Est. March 31, 2000 16,212 Previous Hits October 1, 2001 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu |
This website maintained by Tommy Towery Class of '64 |
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Do You Remember... Goldsmith-Schiffman Field? by Tommy Towery This week we share our memories of Goldsmith-Schiffman Field. I didn't know when it was built - long before I was born I was sure. As a kid it always looked like a rock fort to me. It may seem strange in today's world, but I never even questioned where the name came from. It was always that. I didn't even know how to spell it until Fred sent me the photos. I didn't know it was Jewish! I didn't know Goldsmith was a Jewish name, nor did I care. I also don't remember when we quit going to football games there, but I do remember how modern the new field (now Milton Frank Stadium I think) looked compared to it. Last week I asked you to send me your memories. I didn't get as many responses as I had thought I might, but two loyal old friends did not let me down. I'll start off with a few of my own. I remember: ... going there first to see my brother, Don, play football for Huntsville Jr. High. I think that was when he played for them. ... it always seemed to be cold there, and that Hot Chocolate became my favorite beverage for football games. ... that I thought of Goldsmith-Schiffman field the first time I saw John Belushi in "Animal House", when he was under the stands at the football practice and was looking up the skirts of the cheerleaders. There was a crowd of us who spent a lot of time crawling up and down the bleachers using the framework instead of the steps. I take the fifth on whether or not I took advantage of being under there to look up any skirts! ... that my butt either froze off or got splinters in it from the wooden seats on every visit. ... that I never knew if there was a parking lot there or not, because I never drove to any game there. I always walked. ... that I wrote the following in my book "A Million Tomorrows...Memories of the Class of '64" about an eventful night there that stuck in my mind. One night, at a Lee and a somebody-else football game at Goldsmith-Schiffman Field, Connie and I were sitting in the stands watching the game. Right in the middle of the game, for some unknown reason, Connie jumped up, said she'd be back in a second, and ran off. Fifteen minutes passed and she was not back. Finally, I got worried and started looking for her. I walked around the field several times, to the snack bar, to the rest rooms, but could not find her anywhere. Goldsmith-Schiffman Field was an old ball field. It was old and it was small. It had a ten-foot rock wall that surrounded the field and blocked the view of the street outside. I finally went outside the gate to see if she was there. As I looked up the street, I saw Benny and Connie walking toward me holding hands. Not knowing I was there, they stopped, put their arms around each other and engaged in a passionate kiss. I turned and walked back inside, alone and crushed. A few minutes later Connie came running in, by herself and returned to her place in the bleachers. She acted as if nothing had happened. When I asked where she had been, she said she was in the girl's room talking to a friend in trouble who needed someone to talk to. She stayed with that story for the longest, until I finally confronted her with what I had witnessed. A few days later, with me hurt, jealous, and unable to forget or forgive, the relationship between Connie and me came to an end for the first time. She was the first girl I had ever gone steady with and that was the first time I had ever broken up with a girl. It hurt. Other Classmates' Memories of Goldsmith-Schiffman Field Subject: Goldsmith Schiffman Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 00:02:48 EDT From: JudyTigerFan@aol.com I remember decorating the goalposts for ballgames and having Joe Schultz push the posts to try to knock me off. I also remember all the crowd walking to Mulllin's after the games. What fun!!! Judy Scarborough Milner Subject: Goldsmith/Schiffman Etc. Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 00:28:49 -0500 From: Escoe Beatty <bebeatty@bellsouth.net> My clearest memory of G/S Field was in the ninth grade and we were cheering at the first game of the season. We were all worried because the letter sweaters had not come in yet and we were out there in a blouse and a skirt. Just in the nick of time Mrs. Parr came running up with her arms full of sweaters and we proceeded to put them on. As I remember we about had a heat stroke but would have died before we would have taken them off. Ahhh... youth and all of our earth shaking problems! That is still the neatest old field with its stone walls and smack in the middle of town with no parking lots. Subject: Goldsmith-Schiffman Field Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 11:28:39 EDT From: Barbdonn13@aol.com Don't know if I spelled Goldsmith-Schiffman Field correctly, but I do have one rather fuzzy memory that you may know something about, since you also attended East Clinton Street School. I think this was in the 2nd grade, but possibly the 3rd grade. I remember dressing in a navy blue skirt, white