Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 5/13/1968 to 5/19/1968

We take high school for granted nowadays, but a survey of the class of 1966 showed that only 55% of those who started the first grade in the 1954-1955 school year went on to graduate from a public high school.  If that’s not surprising enough, here’s a real stunner: 1009 persons who were old enough to have started the first grade in 1955-1955 never attended school at all!

West Rome track team members qualified to take part in eleven of sixteen track events the George Class AA track meet on Friday and Saturday in Jonsesboro. The Rome News-Tribune didn’t give first names for the list, but the Chieftains who were listed as participating were:

•Broad Jump - Smith & Rimes

•Pole Vault - Worsham

•High Jump - Smith

•Triple Jump - Rimes

•Discus - Kinnebrew, Johnson

•440 Relay - West Rome team

•100 Yard Dash - Johnson

•High Hurdles - Smith

•220 Dash - Johnson

•Low Hurdles - Trotter

Mile Relay - West Rome team

Rome had heavy thunderstorms with large hail on Thursday, May 16th, with over 2 inches of rain falling in a two hour period, accompanied by hail the size of marbles in West Rome. There were many reports of automobile damage due to the hail.

A chemistry lab explosion caused  a fire at Berry College’s Hamrick Hall on Thursday, May 16th. No students were injured, but two firemen suffered minor acid burns during their efforts to contain the blaze.

The National City Bank of Rome proudly announced that they would be the first bank in Rome to offer the new BankAmericard, “the first all purpose nationwide bank credit card! It’s a local credit card service that you can use nationally, one that costs nothing to acquire with no annual dues to pay.” Cardholders could use the card anywhere, but they could make payments at their local National City Bank. (BankAmericard would eventually become Visa, of course--and while we take credit cards for granted now, the first no-fee national credit card was a Very Big Thing in 1968!)

Piggly Wiggly had vienna sausage for 23¢ a can, Poss Brunswick stew for 49¢ a can, and yellow squash for 19¢ a pound. Kroger had smoked picnic ham for 29¢ a pound, large eggs for 33¢ a pound, and JFG coffee for 49¢ a pound. Big Apple had whole fryers for 27¢ a pound, Cudahy Bar-S bacon for 49¢ a pound, and iceberg lettuce for 19¢ a pound. A&P had chuck roast for 35¢ a pound, yellow corn for 8¢ an ear, and a one-quart jar of Heinz dill pickles for 49¢. Couch’s had pork chops for 49¢ a pound, pineapple slices for 29¢ a can, and pork & beans for 18¢ a can. 

The cinematic week began with The Scalphunters (starring Burt Lancaster) at the DeSoto Theatre, In the Heat of the Night (starring Sidney Poitier & Rod Steiger) at the First Avenue, and How to Save a Marriage & Ruin Your Life (starring Dean Martin) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought The Party (starring Peter Sellers) to the DeSoto, No Way to Treat a Lady (starring Rod Steiger & Lee Remick) to the First Avenue, and The Carpetbaggers (starring George Peppard) to the West Rome Drive-In. 

Archie Bell & the Drells took the top spot this week in 1968 with “Tighten Up.” Other top ten hits included “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel (#2); “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro (#3); “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly” by Hugo Monenegro, His Orchestra & Chorus (#4); “A Beautiful Morning” by The Rascals (#5); “Cowboys to Girls” by the Intruders (#6); “Love Is All Around” by the Troggs (#7); “The Unicorn” by the Irish Rovers (#8); “Young Girl” by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (#9); and “Do You Know The Way to San Jose?” by Dionne Warwick (#10). 

John Lennon & Paul McCartney announced their new business venture, Apple Corps Limited, on May 14th. Apple was envisioned as a multi-faceted entertainment company that would include a recording studio, a record label, and a clothing store; the clothing store didn’t last for long, though, due to rampant mismanagement, and before too long, Apple was a record label that served as the home to albums by James Taylor, Mary Hopkin, Billy Preston, Badfinger, and many others--including, of course, the Beatles themselves, both as a group and later as solo artists.