65 years ago, Oct. 15, 1953
“The old Columbia Clinic Hospital property, in the heart of town and idle for years, is to be developed by a group who will improve it and sub-lease it, forming a new shopping center for Columbia. Dr. and Mrs. J.G. Gardner sometime ago leased the property, which reaches from Church Street to Walden’s Funeral Home and from Main Street west to the Reliance plant property, to Commercial Property Development Corporation. … Wilbur Marvin, representing the Commercial Property Development Corporation, told a Columbian-Progress reporter today that his company had subleased the corner company to the J.C. Penney Company and would build a building for them on the corner of Main and Church streets.”
60 years ago, Oct. 16, 1958
“Lampton Berry, son of Mr. and Mrs. M.R. Berry of High School Avenue, has been appointed ambassador to Ceylon by President Eisenhower, according to an announcement made Friday at the White House in Washington. Berry is relinquishing his present post of deputy assistant secretary of state for the Near East, South Asian and African affairs which he has held since 1955 in Washington. He is a longtime service officer in the department of state. … Ceylon (Editor’s Note: now Sri Lanka), a large island in the Indian ocean, separated by 55 miles of shallow water off the southeast coast of India, has about 8 million people. A native of Columbia, Berry received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Mississippi in 1929, his master’s degree in 1932 and subsequently studied at Yale University.”
50 years ago, Oct. 17, 1968
“Columbia is very fortunate to be able to have several outstanding Mississippi artists exhibit here during the Sesquicentennial celebration, the art committee announced this week. Each of these artists has either lived in Columbia or has close family ties here. They are: Karl and Mildred Wolfe and their daughter, Bebe; O.C. McDavid; Marie Hull; and Lucille Parker. … Karl Wolfe is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Woodward Wolfe Sr. He was born in Brookhaven, but the family moved to Columbia when he was 9 years old. … After graduating from Columbia High School, he attended the Chicago Art Institute. … Though primarily known as Mississippi’s foremost portrait painter, other works of his hang in many galleries throughout the country. … If you have not seen the portrait he did of Miss Crystelle Ford, do make an opportunity to do so. It hangs in the Crystelle Ford Auditorium. … Karl and Mildred are teachers at Millsaps College. (Editor’s Note: Bebe Wolfe continues to create art today at the Jackson studio her parents founded).
“Allen Byrd, son of Mr. and Mrs. B.F. Byrd, Bunker Hill, was named recipient of the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad forestry award during the 1968 4-H Convention at Jackson. The GM&O $100 scholarship is awarded annually to the outstanding 4-H member in the state working in the forestry project. Allen enrolled in the 4-H forestry project in 1964 with three acres. Since that time he has increased his plot to 45 acres. Most of his plot is natural growth, but in addition he has planted 2,000 pine seedlings.”
40 years ago, Oct. 19, 1978
“Rotary Club President Frank Slipher was ‘roasted’ by some of his best friends during the fun program at the Tuesday noon meeting at Tay’s and then was presented a special ‘Petition to Keep Frank.’ Ken Conner was in charge of the program, which consisted of roasting time at the podium by Jack Loflin, Parker Walker, Garland Upton and Dick Foxworth.”
“Miss Debbie Renee Thomas of Columbia will be crowned Miss Alcorn State University for 1978-79 during coronation ceremonies on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. at the university. … Miss Thomas is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Thomas of Rt. 5, Columbia. At Alcorn she is a senior majoring in business administration and secretarial science. … She was crowned Homecoming Queen of Marion Central High School (East Marion) in 1972-73.”
30 years ago, Oct. 20, 1988
"Renee McBride Porter of Columbia is interning with the Marion County District Attorney’s Office under the supervision of Richard L. Douglass during the fall semester. Porter is the daughter of Linda Simmons and the late Harold McBride. She is married to Tom Porter, also of Columbia. Porter will be graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law in December.”
