College Football
Week Holiday Extra – What Year Was It?
They hootenanny
all the time
with folks from
everywhere
“Come Sunday morning, rain or shine, right in Washington Square”
It was the year of civil rights marches and demonstrations and the reawakening of the women’s movement. We lost a classic country music singer, and it was the year a British spy made his debut.
Coca-Cola introduced a new drink, and the Post Office introduced Zip Codes. By the end of the year, Beatlemania was established, and a British Doctor made his debut.
What year was it?
On January 3, the Beatles began their first tour of the year in Elgin, Scotland. Five days later, Leonardo de Vinci’s Mona Lisa was exhibited in the United States for the first time at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
George Wallace became the governor of Alabama on January 14, while on the same day, the steam locomotive Flying Scotsman (British Railways) made its last scheduled run.
During the last week of January, Black student Harvey Gantt entered Clemson University in South Carolina, the last state to hold out against racial desegregation. The next day, French President Charles de Gaulle vetoed the United Kingdom’s entry into the European Common Market.
Just eight days into February, travel, financial and commercial transactions by United States citizens to Cuba were made illegal. Three days later, on February 11, the Beatles recorded their debut album Please Please Me in a single day at the Abbey Road Studio in London. On the same day, American-born poet Sylvia Plath committed suicide in London.
In mid-February, Northwest Airlines Flight 705 crashed in the Florida Everglades, killing all 43 aboard. Also, Harold Wilson became the leader of the opposition Labour Party in the United Kingdom.
“From Cape Cod Light to the Mississippi, to San Francisco Bay
Later in the month, the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique launched the reawakening of the Women’s Movement in the United States.
In Camden, Tennessee, on March 5, country music star Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash, along with fellow performers Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and Cline’s manager and pilot Randy Hughes. They were returning from a benefit performance in Kansas City for country music disc jockey Cactus Jack Call.
Almost two weeks later, the Supreme Court of the United States, in Gideon vs. Wainwright, ruled that state courts are required to provide council in criminal cases for defendants who cannot afford to pay for their own attorneys.
Three days later, The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay closed. The last 27 prisoners were transferred to other prisons.
In Louisville, Kentucky, on March 23, Loyola (Chicago) defeated Cincinnati, 60-58, to win the NCAA Basketball Championship. Loyola was coached by George Ireland and Cincinnati was coached by Ed Jucker. Duke’s Art Heyman was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
A few days later, Alfred Hitchcock’s film “The Birds” opened in movie theaters in the United States. On the last day of March, the New York City newspaper strike ended after 114 days.
“And so I got my banjo out, just sitting, catching dust
On April Fool’s Day, the soap opera “General Hospital” debuted on ABC television. Six days later, Jack Nicklaus won the Masters Golf Tournament. Nicklaus beat out Tony Lema by one stroke to win the tournament.
The following night, at the 35th Academy Awards ceremony at the Santa Monica Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, “Lawrence of Arabia” won the Best Picture Award. Gregory Peck won the Best Actor Award for his role in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and Ann Bancroft won the Best Actress Award for her role in “The Miracle Worker.”
Within the next two days, British statesman Sir Winston Churchill was made an honorary citizen of the United States, and the nuclear submarine Thresher sunk 220 miles off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. All 129 on board died.
On April 18, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 4-games-to-1, to win the Stanley Cup.
As April was coming to an end, Lester Bowles Pearson became the 14th Prime Minister of Canada. Two days later, the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4-games-to-2. The Celtics were coached by Red Auerbach and the Lakers were coached by Fred Schaus.
On May Day, the Coca-Cola Company introduced Tab, its first diet drink. Three days later, Chateauguay, ridden by jockey Braulio Baeza, won the 89th running of the Kentucky Derby.
“My folks were sad to see me go, but I got no meaning there
May 8 saw “Dr. No,” the first James Bond film, open in U.S. theaters, while CVS Pharmacy opened its first store in Lowell, Massachusetts.