blouse and red belt and marching at the field to John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever." I think we "played" those wonderful wooden sticks.The boys wore navy pants, white shirts and something red, too. (Maybe a bandanna?) Cannot believe I remember that, but I know I really thought we were something at the time! Do you remember that? And if you do, why did we do that? Perhaps every class had to come up with something to do, and all our parents showed up to watch. My 2nd grade teacher was Mrs. Matlock, 3rd was Mrs. Chapman. Just in case, 1st was Miss Faber. Did you have either of them? Too bad we didn't start these trips down memory lane when I still had a memory! Thanks again for the wonderful job on the website. TTYL, Barbara (Editor's Note: No I don't remember that. My memory of that type event was having to buy black bluejeans and a pink shirt and doing the May Pole on May Day. We used strips of crepe paper and marched in and out of each other while we wound up the pole then turned around and went the opposite way and unwound it. The teacher I remember the most at East Clinton was Mrs. Lusk.) From Our Mailbag... Subject: Re: Lee High School 64-65-66 Website updated for 9-24-01 Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2001 11:54:24 -0500 From: "Johnny Sharp" <jsharpdd681@home.com> Tommy, You're doing a super job on our website. It was very nice of you to contact Penny (Lenoir) Sumners after her loss. We all need to be there for each other and if there's anything I can do for you or any of our classmates, just let me know! I also have a lot of great memories of the Lyric, the Grand and the Elks (Bug House) Theaters. My earliest memories are of watching The Three Mesquiteers, Hopalong Cassidy, Lash LaRue and Randolph Scott at the old Elks Theater. It's good to bring back all these good memories to cleanse away a lot of today's fast living stress. Great work to you and all our classmates who've submitted memories that have helped a lot of us in our battle against senility! Ha! Ha! Bye for now, Johnny Sharp (Class of 1964) Subject: Lyric Theater Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 08:56:17 -0500 From: "J Kincaid" <njkincaid@hotmail.com> Class 0f '66 My earliest memories are the Saturday morning movies in the late 50's/early 60's when we could get in free with a Golden Flake Potato Chip bag. But my fondest memories are from June 1965 to March 1967 when I worked at the Lyric. My co-workers were kids from all three city high schools - including fellow Lee classmates Kenneth Finley (class of '66) and Bruce Reed (class of '67) - so between all of us we always knew where all the parties in town were. Along with all the perks of working at a movie theater: * free movies for family & dates * all the popcorn & candy you could eat * being able to climb through a trap door to the roof to have a bird's eye view of the Christmas parade just to name a few, I had two great bosses - Charles Crute & Ronald Martz. I still refer to them to this day when discussing how a person's first job experience can influence them for the rest of their life. They taught me well!! Keep up the great work, Tommy. It is really appreciated!!!!!! Subject: Memories of the Lyric Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 11:20:59 EDT From: Barbdonn13@aol.com I remember also the talent shows on Saturday mornings. I was about 4 or 5 years old when I managed to win a prize. (I think this was a 2nd or 3rd -- not really sure, because it was obviously an "Ah, isn't she cute!" prize) I was singing "Mockingbird Hill" -- first verse only -- when the piano player continued to play. My comment was simply "That's all I know." The audience roared and I came away with a cowgirl purse. I couldn't have been happier, since I was a real tomboy at that time. I intended to send this sooner. Sorry to be slow. Barbara (Editor's Note: Thanks Barbara, I thought I was the only one who remembered the talent shows - started to wonder if it was a made-up-memory. You've eased my mind.) Subject: Praise for the Editor in Chief! Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 14:17:20 -0400 From: "Judith L Hubbard" <jlhubbard947@earthlink.net> Hi Tommy, I can't begin to express my appreciation for all your work in developing, maintaining, and updating the alumni website. Before September 11th., 2001, it was a special place to "go" to take a nostalgic and sweet look back in time. I wondered, how do all these people have such fantastic,detailed memories? These keys unlock doors to the past for me as well, and I am truly grateful for the shared experiences. The site now provides, in addition, a sense of connectedness that is so precious in these new uncertain times, as our Camelot is forever changed. We will move on with our lives, but the feeling in my gut is one I will have to learn to live with, as will all of us. For the first time in my adult life, I do not grieve that I have no children. It is difficult enough to talk to my eight year old nephew about wearing red, white and blue to school. He told me that seeing the events in New York and Washington ! on TV made him sick to his stomach. We went to the county fair on Friday evening. Seeing the young people calming their prize beef