Out of the past: May 21

1997

Although Cape Girardeau Public Library has been without a director since February, when Elizabeth Ader left for Kansas City, Missouri, for personal reasons, the search for her replacement is on hold; the library board originally planned to have the position filled by July; although 14 people applied for the job, the original search proved fruitless.

After three harried months of planning, the organization that will offer rewards for information leading to arrests of criminals will be officially launched; everything is in place for the startup of Southeast Missouri Crime Stoppers Inc., with phone lines and computers installed at the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

1972

The Rev. Vernon Cooper, administrative director of Highlands Child Placement Service in Kansas City, Missouri, speaks at both services at Bethel Assembly of God Church.

It's a busy day for the graduating class of State College; in the morning students attend a baccalaureate service at Academic Hall auditorium, hearing the Rev. Kenneth C. Johnston, senior pastor of Platte Woods United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri, deliver the sermon; that evening, diplomas are handed to the 837 undergraduate students and 42 graduate students at the 98th annual commencement exercises at Houck Field Stadium; speaking at the event is Norman Strunk, executive vice president of the United States Savings and Loan League, a Cape Girardeau native and State College graduate.

1947

With the beginning of the State College summer term less than two weeks away, the demand by prospective students for housing during the 10-week term has grown to major proportions; college officials are appealing to residents of Cape Girardeau to provide rooms and apartments for the students; already all three dormitories are reserved to capacity; veterans' facilities at Harris Field and the old Broadway School have been spoken for.

A mere shell of itself, the staid old Golden Eagle is settling deeper into the mud of the Mississippi River, stripped of running lights, lifeboats, liquor, beds, linens, mattresses -- everything movable -- at its final resting place on Grand Tower Island, 25 miles north of Cape Girardeau; word from St. Louis is that its owners and underwriters are abandoning the last of the old-time packet stern-wheelers. (Read more about the Golden Eagle's demise here: www.semissourian.com/blogs/fromthemorgue/entry/66170)

1922

No morning preaching services are held in Centenary, Christian, Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, Christ Episcopal or Evangelical churches; this allows members to attend the baccalaureate service for those graduating from the Teachers College; delivering the sermon is the Rev. E.C. Smith of St. Louis.

Commemoration services for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other Central states are held at Trinity Lutheran Church with appropriate exercises; the main address of the day is delivered in the evening by Professor S. Sommer of St. Louis, an instructor in the Lutheran school there.

-- Sharon K. Sanders