In mid-May, a smallpox outbreak hit Stockholm, Sweden. It lasted until July. Kuwait became the 111th member of the United Nations, and NASA launched Gordon Cooper on Mercury-Atlas 9, the last mission of the Mercury Project.
On May 22, A.C. Milan downed Benfica, 2-1, at Wembley Stadium in London to win the European Cup. Three days later, also at Wembley Stadium, Manchester United won the FA Cup, beating Leicester City, 3-1. On the same day at the French Open Tennis Championship, Lesley Turner of Australia beat Ann Haydon of England to win the women’s singles title. The following day, Roy Emerson of Australia beat Pierre Damon of France to take the men’s singles title.
And finally, before May was over, Bob Dylan’s second studio album – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – was released by Columbia Records in the U.S. The opening song was “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
On June 3, Pope John XXIII died. In Orlando, Florida, a week later, Florida Tech (now the University of Central Florida) was established by the Florida legislature.
The next day, Alabama governor George Wallace stood at the door of the University of Alabama to protest against integration, before stepping aside and allowing Black students James Hood and Vivian Malone to enroll. A day later, civil rights activists Medgar Evers was murdered in Jackson, Mississippi.
“Near Tennessee, I met a guy who played 12-string guitar
Summer was underway and while not yet able to listen to the games on the radio, college football fans were listening to “Pipeline” by The Chantays; “Surfin USA” by The Beach Boys; “Two Faces Have I” by Lou Christie; “Reverend Mr. Black” by The Kingston Trio; “Losing You” by Brenda Lee; “I Love You Because” by Al Martino; “Still” by Bill Anderson; “Take These Chains From My Heart” by Ray Charles; “Hot Pastrami” by The Dartells; “Another Saturday Night” by Sam Cooke, and “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” by The Crystals.
Continuing in mid-June, the film Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton, opened in U.S. movie theaters. The cancelation of Mercury-Atlas 10 effectively ended the manned-spaceflight Project Mercury. Meanwhile, Vostok 6 carried Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman into space.
On June 20, Swedish Air Force Colonel Stig Wennerstrom was arrested for being a spy for the Soviet Union.
Meantime, the radio stations were playing “You Can’t Sit Down” by The Dovells; “Hello Stranger” by Barbara Lewis; “The Good Life” by Tony Bennett; “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer” by Nat King Cole; “18 Yellow Roses” by Bobby Darin; “It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore; “Wildwood Days” by Bobby Rydell; “Sukiyaki” by Kyu Sakamoto; “Birdland” by Chubby Checker; “Pride And Joy” by Marvin Gaye; “My Summer Love” by Ruby and The Romantics, and “Blue On Blue” by Bobby Vinton.
During the next three days, Pope Paul VI succeeded Pope John XXIII. Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Tony Gonzalez played his 200th-straight, error-free game, as the Phillies beat the New York Mets, 2-0. And, at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, Julius Boros won the U.S. Open Golf Championship. Boros won the title in an 18-hole playoff with Jacky Cupit and Arnold Palmer.
“Each time he hit those bluegrass chords, you sure smelled mountain air
As June was coming to a close, David Ben-Gurion was replaced by Levi Eshkol as the prime minister of Israel.
On the 1st of July, Zip Codes were introduced by the United States Postal Service. Six days later, at the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, Margaret Smith of Australia beat Billie Jean Moffit of the United States to win the women’s singles title. The next day, Chuck McKinley of the United States downed Fred Stolle of Australia for the men’s singles title.
As the summer air grew warmer and thicker, the DJs were playing and college football fans were listening to “Ring Of Fire” by Johnny Cash; “One Fine Day” by The Chiffons; “On Top Of Spaghetti” by Tom Glazer; “Denise” by Randy and The Rainbows; “So Much In Love” by The Tymes; “Six Days On The Road” by Dave Dudley; “Easier Said Than Done” by The Essex; “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” by Rolf Harris; “Memphis” by Lonnie Mack, and “Falling” by Roy Orbison.