cattle in the show ring, he was initially alarmed that the long sticks they were holding to the bellies of the animals were causing pain, instead of a soothing effect. How will he ever comprehend the true nature of "holy war?" How will I? The two words don't belong on the same page nor in the same world. Thank you for your work, Tommy, and thank you for this special and innocent place. (Editor's Note: My first thoughts at this national tragedy was back to when I sat in my Lee High School geometry class and heard the news of John F. Kennedy getting shot in Dallas. I remembered the loss I felt, and the helplessness that I felt as a "kid" in a nation - a kid that could do nothing to help or to change the facts or the consequences of that senseless act. And now as an adult I feel that same helplessness again, only this one hurts more. I know that this generation now has it's own Pearl Harbor and Dallas to remember when someone asks the eventual question of "What were you doing when...". I know that I can do nothing myself, but I do have the satisfaction of knowing that I did my own little part of combating terrorism back in 1986 when the United States on April 14, 1986, launched Operation El Dorado Canyon, a controversial but highly successful mission that hit Col. Muammar Qaddafi 's sponsored terrorist camps. I now will sit back like my parent's did then and let the new generation of soldiers, sailors, and airmen fight the fight for our freedom and security. God be with them.) Subject: Goldsmith/Schiffman Etc. Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 00:28:49 -0500 From: Escoe Beatty <bebeatty@bellsouth.net> Tommy- I don't get to visit the site as often as I would like to and catching up on all the archives can take the better part of my my old age. Therefore, I am way behind on commenting on topics past. I wanted to comment on was a reference to one of the parties we had at my house. I think someone said it was a Twist party and it turned out to be for her because of her poor knee...actually it was mine and Sarajane's sixteenth birthday party. That WAS the good old days...every time there was any party in town someone always went to Big Boys and Jerry's and told everyone and they all came!!! Even to this day I will ocassionally meet someone for the first time and they will say "Are you the Escoe that lived up on Bankhead...I came to a party at your house back in '63." I remember that Pam Goatley suprised us with a birthday cake that she had bought with money she had collected from everyone at school...I kept one of the frosting roses from that cake for probably 25 years. By the way, speaking of collecting money at school ...remember how we would all pitch in to help cover each others' speeding tickets??? Enuf for now Nite Nite... Escoe German Beatty Subject: Hello Tommy Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 06:52:25 -0700 (PDT) From: Jennifer Baughman <jenniferbaug@yahoo.com> Is there anyway to go back and get the webpage that you created with Craig and I on it? I just had some friends I wanted to send it to if I could pull it up again. Don't go to any trouble. It's not that important. Thanks a lot. (Editor's Note: Back issues of the web pages are viewable by clicking on the WEB ARCHIVES button in the buttons at the top right of this page. They are not all there but there are many, and recently all the new pages are available there.) Subject: New leealumni Mailing List Member Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 01:49:45 +0000 From: Don Stroud E-mail: riverbmd@aol.com Tommy Thanks a bunch for your hard work. I'm really getting a kick hearing fom the old gang at Lee High. Boy those were the good old days!! I've started your journal.It really brings back the memories. Thanks again for bringing those special times in all our lifes to the special ones at Lee. Don Stroud Subject: hello Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 18:41:01 -0500 From: "Pat Stolz" <pstolz@knology.net> I am totally enjoying the newsletter, especially the trips down memory lane and love the before and after pictures, I don't feel as bad when I pass a mirror. Wonder if you would pass along congratulations to Jim McBride on his new song, "Angels In Waiting", made me cry first time i heard it, especially knowing it is about a true situation. Again, keep up the good work. Pat Torzillo Stolz (Editor's Note: Jim is a regular visitor to the site so he will see your comments. I checked on Billboard and the song is now # 11, down from # 9, but it did make it into the Top 10 so I am sure that makes Jim happy. For those who don't know what we're talking about, visit the WEB ARCHIVES, and check out the whole story.) ____________________________________________________________________ |
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Est. March 31, 2000 16,212 Previous Hits October 1, 2001 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu |
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E-mail us your memories about: For Next Week's Edition |
Zesto Is Rising from the Ashes Fred and Lynn Sanders sends us some new photos of how the rebuilding of Zeso is coming along. Still looks like a while before we taste those dip-dogs. |
Photos by Fred and Lynn Sanders |
