Center director
• Mike Rasmussen, attorney
• Johnny Robinson, victim of racial violence
• Fred Shuttlesworth Jr
• Susie, Birmingham Zoo elephant
• Gwen Sykes, Birmingham City Council member
• Barry Taylor, vocalist / building inspector
• Jack Trawick, murderer
• Jairo Vargas, newspaper publisher
• Ted vonCannon, industrial recruiter
• Bill Waites, Pleasant Grove Police and Fire Department chief
• Mike Warren, business executive
• Sam Wehby, real estate executive
• Ron Yarbrough, concessionaire

Graduations

• Oscar Adams Jr earned his law degree at Howard University.
• Bill Bolen graduated from Albert G. Parish High School.
• Joseph Braswell graduated from Birmingham-Southern College.
• Eric Embry earned his degree at the University of Alabama School of Law.
• Harry U. Gilmer completed a degree in chemical engineering at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute.
• Leven Hazlegrove completed a chemistry degree at Howard College.
• Jim Hillhouse graduated from Marion Military Institute.
• Glenn Ireland II graduated from the University of Virginia.
• Autherine Lucy graduated from Linden Academy in Marengo County.
• Jack Nelson graduated from Notre Dame High School in Biloxi, Mississippi.
• William Powell graduated from Phillips High School.
• Frank Samford Jr graduated from the University of Alabama.
• Ezra Sims completed a bachelor of arts at Birmingham-Southern College.
• Martha Sykes graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College.
• Dewey White completed his medical degree at the University of Virginia.

Marriages

• August 8: Rosamond McDuff married Mary Evelyn Morgan at the First Pentecostal Holiness Church in North Birmingham.
• October 12: Satchel Paige married Lahoma Brown in Hays, Kansas.
• Virginia Pounds married William Bestor Brown.
• Robert Guillot married Patty Shirley.
• John Patterson married Mary Jo McGowin.
• Ed Jones married June McGowen.

Awards

• Erskine Hawkins was given an honorary doctorate by Alabama State University.
• John Rhoden was awarded a Rosenwald Fellowship for sculpture at Columbia University.
• Miss Alabama: Peggy Elder

Retirements

• Carlton Molesworth retired from baseball.

Deaths

• January 3: Lewis Barrett, newspaper publisher
• January 8: Dyer Talley, surgeon
• February 6: Oscar Spiegel, First Christian Church pastor
• April 17: Frank Hartley Anderson, architect / artist
• May 16: Robert Aland, founder of New Ideal department store
• July 15: Archibald Carmichael, U.S. Representative
• October 31: Robert Meyer, hotel owner
• Ella Graham

Works

• Annals of the Southside Baptist Church by James Sulzby Jr
• Colonial Stores introduced their "rooster" logo.

Buildings

• 1 Wood Manor in Tuscaloosa
• Ans-O-Phone building on 6th Avenue North
• John Carroll Catholic High School
• College Theatre in East Lake
• Crestline Heights Shopping Center in Crestline Village
• Edgewood Elementary School auditorium
• Elmore's on 18th Street South in Homewood
• Exchange Bank Building on 20th Street South
• Home Baking Company renovations
• Parham Apothecary Building in Fairfield
• Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory on 6th Avenue North
• South Elyton Baptist Church
• Legion Field south end zone grandstands
• Wenonah Elementary School
• WJLD building on Bessemer Super Highway

Film, Radio and TV

• Walter Lantz Productions made a series of Reddy Kilowatt cartoon shorts.

Context

1940s

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