MARY BRASWELL: December 1961 saw the first of ‘The Albany Movement’

In Dec. 1961, The Albany Movement began with a petition to the city officials for full integration in the city. See more about that and what else was making the news.

—The city of Albany held a second public hearing concerning the possibility of adopting some sort of zoning ordinance. Of the 72 citizens in attendance, all but one thought the time had come for such an ordinance.

— A lengthy petition was presented to city officials asking for full integration of public facilities, as well as the hiring of black firemen and policemen. The petition was headed “The Albany Movement” with a stated goal of “the breaking down of segregation.” The petition was accepted, but no action toward desegregation was taken.

— The Southwest Georgia Medical Society met in Blakely. Dr. Turner W. Rentz was elected to serve as president for 1962.

— A new plant in Americus would soon be under construction. The Black Panther Co. of North Carolina planned to produce charcoal briquettes from hardwood waste on a 35-acre piece of land. The production expectation was 12,000 tons of charcoal per year. Between 50 and 80 employees would be hired once the plant opened.

— Playing at the Albany Theatre was “Blue Hawaii” starring Elvis Presley.

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QUIK QUIZ

A contract was to be awarded for a new black elementary school in early 1962. Flintside School would be the first in Dougherty County to have which of the following?

a) air conditioning

b) buffet-style lunchroom

c) a self-contained library

d) a covered walkway

Anaswer at the end of the column

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— Mayor Asa Kelley announced that Albany would join the Mayors Day for Milledgeville. Gifts for patients at the hospital could be dropped off at City Hall, the YMCA or Sherwood Baptist Church.

— The Albany High School marching band was set to travel to Miami for the King Orange Jamboree Parade, a part of the annual Orange Bowl festivities. AHS was to be in the first Orange Bowl parade carried live on a national television network.

— As part of the 4-H Tree Appreciation Day, elementary and high school students all over Georgia planted seedlings on Dec. 8. While a definitive number was not known, officials with 4-H called the tally “several hundred thousand.”

— Albany’s First Presbyterian Church, sponsor of Boy Scout Troop 5, presented three scouts with the God and Country Award during its morning service.

— Walden & Kirkland Realtors had a house ready for occupancy in the Lake Park neighborhood. The house included three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large family room with a fireplace, screened porch, gas central heat and air, double carport and a storage area. Located on two landscaped and fenced lots, the asking price was $28,000.

— President John F. Kennedy presented two silver trophies for outstanding 4-H work. Out of its 2.3 million-member organization, both of the trophies went to Georgia students. One went to a student from Rex and the other to Shellman’s Marjorie Lee Whaley.

—The Albany Debutante Ball was scheduled for Dec. 22. Sponsored by the Charity League, the ball was held at Radium Springs with admittance by invitation only.

— Recommendations from the University of Georgia Extension Service for thawing frozen food included placing the food in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours, placing it on the kitchen table for 3 to 4 hours, placing it in front of an electric fan for up to one hour or running cold water over the bags.

— The year-to-date total paid by Dougherty County to Phoebe Putney Hospital for charity cases reached an all-time high of $48,349.13.

— Albany’s Easter Seals Treatment Center was accepted into the National Association of Rehabilitation Centers during the association’s 10th annual workshop held in Chicago.

— Enrollment for fall quarter in the University System of Georgia increased by 8.5 percent over that of fall 1960. Among the uptick in enrollment numbers was Albany State College with a 4.8 percent increase.

— The U.S. Housing and Home Finance Agency, (pre-HUD), approved a $92,470 advance to the city of Albany for survey and planning purposes related to urban renewal. The area contiguous to the city’s business district contained 335 residences. Of that number, 327 were considered substandard.

— J.D. McLelland, a Calhoun County farmer, produced a near-record 105 bushels of corn per acre in the 1961 season. Considered an excellent yield at the time, Georgia farmers averaged 175 bushels of corn per acre in 2016.

— A rattler roundup was planned for January 1962 in Worth County. Land owners were asked to locate gopher holes on their property and mark them so they could be easily located by hunters. Whigham was also planning a roundup, its second.

— Richland, in Stewart County, had its first Christmas lights in the community’s history. Paid for by the Richland Jaycees, lights were strung across Broadway Avenue from one end to the other.

— Freedom Riders, nine of them, arrived on a Central of Georgia train in Albany from Atlanta. The riders included five blacks and four whites. All nine entered the white waiting room. When asked to leave, the riders joined a group of blacks outside the station, including those involved in what was being called The Albany Movement. Eleven people were arrested for disorderly conduct before the group dispersed.

— The Dougherty County Board of Education announced plans to add 4,800-5,000 seats on the east side of Mills Memorial Stadium. At the time, seating was accommodated by temporary bleachers.

QUIK QUIZ answer: a) air conditioning

Each week Albany Herald researcher Mary Braswell looks for interesting events, places and people from the past. You can contact her at (229) 888-9371 or [email protected]. Follow @ABH_MBraswell on Twitter