February 7, 2025
UK music students jam at the Drake Tap Room, 1951
The Lexington Leader featured a story on the collegiate “bop” craze in February 1951, highlighting a group of University of Kentucky music students jamming at the Drake Tap Room. From left, Harvey Berry on vibes, Bud Wragge and Byron Romanowitz, on sax, Jan Cornett, vocalist, and Bill Watterson, on trumpet. The style of jazz known as “bop” or “bebop” developed in the 1940’s. The UK music students took to developing their sound mostly off campus, but the university agreed to host a “bop”, a progressive jazz concert in the Fine Arts Building that March. UK faculty members agreed to sit in with violins and cellos in a big number with string effects. Herald-Leader Archive Photo
Lexington’s first White Castle opens, 1980
Wayne Stone of Lexington ate his lunch in his truck outside Lexington’s first White Castle, on the restaurant’s opening day, in December 1,1980. The iconic hamburger restaurant, located at New Circle and Bryan Station roads, attracted overflow crowds the day it opened and caused a traffic backup on New Circle. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff
Icy ride across UK campus, 1994
University of Kentucky sophomore Billy Hanes biked on icy sidewalks on his way to class in January 1994. The temperature low that day was 5 degrees and the high was 30. Photo by Frank Anderson | Staff
George Washington Carver School safety patrol, 1951
City Patrolman Prather Walker, left, instructed members of new safety patrol which was activated at George Washington Carver school November 9, 1951. Left to right, standing: Laurraine Roberts, Gary Wilson, Horace Miles and Patrol Captain Joseph Moore. Kneeling, left to right: Alva Short, James Cloyd, and William Elliott. Twelve boys and two girls received badges and belts from City School Safety Director Within Faries. Carver’s schoolboy part had been discontinued for serval years, Mrs Clara Taylor, principal said. The George Washington Carver School, then also known as Colored School No. 3, was located on Patterson Street. The school closed in 1972. Herald-Leader Archive Photo
Ann Landers visits Lexington, 1958
Columnist Ann Landers and Fred B. Wachs, general manager of the Herald-Leader, shown just after Wachs presented Landers with an ash tray fashioned from a shoe from Faultless, one of the Calumet Farm’s thoroughbred racehorses. Faultless won the Blue Grass Stakes, finished third in the Kentucky Derby and won the Preakness. Wachs presented the gift on December 11, 1958, at a Phoenix Hotel dinner given by the newspaper. He said the shoe from “Faultless” out of “Unerring” was an appropriate gift for the popular columnist. Landers was in Lexington for two speaking engagements, one at Henry Clay High School and the second at the University of Kentucky Guignol Theater. Herald-Leader Archive Photo
Wildcats and Middle Tenn, 2008
University of Kentucky’s Robbie McAtee, left, hugged teammate Calvin Harrison after holding Middle Tennessee State’s Eldred King from scoring a game-tying touchdown on the last play of the game as Kentucky September 13, 2008 at Commonwealth Stadium. UK won the game 20-14. The Wildcats take on the Blue Raiders today at noon. Photo by David Stephenson | Staff
Roy Clark at Keeneland Sales, 1973
Musician, singer and songwriter Roy Clark, left, with June Rollins, center, Lexington television personality and Lexington horsewoman Anita Madden, looked over thoroughbreds at the July Horse Sales at Keeneland in the early 1970’s. Clark, a talented multi-instrumentalist and country music legend died Thursday at age 85. Photo by John C. Wyatt | Staff
Kentucky exhibition against South Korea, 1980
Kentucky guard Chris Gettelfinger drove down the court during an exhibition game against South Korea at Rupp Arena November 14, 1980. UK easily won the pre-season game 107-59. The Wildcats take on the Fighting Hawks from North Dakota tonight in Rupp Arena. Photo by E. Martin Jessee | Staff
Dunbar Homecoming Queen, 1952
Doris Wilkinson, center, was crowned Dunbar High Homecoming Queen November 7, 1952 at the school’s football game with Austin High of Knoxville. Shown with Miss Wilkinson are Juanita Williams, left, last year’s queen and Earlyse Brown, runner-up. The queen was crowned at halftime ceremonies. Dunbar won the game 20-13. Herald-Leader Archive Photo
Parrish John Reynolds honored on Veterans Day, 1986
Former Air Force Sgt. Parrish John Reynolds held a salute during the playing of Taps at the November 1986 Veterans Day ceremony at Camp Nelson. In November 1943 Reynolds, a turret gunner, escaped from a German hospital in Normandy, France, after having been shot down and captured three months earlier. After three weeks on the run he was rescued by a Frenchwoman who hid him on the top floor of a tavern, with German soldiers living below, for 11 months. He went on to fight again in the Korean War. U.S. Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Somerset, presented to Reynolds a flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol in Reynolds’ honor. While Veterans Day is today, Lexington held its annual Veterans Day Festival and Parade downtown Saturday afternoon. Photo by Gary Landers
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