The following week, at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Course in England, Bob Charles won the British Open Championship. Charles finished eight strokes ahead of runner-up Phil Rodgers.
A week later, at the Blue Course of the Dallas Athletic Club in Dallas, Texas, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship. Nicklaus finished two strokes ahead of Dave Ragan.
“In New Orleans, we saw a gal, walking with no shoes
The summer airwaves continued to be filled with music, including “Detroit City” by Bobby Bare; “My True Confession” by Brook Benton; “Surf City” by Jan &Dean; “Not Me” by The Orlons; “Harry The Hairy Ape” by Ray Stevens; “No One” by Ray Charles; “Mockingbird” by Inez Foxx; “Abilene” by George Hamilton IV; “Hopeless” by Andy Williams, and “Fingertips – Part 2” by Stevie Wonder.
On July 26, an earthquake in Skopje, Yugoslavia, left 1,800 dead. Four days later, British diplomat and double agent Kim Philby was given asylum in Moscow.
It was August 3 and the Beatles performed at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, for the last time.
As summer was coming to an end, college football fans could not wait for the season to begin. USC was the No. 1 team in preseason polls. The top songs on the radio were “I (Who Have Nothing)” by Ben E. King; “Green, Green” by The New Christy Minstrels; “Blowin’ In The Wind” by Peter, Paul & Mary; “(You’re The) Devil In Disguise” by Elvis Presley; “Candy Girl” by The 4 Seasons; “Judy’s Turn To Cry” by Lesley Gore, and “True Love Never Runs Smooth” by Gene Pitney.
On August 8, the Great Train Robbery took place in Buckinghamshire, England.
“She sang for all humanity, this gal with raven hair
In mid-August, James Meredith became the first black man to graduate from the University of Mississippi.
Just days before the first games of the season, college football fans were grillin’ and chillin’ to “More” by Kai Winding & Orchestra; “The Monkey Time” by Major Lance; “I Wonder” by Brenda Lee; “Danke Schoen” by Wayne Newton; “Twist It Up” by Chubby Checker, and “Make The World Go Away” by Tami Yuro.
Near the end of August, Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps pf the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
A week into September, the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio, with 17 charter members. On the same day, at the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, Maria Bueno of Brazil beat Margaret Smith of Australia for the women’s singles title. The following day, Rafael Osuma of Mexico defeated Frank Froehling of the United States for the men’s singles title.
Meanwhile, the college football season was underway and fans were tailgating to “Frankie And Johnny” by Sam Cooke; “If I Had A Hammer” by Trini Lopez; “Painted, Tainted Rose” by Al Martino; “My Boyfriend’s Back” by The Angels; “Surfer Girl” by The Beach Boys, and “Heatwave” by Martha & The Vandellas.
The following week, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed, killing four and injuring 22.
“She sang for all humanity, this gal with raven hair
Television shows that premiered in September included “The Outer Limits,” “The Fugitive,” “The Patty Duke Show” and “Burke’s Law” on ABC, and “Petticoat Junction” on CBS.
College football fans were celebrating their wins and mourning their losses to “The Kind Of Boy You Can’t Forget” by The Raindrops; “Hey There Lonely Boy” by Ruby and The Romantics; “Blue Velvet” by Bobby Vinton; “Little Deuce Coupe” by The Beach Boys; “Then He Kissed Me” by The Crystals; “Only In America” by Jay & The Americans; “Cry Baby” by Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters; “Mickey’s Monkey” by The Miracles, and “Wonderful! Wonderful!” by The Tymes.
On the last Saturday of September, at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, before a crowd of 52245, and on CBS television, No. 3 Oklahoma knocked off No. 1 USC, 17-12.
The first day of October, Oklahoma became the No. 1 team in the country.
Three days later Hurricane Flora, one of the worst Atlantic storms in history, hit Hispaniola and Cuba, killing 7,000 people.
