March 18, 2025
Kentucky-Alabama, 1948
University of Kentucky’s Alex Groza, center left, and Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones battled Alabama’s Carl Shaeffer (55) for a loose ball on Feb. 16, 1948, in Alumni Gymnasium. The other Alabama players are not identified. UK won the game, 63-33. That year’s UK team, coached by Adolph Rupp, finished the season as world champions (in the Olympic Games); NCAA national champions, Southeastern Conference champions and SEC tournament champions. Leading scorers were Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, who each averaged 12.5 points per game; Wallace Jones, 9.3; James Line, 6.9; and Kenneth Rollins, 6.6.
Gram Parsons Memorial Country Rock Festival, 1976
Chuck Berry performed at the Gram Parsons Memorial Country Rock Festival on July 2, 1976 at the University of Kentucky’s Memorial Coliseum. Berry went on at 1 a.m., and after a lengthy set, he refused to leave the stage. Promoters finally turned the power off at 2:30 a.m. What was billed as a three-day music festival met with financial problems, and Sunday’s show, which was to feature Harry Chapin, was canceled. Some performers who did take the stage Friday and Saturday included the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Doug Ross, Ian Gillan, Roger McGuinn and The Band. Ray Charles was backstage Saturday night but refused to go on unless he was paid in advance. Photo by Ron Garrison | Staff
Robert F. Kennedy, 1968
U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, left, shook hands with supporters on Feb. 13, 1968, after arriving at Blue Grass Field for a two-day tour of impoverished areas in Eastern Kentucky. Kentucky U.S. senator John Sherman Cooper, center, met Kennedy at the airport. Less than four months later, on June 5, Kennedy was assassinated a day after winning the California primary in his campaign for president. Published in the Lexington Leader. His son, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spoke about ‘green capitalism’ at Transylvania University Jan. 14, 2015.
Ashland Elementry principal, 1985
George McKenzie, principal at Ashland Elementary School in Lexington, helped a student open his cereal box on April 15, 1985. McKenzie arrived at the school that morning to see a banner proclaiming him the outstanding principal for the 7th PTA District. Photo by John C. Wyatt | Staff
Snow in Hazard, 1987
A bank’s temperature display appeared overly optimistic on Jan. 28, 1987, as pedestrians walked along a snow-covered sidewalk on East Main Street in Hazard. Photo by Jim Wakeham | Staff
Music festival parade, 1941
A drum major led a high school band (WHS) in a parade for a music festival on Main Street in 1940 or 1941. The Strand Theater is at right. The movie Santa Fe Trail, which came out Dec. 28, 1940, and starred Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Raymond Massey and Ronald Reagan, was showing at the Strand. The 1,356-seat theater opened in 1915 and closed in 1974, then was demolished to make way for an office building. This photo was previously unpublished.
First African Baptist Church, 1987
The congregation of the First African Baptist Church after Sunday service on July 12, 1987. This was the first Sunday service in the new church on Price Road. Photo by John C. Wyatt | Staff
Art Still’s last game as a Wildcat, 1977
The Wildcat mascot greeted Kentucky’s Art Still as the 6-foot-7 defensive end took the field against Tennessee in his final college game on Nov. 30, 1977, at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky won, 21-17. Still was the second overall player taken in the 1978 NFL Draft and played for the Kansas City Chiefs (1978–1987), where he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was named the Chiefs’ most valuable player twice (1980 and 1984). He finished his pro career with the Buffalo Bills (1988–1989). Photo by David Perry | Staff
Madison’s Robert Brooks, 1970
Madison High School basketball star Robert Brooks talked with his high school coach, Ray Vencill, about his college future in this 1970 photo. Vencill led Madison to consecutive 11th Region championships in 1969 and 1970. In 1970, the underdog Purples were state title runners-up, nearly pulling off an upset in the state title game, falling 70-69 to powerful Male High School of Louisville. Brooks, a forward, scored 32 points in the title game. He was named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball and played at Eastern Kentucky University. Published in the Lexington Herald on March 27, 1970.
Kincaid Towers, 1978
Kincaid Towers in downtown Lexington were under construction in June 1978. The 22-story building was finished in 1979 at a cost of $20 million. For eight years it was the tallest building in Lexington. At right is the Hyatt Regency Hotel. At left is a parking lot that would later become Triangle Park. The fountain would run along the row of cars parked at left picture. Phot by E. Martin Jessee | Staff
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