IN THIS ISSUE The BHC Office Moves to Third Avenue Buddy Holly

Newsletter
Birmingham history Center
The BHC Office Moves to Third Avenue
Vol. 4 No. 1
M arch, 2014
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IN THIS ISSUE
Page 2
1807 Third Avenue North
Letter from the Director
Featured New Artifact
Page 3
Buddy Holly Story Fundraiser a Success
Photos from our Move
Page 4-5
1964 Birmingham Barons
Page 6
Buddy Holly Event
Page 7
Sponsored by
1807 Third Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Tel/Fax – 205-202-4146 www.birminghamhistorycenter.org
Notifications
Thomas E. Jernigan, Sr. Memorial
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Birmingham history Center
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Letter from the Director
It certainly has been an interesting past few months since the
publication of our last newsletter. As you may know, the History
Center was forced to move as the entire Young and Vann building
was leased to Alabama Media Group, the parent company of The
Birmingham News and al.com. We had 6 weeks to pack up our
office, museum and 13,000 item collection. Thanks to our friends at
at Landmarks, Inc. we have opened an office on Third Avenue North near the Alabama
Theatre. Our museum and collections are safe at a climate controlled storage facility.
In other news, we were very pleased with our Buddy Holly Story fundraising event held
in January at the Virginia Samford Theatre. Everyone had a wonderful time at the preshow 1950s themed party and the musical show was fabulous. Many thanks to the
great people at Iberia Bank for sponsoring the party and event.
Artifact of the Month
This miniature bronze statue (4.5 inches tall) of Vulcan
was donated recently by James R. Lowery. The History
Center currently has 131 items of Vulcan artifacts in its
collection, including photographs, postcards, souvenirs,
and other memorabilia.
Please Note: Although the History Center museum is
temporarily in storage, we are still accepting donations
of artifacts related to Birmingham and Jefferson County
history at our new office space at 1807 Third Avenue
North. We would be happy to consult with any
potential donor – our telephone number is 205-2024146, our office hours are 9:00 – 4:30, Monday – Friday.
As the foremost interpreter of metropolitan Birmingham’s
history, we will enable the public to understand more
about the city’s past and present and to shape its future.
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Birmingham history Center
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Photos From Our Move
13,000 items moved in 3 days with the help of
New Latitude movers. The museum is in storage.
We will recognize our responsibility to help build a better future—
locally, regionally, nationally, and globally—through history. We
will bring a credible and authoritative historical perspective to
bear on civic issues, and we will help to shape the future by
fostering historical scholarship and understanding.
Newsletter
Birmingham history Center
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1964 Birmingham Barons
Team Photo – 1964 Birmingham Barons
The 1964 Birmingham Barons team photo was just like most professional baseball
team photos, showing owners, managers, team coaches, and players. But this photo
was different. Even after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color barrier in 1946
with the Montreal Royals of the International League, the minor league Southern
Association adhered to the Jim Crow segregation laws of the time. Minor league
team owners were forced to field all-white teams in the south.
Birmingham segregation ordinance 597 stated, “It shall be unlawful for a Negro and
a white person to play together or in company with each other in any game of cards,
dice, dominoes, checkers, baseball, softball, football, basketball or similar games.”
Following the civil rights upheaval in 1963, ordinance 597 was repealed. So, for the
first time, the Birmingham Barons included five players of color in their team photo –
Johnny Odom, Tom Reynolds, Stan Jones, Ossie Chavarria and Santiago Rosario.
Every museum needs help to achieve its vision. Fortunately, we are
not alone in wanting to help people make meaningful and personal
connections to history. Throughout greater Birmingham, there are
many who share this passion. We need their help.
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Birmingham history Center
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1964 Birmingham Barons
Bert Campaneris, a Cuban born player, was also on
the team but he was called up to the majors in July of
1964 (he homered in his first at-bat in the majors off
future Hall of Famer, Jim Kaat. Campaneris was also
the first player to play all nine positions in a single
game, a feat he accomplished in 1965).
In the home opener at Rickwood Field the
Barons lost to the Ashville Tourists 4-2.
Strangely, even though there had been threats
of violence, the team gave away razors and
blades for a promotion. Miss Alabama, Judy
Short, threw out the first pitch. Charley Finley,
an area native and owner of the team, served
as honorary bat boy for the first few innings.
1964 Barons Scorecard
Bert Campaneris - Shortstop
The Barons played great baseball in 1964. The team finished in second place with
an 80 win season, one game behind Lynchburg. Reynolds, “Blue Moon” Odom,
Chavarria and Rosario all eventually made it to the big leagues. Stan Jones played
five more years in the minor leagues before hanging up his spikes.
Tom Reynolds
Johnny Odom
Stan Jones Ossie Chavarria Santiago Rosario
We claim Birmingham. We will leverage our history, expertise,
collection, location, and reputation to stake our position as the best
resource for understanding the city and its place in the United States
and the world.
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Birmingham history Center
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Photos From Our Buddy Holly Event
Go to our website to see these and other photos of this event – www.birminghamhistorycenter.org
We will recognize our responsibility to help build a better future—
locally, regionally, nationally, and globally—through history. We
will bring a credible and authoritative historical perspective to
bear on civic issues, and we will help to shape the future by
fostering historical scholarship and understanding.
Newsletter
Birmingham history Center
P age
Go to our Facebook Page
For Facebook users - Check out our great Facebook page and click to like
us. We now have over 500 likes but want to reach 1,000. Go to:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Birmingham-HistoryCenter/107657042610740.
Artifact of the Month
Speaker Available for your Group
Need a Public Speaker for Your Meeting or Event?
Our Executive Director, Jerry
Desmond, is available to give talks
about the History Center or other
topics in local or American History.
Donations are accepted but not
required, last minute requests are
considered. Call 205-202-4146 or email at jdesmond@bham.rr.com.
Wire Desmond
As the foremost interpreter of metropolitan Birmingham’s
history, we will enable the public to understand more
about the city’s past and present and to shape its future.
7
Birmingham History Center
The Birmingham History Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
formed in 2004 by a group of preservation-minded citizens
who wanted a repository and exhibit platform for artifacts
of local history Thanks primarily to a bequest from the
Thomas E. Jernigan, Sr. foundation and other donors, the
History Center operates from offices at 1807 Third Avenue
North in Birmingham, adjacent to the Alabama Theatre.
Mission Statement
The Birmingham History Center seeks to educate
and entertain the general public by collecting,
preserving and presenting the comprehensive
history of the Birmingham region.
1807 Third Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Officers
Dr. Bayard Tynes, Chairman
Fox De Funiak, III, Co-President
Garland Smith, Co-President
Samuel A. Rumore, Jr., Vice-President
Alice Williams - Treasurer
Board of Directors
Bryding Adams
William A. Bell, Jr.
Harry Bradford
Michael Calvert
Thomas Carruthers, Jr.
Patrick Cather
Connie Grund
Wyatt R. Haskell
Anne Heppenstall
Mary Hubbard
Thomas E. Jernigan, Jr.
John Nixon
Terry Oden
William A. Tharpe
Scott Vowell
Lee Woehle
Stamp