Southside High School - Southerner Yearbook (Fort Smith, AR)

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Fort Smith students were granted an extra week of vacation due to record-breaking snowfall. Sophomores Laura Smith and Ricky Atchison enjoyed frolicking in the snow. plained deaths of 27 delegates of the American Legion Convention which was held in Philadelphia. The illness which led to the deaths was commonly called Legionnaires Disease and it completely baffled specialists all over the United States. Many of those who died had stayed the convention was held. Eventually, even the succumbed to the Legionnaires Disease. Scandal rocked the country when Elizabeth Ray, a ashington secretary in the office of Representative ayne Hayes, accused him of keeping her on the govern- payroll as a mistress rather than a secretary. Hayes denied these charges at first, later resigned his position. A national survey that 47'Zv of the people believed this be- Was typical of government officials. Was 1976 the year of the earthquake? It seemed that way as more people were killed by earthquakes than any year since 1927. The tremors hadnit been un- usually numerous, but most of them were in highly pop- ulated areas-Guatemala City, the southern Philippines, and Hope Province in China Where foreign estimates were four story will continue on page 625 November elections resulted in the reelection ofArkansas Governor David Pryor: Governor Pryor proposed that financing for public schools should be the responsibility of county voters instead of state financing. 61

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AS TI-IE WCRLII World scope of events e As our story opens today we find ourselves looking back over 1976 Cfade in organ musicl. It Was a year full of memorable events. Perhaps the most exciting of which was the countryls observance of the Bicenten- nial. We also watched two men battle for the countryls highest position-the Presidency. These two men, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, both had strong platforms and the election couldn't have been closer. In the end, however, the deciding vote would be for Jimmy Carter. It must be true that any boy in the United ,..,. f ',- States can become President because Jimmy Carter, a ' J, E peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, went from a virtually unknown governor of a southern state to the Presidency of the United States. While politics were raging, Americans attended a year-long birthday party as the nation celebrated its 200th birthday. From the smallest village to the largest cities, citizens observed this event with parades, pageants, time capsules, and gigantic firework displays. And 1976 also marked the death of one of the n powerful men in the world-Mao Tse-Tung. He was chair- man of the Central Committee of China, and ruler of some 800 million people. Mao helped found the C Communist Party in 1921 and became a member of the governing party in 1924. A vast nation of people fol- lowed his every direction. Perhaps the biggest mystery of 1976 was the unex- Mi- . ms,-2,4 -Fans- Top news events of the year caused mixed , . among the public. The killing of Fort man Randy Bassnett by murderer John Swindler Economy-minded motorists battled soaringgasoline prices with the Shocked many area residents. Gerald Ford stepped revolutionary electric car which locally retails for about 83200. dgwn from the Presidency, allowing Georgian The popular compact can travel 50 miles on a single charge. Jimmy Carter to take the reins after a close election. Swine flu innoculations were begun hurriedly only to be stopped because of 60 possible medical complications. 1. I

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AS THE WORLD TURNS fcontinuedl Carter, A New Spirit approximately 100,000 killed. In Turkey, the earthquakes aren't that unusual, but the ones which hit that country in '76 don,t happen too often. It came in two gentle shakes followed by a violent 14-second shake. In the rugged hills of eastern Turkey, the quake hit more than 120 towns and villages. For example, in the settle- ment at Alikele only two people survived out of 70 families. This disaster measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, the worst in over 40 years. Disaster caused by nature also hit the United States. Coloradois Big Thompson River Canyon was one of the top tourist areas in the country when on July 31, a 19-foot-wall of water swept down the canyon, Rescuers got in the canyon and picked up more than 1,000 wet and frightened survivors. A week after the flood, at least 500 people were still unaccounted for. This type of catastrophe happens once in a thousand years. When Alex Haley started writing t'Roots he probably didn't know that millions of Americans would see it on an eight-part movie on ABC. It has been called the Hgreatestn show ever viewed on T. V. John Amos played the leading role of Kunta Kinte with Wives get into the action as Betty Ford fabovej campaigns to crowds in Eaton Town, New Jersey while Rosalyn Carter fbelo wj campaigns across the country for her hus- band's dream to become President. The agony of defeat is expressed on the faces of the Ford family fabovej as Betty Ford concedes defeat for husband because of his losso voice From le t Steve Ford Susan Michael Mrs Ford Ga le f - f J : : : : . : y , Michael's wife: and Jack Ford. The Carter family fbelowj relaxes at Sunday dinner after a tedious week of campaigning, From left: Judy Carterg husband Jacky Amyg Rosalyn: Jimmy and son Chip. As America listens to the final remarks of the 36th president, Gerald R Ford, democratic president-elect Jimmy Carter prepares to face the 1 nation in a press conference on November 22, 1976. 62