Still in the first week of October, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the New York Yankees 4-games-to-0, beating the Yankees, 2-1, in the fourth game to win the World Series. The Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax was named the Most Valuable Player of the Series.
“We cannonballed into New York on good old U.S. 1
On October 8, Sam Cooke and his band were arrested after trying to register at a whites only motel in Louisiana. A few months later, Cooke recorded the song “A Change is Gonna Come.” Two days later, the second James Bond film, “From Russia with Love,” opened in the United Kingdom.
In mid-October, at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, before a crowd of 76,004, and on CBS television, No. 2 Texas beat No. 1 Oklahoma, 28-7. Three days later, Texas was named the No. 1 team in the country.
On October 17, Ludwig Erhard replaced Konrad Adenauer as Chancellor of West Germany. Two days later, Alec Douglas-Home succeeded Harold McMillan as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
With Halloween approaching, college football fans were carving their pumpkins to “A Walkin’ Miracle” by The Essex; “That Sunday, That Summer” by Nat King Cole; “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes; “Busted” by Ray Charles; “I Can’t Stay Mad At You” by Skeeter Davis; “I’ll Take You Home” by The Drifters; “Honolulu Lulu” by Jan & Dean; “Mean Woman Blues” by Roy Orbison; “Talk To Me” by Sunny and The Sunglows; “Donna The Prima Donna” by Dion; “Blue Bayou” by Roy Orbison; “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Peter, Paul & Mary, and “Deep Purple” by Nino Tempo & April Stevens.
The day before Halloween, the automobile manufacturing firm Lamborghini was founded in Italy. On Halloween night, a gas explosion during a “Holiday on Ice” show at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum in Indianapolis killed 74 people.
“As far as all the eye could see, ten thousand folks were there
The price of a first-class stamp was 5 cents, and the price of a gallon of gas was 29 cents. A loaf of bread cost 22 cents, a gallon of milk was 49 cents, while a dozen eggs were 55 cents.
Two days into November, a coup in South Vietnam arrested and assassinated Ngo Dinh Diem. Four days later, coup leader Duong Van Minh took over as the leader of South Vietnam.
In mid-November, a newspaper strike began in Toledo, Ohio. Two days later, the first push-button telephone became available to AT&T customers in the United States.
At Thanksgiving, college football fans were stuffing themselves with turkey and pumpkin pie, while listening to “The Grass Is Greener” by Brenda Lee; “Cross Fire!” by The Orlons; “500 Miles Away From Home” by Bobby Bare; “I’m Leaving It Up To You” by Dale & Grace; “Walking The Dog” by Rufus Thomas;, and “Everybody” by Tommy Roe.
On November 22, English-born writer Aldous Huxley and Irish-born writer C.S. Lewis both died – Huxley from cancer and Lewis from renal failure. On the same day, the Beatles second album, With the Beatles, was released in the United Kingdom.
The following day, November 23, the first episode of the BBC television series “Doctor Who” was broadcast in the United Kingdom.
The consensus All-American first team consisted of end Vern Burke – Oregon State (6-4, 195) Bakersfield, CA; end Lawrence Elkins – Baylor (6-1, 187) Brownwood, TX; tackle Scott Appleton – Texas (6-3, 235) Brady, TX; tackle Carl Eller – Minnesota (6-5, 241) Winston-Salem, NC; guard Bob Brown – Nebraska (6-5, 259) Cleveland, OH; guard Rick Redman – Washington (5-11, 210) Seattle, WA; center Dick Butkus – Illinois (6-3, 234) Chicago, IL; quarterback Roger Staubach – Navy (6-2, 190) Cincinnati, OH; running back Sherman Lewis – Michigan State (5-8, 154) Louisville, KY; running back Jim Grisham – Oklahoma (6-2, 205) Olney, TX; running back Gale Sayers – Kansas (6-0, 196) Omaha, NE, and defensive back Paul Martha – Pitt (6-1, 180) Wilkinsburg, PA.
