Looking back

50 Years Ago
Elected Deanery Council CYO officers were: David Nelson, president; Joseph Gengo, vice president; Wanda Sanchez, secretary; Gloria Williams, treasurer; Mary Powers, sergeant at arms; Patsy Spikes, Spiritual Chair; Mary Lou Mostellar, Cultural Chair; Laurie Spottswood, Social Chair; Tom Fulton, Athletic Chair and Larry Lott, Civic Chair .
Pamela McDonough was crowned McGill-Toolen Homecoming Queen.
Very Rev. Paul S. Tipton, S.J., was installed as the 23rd President of Spring Hill College.
Officers of St. Maurice Altar Society were: Mrs. Sam McGowin, president; Mrs. Gene Hutchcraft, secretary; Mrs. Tommie Williams, treasurer; Mrs. George Pontiff and Mrs. Jack Popp, membership and visiting committee; Mrs. F. R. Gillis, hospitality; Mrs. Ambrose  Riley, church cleaning; Mrs. Harris Mayeaux, cassocks and linens; Mrs. John Fay, ways and means; and Mrs. John Schweiger, publicity.
Over a thousand people attended the Mass dedicating the site of the new St. Patrick Church and Catholic Center.
Appointees were named to the newly formed Montgomery Board of Education.
St. Jude Pirates defeated Eutaw 30-0. Leading the Pirates were Brian Ford, Barry Bradford, Nelson Williams and Winford Robinson.
Mrs. George Van Goethem served as General Chairman of the 37th Annual Convention of the Mobile Council N.C.C.W.
Officers of St. Columba Women’s Club were: Mrs. Frank Wessner, president; Mrs. Frank Raycher, vice president; Mrs. Gary Westhoff, secretary; and Mrs. Manuel Venegas, treasurer.
Bishop Toolen candidates for Azalea Trail were: Shellie Stein, Gwen Odom, Beth Weaver, Nancy Ingala, Frances Spikes, Cathy Lucas and Debbie McFarlane.

25 Years Ago
The Board of Education for the religious education programs in the schools and parishes of the Mobile Archdiocese met at St. Elizabeth’s in Greenville, AL. President Ellis Ollinger presided. Fr. Robert W. Fulton was Mass celebrant.
St. Jude parishioner Marcia Thomas, who had helped people learn to read for more than a decade, was named CALL’s “Tutor of the Year.”
Montgomery Catholic High seniors, Laurie Yancy, Jesse Hill and Ed Pradat, were named “Commended Students” in the 1998 National Merit Scholarship Program.
McGill-Toolen students Kalonlo Butler and Lauren Coleman were named National Merit Achievement Finalist.
Mary Beth Thomas, 5th grade teacher at St. Bede School, was selected from a national pool of more than 2,000 applicants in the U.S. to travel to Japan to promote intercultural understanding between the two nations. This was part of the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program.
The inauguration of the Rev. Gregory F. Lucey, S.J., 37th president of Spring Hill College was held on the Avenue of Oaks. The day before, an inaugural Mass was held with Fr. Lucey as the principal homilist. Rev. William J. Sullivan, S.J., Professor Emeritus and Chancellor of Seattle University, was the homilist.
The Christ the King Celebration was held on October 25 with a Youth Rally and Free Concert featuring Carolyn Arends, Grover Levy and Eager. The Public Worship Jubilee was held in Cathedral Square with the Christ the King Mass and Most Rev. Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb D.D., PhD main celebrant. Theme of the celebration was “Jesus Christ: The Same Yesterday, Today and Forever.”
Sister Estelle Cooley, O.S.B., of Sacred Heart Monastery, who grew up in Mobile, died after suffering for several years from Alzheimer’s.
— Anne Baggett compiles information for Looking Back from past issues of this newspaper. Anne is a member of St. Mary Parish in Mobile.