MARY BRASWELL: Looking back at news from April 1951

In April 1951, America was once again involved in war, this time in Korea. Stateside, unemployment dropped as low as 3.3 percent, power steering came into being and Walt Disney released his 13th animated film, “Alice in Wonderland.” Here is a look back at news from the Albany Herald, and beyond, during that time.

—Thanks to the Albany Hospital League, the fast-growing Albany zoo got two new residents — kangaroos.

— Merchants and shoppers expressed mixed feelings about the first day of implementation of Georgia’s new 3 percent sales tax. For the most part, merchants stated the extra bookkeeping was a burden, and shoppers grumbled about an added tax expense. One Albany merchant placed a large jar in his store for the collection of the additional pennies with a label reading “For Herman,” an obvious reference to Georgia Gov. Herman Talmadge.

— Several aliens were given their final citizenship papers when federal court opened its session in Albany. Herald Editor James H. Gray addressed the new citizens with congratulatory remarks.

— The annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale got underway. Albany Girl Scouts could be seen going door-to-door with the 40-cent boxes of delicious treats.

— City Engineer H.P. Derry announced that 103 building permits were issued in Albany during March. This number included 20 new one-family dwellings, 28 duplexes, one apartment building, 10 mercantile buildings and 44 additions or alterations to existing buildings.

— Added to $1-per-week school lunches in Albany was a 5-cent sales tax rather than the expected 3 percent. This was in error and Gov. Herman Talmadge issued an executive order exempting all school lunches from the new state sales taxes.

— About 150 Middle Georgia College students refused to eat the evening meal served one early April Tuesday. The students cited that amounts were insufficient, cooks were not dressed properly for sanitary service and the lack of seasoning in the food. Officials at the college promised to act on the issues immediately, after which the students ate the meal in front of them.

— Sutton Livestock Auction in Sylvester saw the sale of 633 hogs at the price of $18,517.43 during its first weekly event of April.

— Meigs Mayor F.C. Pittman announced that his city was approved for 46 low-income housing units.

— The American Legion Spring Festival was held at the old fairgrounds on North Jefferson Street. All rides and shows were 9 cents each.

— Sponsored by Frigidaire as well as local merchants, a cooking school was held at the Municipal Auditorium over the course of two mornings. All demonstrations and lectures were geared at efficiency and economy in the kitchen. Special accommodations were made for black cooks to attend.

— An Albany ordinance required that all vehicles within the city be registered with the Albany Police Department. Proof of a current state registration and a short form were required. A circular “Albany” registration tag attached to the state tag was proof of registration. There was no charge for the process, but fines after May 1 for noncompliance could be as high as $200 and/or 60 days in lock-up.

— The U.S. Department of Defense announced a new quota system for volunteers and draftees into all branches of the military. Starting May 1, each branch was allowed to accept only 8 percent of the volunteers or draftees falling in the highest mental group. That quota was followed by 32 percent of the second mental group, 39 percent from group three and 21 percent from the fourth mental group. Defense Secretary George C. Marshall said, “To concentrate the qualities of leadership or technical pre-eminence in one or more of the branches of service is detrimental to our total strength in terms of efficiency.”

— The observance of baptism was held at Leesburg Baptist Church. A total of 19 persons were immersed on this date (April 8) in the year 1951.

— R.E. Davis, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, sponsored a “Clean-up, Paint-up, Fix-up” campaign and urged every Albany citizen to participate. The objectives of the campaign, according to Davis, were five-fold including: safeguarding health, prevention of fire, promotion of general safety, improvement of property and better citizenship.

— Dougherty County purchased $200,000 worth of road paving equipment. County Engineer R.S. Howard related plans to pave 100 miles of roadway within the next five years. Roads used by school buses, mail carriers and farmers would be first.

— Southwest Georgia held dedications for two new hospitals. The new medical facilities were the Terrell County Hospital and the Arlington Hospital.

— The Professional Insurance Corporation held an open meeting at Hotel Gordon for people interested in voluntary health insurance. Some benefits included $6 per day up to 100 days of hospital confinement, $40 for a tonsillectomy, all costs associated with polio up to $1,000, single child birth was covered for $50 and more. There was no coverage for pre-existing conditions, including pregnancy.

— Located on Newton Road, a home for aged, ill and indigent blacks was opened. The home featured two wards, an isolation unit, kitchen and dining areas, bathrooms and a screened front porch. Local civic organizations gave generously to furnish the home as did area merchants. The home had a live-in nurse supervisor and her husband to provide around-the-clock care.

In other 1951 news…

— J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” was published.

— Gerber started using mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) in baby food to improve its taste.

— The 22nd Amendment was ratified limiting presidential terms to two (eight years).

— Turn signals were available on most automobile models, but it was an extra expense many drivers chose not to include in the purchase price. Hand signals were still used by many.

— “I Love Lucy” made its television debut. Different from most programs was its use of three cameras and a live audience rather than one camera and a laugh track.

— UNIVAC, the first commercial computer, was put into use by the U.S. Census Bureau. The equipment had 5,000 vacuum tubes, weighed 16,000 pounds and measured 14.5 feet by 7.5 feet by 9 feet.

— Pabst Blue Ribbon aired the first beer commercial on television in color.

— President Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of his command in the Korean War. His reason? “I fired him because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president … I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a b…., although he was, but that’s not against the laws for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail.”

QUIK QUIZ answer: a) 7,747

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