Eight days into December, a lightning strike caused the crash of Pan Am Flight 214 near Elkton, Maryland, killing 81 people. Also, on the same day, Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped at Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Four days later, Kenya gained independence from the United Kingdom.
Navy quarterback Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy. Georgia Tech quarterback Billy Lothridge was the runner-up. Lothridge was followed in the voting by Michigan State running back Sherran Lewis and Baylor quarterback Don Trull.
Staubach also won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s most outstanding football player.
The Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman went to Scott Appleton of Texas.
“Say, how about a freedom song, or the ole ‘Rock Island Line’
Two bowl games were played on December 21. Mississippi State beat NC State, 16-12, in the Liberty Bowl, and Baylor beat LSU, 14-7, in the Bluebonnet Bowl.
Also, “Mr. Soul” by Sam Cooke; “Please Please Me” by The Beatles; “Surfin’ U.S.A. by The Beach Boys; “Baby Workout” by Jackie Wilson; “Living It Up” by Bert Kaempfert; “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” by Bob Dylan; “The Patsy Cline Story” by Patsy Cline’ “I’ll Cry If I Want To” by Lesley Gore; “Faithfully Yours” by Eddy Arnold; “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison; “So Much In Love” by The Tymes; “Laughing On the Outside” by Aretha Franklin; “Cattle Call” by Eddy Arnold; “Let’s Go” by The Ventures, and “Night Beat” by Sam Cooke.
Also, “The Second Barbra Streisand Album” by Barbra Streisand; “Surfer Girl” by The Beach Boys; “Heat Wave” by Martha and The Vandellas; “Painted’ Tainted Rose” by Al Martino; “When In Spain” by Cliff Richard; “Little Deuce Coupe” by The Beach Boys; “Blue Gene” by Gene Pitney; “Cloudy with Occasional Tears” by Skeeter Davis; “Deep Purple” by Nino Temp and April Stevens; “How Do You Like It?” by Gerry & The Pacemakers; “In the Wind” by Peter, Paul and Mary; “With the Beatles” by The Beatles; “With a Song in My Heart” by Stevie Wonder, and “In Person” by The Kingsmen.
With Christmas near and bowl games in the air, college football fans were doing their holiday shopping to “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” by Barry and The Tamerlanes; “Hey Little Girl” by Major Lance; “Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa” by Gene Pitney; “Bose Nova Baby” by Elvis Presley; “Little Red Rooster” by Sam Cooke; “Saturday Night” by The New Christy Minstrels; “Be True To Your School” by The Beach Boys; “You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry” by The Caravelles; “Wives And Lovers” by Jack Jones; “Wonderful Summer” by Robin Ward; “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen; “Forget Him” by Bobby Rydell; “Talk Back Trembling Lips” by Johnny Tillotson; “Dominique” by The Singing Nun; “You’re All I Want For Christmas” by Brook Benton; and “White Christmas” by Andy Williams.
On December 22, the cruise ship Lakonia caught fire and burned 180 miles north of Madera, with the loss of 128 lives.
Some of the more popular movies of the year were “The Great Escape;” “The Pink Panther;” “The Birds;” “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World;” “Dr. No;” “Cleopatra;” “Charade;” “Hud;” “To Kill A Mocking Bird; “PT 109;” “The Thrill of It All,” and “Bye Bye Birdie.”
Also, “Tom Jones;” “Irma la Douce;” “The Prize;” “Donovan’s Reef;” “The V.I.P.s;” “Lilies of the Field;” “Love with the Proper Stranger;” “Dr. No;” “How the West Was Won,” and “The List of Adrian Messenger.”
“The songs and legends of our land are gold we all can share
Some of the better reads during the year included “Seven Days in May” by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II; “Fail-Safe” by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler; “The Sand Pebbles” by Richard McKenna; “The Moonspinners” by Mary Stewart; “The Cape Cod Lighter” by John O’Hara; “Ship of Fools” by Katherine Anne Porter, and “A Shade of Difference” by Allen Drury.
