Out of the past 5/20/06

25 years ago: May 20, 1981

Officials of the Cape Girardeau and Jackson chambers of commerce say they will await official word from the state Department of Revenue before pursuing any further takeover of state license fee office operations in their respective cities.

The Cape Girardeau City Council votes unanimously to authorize city manager Gary Eide to negotiate with the Cape River Heritage Museum's board of directors on a lease agreement between the city and the museum for the old fire department headquarters, 538 Independence.

50 years ago: May 20, 1956

The Rev. Laurence W. Cleland, pastor of First Baptist Church, delivers the baccalaureate sermon to 114 graduates of Central High School at the school auditorium in the evening; commencement exercises for the class will be held Thursday evening, with James A. Finch Jr., Cape Girardeau lawyer and chairman of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, as the speaker.

Helen N. Carter became the first black student to graduate from State College when she received her bachelor of science degree in education at commencement exercises Monday.

75 years ago: May 20, 1931

Reduction of $14,600 in the state budget for salaries of faculty members of Cape Girardeau Teachers College has made it necessary for the board of regents to make a slight reduction in its teaching force; those teachers affected by the reduction are Professor J.C. Logan, agriculture department.

An impressive ceremony yesterday marked the commencement exercises for the first graduating class of the School of Nursing of the Southeast Missouri Hospital.

100 years ago: May 20, 1906

The various Protestant churches in Cape Girardeau suspend services to allow the congregations to attend the union services at the Normal School auditorium in the morning and evening; the Rev. E. Duckworth, the Episcopal minister of St. Louis, who was engaged by the Normal faculty to preach the baccalaureate sermon to the graduating class, speaks at both services.

The school board held a session last evening to decide upon teachers for next term; the most important decision -- the election of a superintendent of schools and principal of Lorimier School -- wasn't made, as there are half-dozen candidates for the position.

-- Sharon K. Sanders