From The Tribune staff reports
SPRINGVILLE — The St. Clair County High School’s Class of 1972 gathered for a reunion on Friday, June 18, 2021.
The 49th reunion was held at Friendship Baptist Church, on Highway 411.
“Close to 30 former students were on hand to reminisce and bring folks up to date on what they’ve been up to for the last 49 years,” said ’72 graduate Charlie Mashburn.
The Class of ’72 is now planning its 50th reunion.
Historical Events, Fun and Interesting Facts of 1972 from ClassCreator.com
Japanese solder is discovered in Guam: he had spent 28 years in the jungle.
Bloody Sunday: The British Army kills 14 unarmed nationalist civil rights marchers in Derry, Northern Ireland
The 1972 Winter Olympics are held in Sapporo, Japan
Mariner 9 sends pictures as it orbits Mars
U.S. airlines begins mandatory inspection of passengers and baggage
Bob Douglas becomes the first African American elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame
Volkswagen Beetle sales exceed those of the Ford Model T when the 15,007,034th Beetle is produced
U.S. President Richard M Nixon makes an unprecedented 8 day visit to the People’s Republic of China and meets with Mao Zehong
North Vietnamese negotiators walk out of the Paris Peace Talks to protest U.S. air raids
The Pioneer 10 spacecraft is launched from Cape Kennedy, to be the first man-made satellite to leave the solar system
Sculpted figures of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are completed at Stone Mountain in the U.S. state of Georgia
The 92nd U.S. Congress votes to send the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification
The Godfather is released in cinemas in the United States
The U.S. and the Soviet Union join some 70 nations in signing the Biological Weapons Convention, an agreement to ban biological warfare
Apollo 16 is launched, during the mission; the astronauts achieve a lunar rover speed record of 18 km/h. (John Young, Ken Mattingly and Charlie Duke)
The first Boston Marathon in which women are officially allowed to compete
Sylvia Cook and John Fairfax finish rowing across the Pacific
Watergate break-in
The U.S. sells grain to the Soviet Union for $750 million
The Democratic National Convention meets in Miami Beach. Senator George McGovern, who backs the immediate and complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Vietnam, is nominated for President. He names fellow Senator Thomas Eagleton as his running mate
Governor George C. Wallace of Alabama is shot by Arthur Herman Bremer at a Laurel, Maryland political rally
Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee
The 1972 Summer Olympics are held in Munich, West Germany
The first episode of The Price is Right is aired on CBS by Bob Barker, Gambit and The Joker’s Wild also premiere
Munich Massacre: Eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich are murdered after 8 members of the Arab terrorist group Black September.
Bobby Fischer defeats Boris Spassky in a chess match in Riykjavik, Iceland, becoming the first American World Chess Champion
The first female FBI agents are hired
Following a visit to South Vietnam, U.S. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger suggests that “peace is at hand.”
U.S. presidential election, 1972: Republican incumbent Richard Nixon defeats Democratic Senator George McGovern in a landslide (the election had the lowest voter turnout since 1948, with only 55 percent of the electorate voting)
Apollo 17 (Gene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt), the last manned Moon mission to date, is launched
Former United States President Harry S. Truman dies in Kansas City, Missouri
Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico while en route to deliver aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims
World Series Champions: Oakland Athletics
Super Bowl VI Champions: Dallas Cowboys
NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
Stanley Cup Champions: Boston Bruins
U.S. Open Golf Champion: Jack Nicklaus
U.S. Open Tennis Champions: Ilie Nastase/ Billie Jean King
Wimbledon Tennis Champions: Stan Smith/ Billie Jean King
NCAA Football Champions: USC
NCAA Basketball Champions: UCLA
Kentucky Derby: Riva Ridge
Sandy Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the youngest player ever elected, at the age of 36.
The Hotties and Fashion Icons: Raquel Welch, Pam Grier
“The Quote”….. “Hey Mikey! He likes it!” – Life cereal ad “The mind is a terrible thing to waste” – United Negro College Fund “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” – Marlon Brando, in the Godfather “Nothing runs like a Deere” – John Deere Nobody does it like Sara Lee” – Sara Lee
Time Magazine’s Men of the Year: Richard Nixon & Henry Kissinger
Miss America: Laura Lea Schaefer (Ohio)
Miss USA: Tanya Wilson (Hawaii)
Best Film Oscar Winner: The Godfather
1972 Most Popular TV Shows: All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Hawaii Five-0, Maude, Bridget Loves Bernie, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Gunsmoke, The Wonderful World of Disney, Ironside and Adam 12
NBA’s Cincinnati Royals announce they are moving to Kansas City
Adolph Rupp retires after 42 years of coaching University of Kentucky
M*A*S*H* , premieres on NBC-TV
“Waltons” , premieres on CBS
Hank Aaron becomes 1st baseball player to sign for $200,000 a year
NCAA announces freshman can play on teams starting in fall ‘72
NASA announces development of the space shuttle
Godfrey Hounsfield develops the CAT scan
1st flight of the Goodyear blimp
Venera 8 launched to Venus
COST OF LIVING
Tution to Harvard – $2,800.00
Gallon of Gas – 36 cents
1st class postage stamp – 8 cents
Pay phone – local call 10 cents
Color TV Set – $250.00
Daily Newspaper – 25 cents
New Home – $30,500.00
Average Monthly Rent – $165.00
New Car – $3,879.00
Minimum Hourly wage – $1.60
Average Annual Salary – $12,625.00
Loaf of Bread – 25 cents
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average – 1020
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 3.27%
Wrangler Jeans – $12.00
Dozen Eggs – 45 cents
Gallon of milk – $1.33
FADS & FASHION:
Pong (Computer Television Game)
Séance (the game)
Evil Knevel figures
Action Jackson figures
Afro Haircuts
Hot Pants
1972 Billboard Number One Songs:
December 25, 1971 – January 14, 1972: Brand New Key – Melanie
January 15 – February 11: American Pie – Don McLean
February 12 – February 18: Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
February 19 – March 17: Without You – Nilsson
March 18 – March 24: Heart of Gold – Neil Young
March 25 – April 14: A Horse with No Name – America
The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
Oh Girl – Chi-Lites
I’ll Take You There – The Staple Singers
The Candy Man – Sammy Davis, Jr.
Song Sung Blue – Neil Diamond
Lean on Me – Bill Withers
Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’ Sullivan
Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) – Looking Glass
Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
Black and White – Three Dog Night
Baby, Don’t Get Hooked On Me – Mac Davis
Ben – Michael Jackson
My Ding-A-Ling – Chuck Berry
I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
I Am Woman – Helen Reddy
Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul