Out of the past: July 20

1999

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education has authorized two policy changes in an effort to improve faculty salaries and morale; the first is a change in policy to credit teachers for all years of teaching fully-accredited school districts; previously, teachers new to the district were credited with a maximum of eight years of experience; the board also voted to end a salary freeze introduced last year and grant full credit on the teacher salary schedule for years of service and level of education.

Harry and Rosemary Crisp and their Marion, Illinois, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. over the years have donated more than $1 million to Southeast Missouri State University in property and financial gifts; but their largess hasn’t brought them an exclusive contract with the school, both Pepsi and Coca-Cola products being sold on the campus; the Crisp firm has been criticized for securing long-term exclusive distribution contracts with three Illinois public colleges in exchange for six-figure cash gifts to the schools.

1974

For the first time this season, the temperature reached the 100-degree mark yesterday, with more of the same predicted for today and the remainder of the weekend; meanwhile, Missouri Utilities Co. has issued a plea to Cape Girardeau residents to conserve their water usage until a water main at William Street and Kingshighway is repaired.

Three or four weeks will be needed for casting of manhole rings which must be placed before asphaltic concrete can be applied on streets included in Cape Girardeau’s summer overlay program; Girardeau Contractors, Inc., has the contract for the overlay work, and a Jackson foundry is casting the rings; in the meantime, Charles V. Camp, subcontractor, is expected to repair and patch broken curbs, gutters, deteriorated sections of streets to be resurfaced and a few short sidewalk areas that extend to the streets.

1949

City engineer John R. Walther, in charge of administering the tornado cleanup fund provided by the Federal Works Administration, estimates that between $1,000 and $1,500 remain of the $15,000 allotted the city; he estimates the remaining money will last only another week or less, and thereafter the city will either have to give up the remaining work or dip into its own funds, which have already been used to a considerable extent.

Proposals to redistrict school systems in two Southeast Missouri counties by making enlarged districts out of the present rural programs were soundly defeated in special elections yesterday; in Mississippi County, where the county board proposed to reorganize into two high school districts, eliminating many of the 43 rural schools, the measure lost by a 3 to 1 vote; the defeat was even more pronounced in Dunklin County, where a single district containing three high schools, 11 junior high schools and several large elementary areas had been proposed.

1924

Dr. Joseph A. Serena, president of the Cape Girardeau Teachers College, has charge of the morning services at First Christian Church; the Rev. C.H. Swift, pastor, is at Illmo, where he is holding a revival meeting with the Rev. J.H. Tiller of Bloomfield, who is also pastor of the Illmo Christian Church; the local congregation attends the union worship service in the evening.

Caroline Smith of Cairo, Illinois, wins the world’s championship in high diving at the Olympic Games at Paris, France, defeating experienced divers from 46 nations of the world; it has been only three years that Smith learned to swim, having been taught by Chellis “Chubby” Chambers, former Cape Girardeau Teachers College football star.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at semissourian.com/history.