Also, “The Centaur” by John Updike; “The Glass Blowers” by Daphne du Maurier; “The Tin Drum” by Gunter Grass; “The Bedford Incident” by Mark Rascovich; “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters” by J.D. Salinger; “Grandmother and the Priests” by Taylor Caldwell; “The Shoes of the Fisherman” by Morris L. West; “Elizabeth Appleton” by John O’Hara; “City of Night” by John Rechy, and “Caravans” by James Michener.
Also, “The Concubine” by Nora Lofts; “The Group” by Mary McCarthy; “Joy in the Morning” by Betty Smith; “The Collector” by John Fowles; “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” by Ian Fleming; “The Venetian Affair” by Helen MacInnes; “The Battle of the Villa Fiorita” by Rumer Godden; “The Living Reed” by Pearl S. Buck, and “The Three Sirens” by Irving Wallace.
The day after Christmas, the Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” were released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania.
Well-known people who were born during the year included David Cone; Rand Paul; Michael Jordan; Charles Barkley; Vijay Singh; Vanessa Williams; Kathy Ireland; Julian Lennon; Gary Kasparov; Joe Scarborough; Jimmy Osmond; Conan O’Brien; Valerie Plame; Michael Waltrip; Natasha Richardson; Rich Rodriguez; Mike Myers; Johnny Depp; Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear.
Also, Bruce Smith; Edie Falco; Brigitte Nelsen; Karl Malone; Lisa Kudrow; Chris Mullin; Whitney Houston; Richard Marx; Mark McGwire; Fred McGriff; Tatum O’Neal; Hugh Bonneville; Vinny Testaverde; Bernie Kosar; Charles Oakley, Brad Pitt; Jennifer Beals; Jim Harbaugh, and Sean Payton.
Famous people who died during the year included Dick Powell; Robert Frost; Sylvia Plath; William Carlos Williams; Patsy Cline; Cowboy Copas; Hawkshaw Hawkins; Ernie Davis; Pope John XXIII; ZaSu Pitts; Medgar Evers; Estes Kefauver; Edith Piaf; Aldous Huxley; C.S. Lewis; John F. Kennedy, and Gorgeous George.
Two more bowl games were played on December 28. North Carolina won the Gator Bowl, beating Air Force, 35-0, and Western Kentucky beat Coast Guard, 27-0, in the Tangerine Bowl.
The Down Jones Industrial Average closed the year at 762.
“They hootenanny all the time with folks from everywhere
The most popular TV shows of the year were “The Beverly Hillbillies;” “Bonanza;” “The Dick Van Dyke Show;” “Petticoat Junction;” “The Andy Griffith Show;” “The Lucy Show;” “The Ed Sullivan Show;” “The Danny Thomas Show,” and “The Red Skelton Show.”
Also, “The Donna Reed Show;” “The Virginian;” “The Patty Duke Show;” “Dr. Kildare;” “Gunsmoke;” “Hazel;” “McHale’s Navy;” “Perry Mason;” “My Three Sons,” and “The Fugitive.”
During the last few days of the year and on New Year’s Eve, college football fans were partying, drinking, celebrating and singing to “Drip Drop” by Dion; “The Nitty Gritty” by Shirley Ellis; “Kansas City” by Trini Lopez; “Quicksand” by Martha & The Vandellas; “Popsicles And Icicles” by The Murmaids; “Stewball” by Peter, Paul & Mary; “There! I’ve Said It Again” by Bobby Vinton; “That Lucky Old Sun” by Ray Charles; “Hooka Tooka” by Chubby Checker; “Drag City” by Jan & Dean; “Jingo Jango” by Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra; “Charade” by Henry Mancini and His Orchestra; “Out Of Limits” by The Marketts; “Surfin’ Bird” by The Trashmen; “Somewhere” by The Tymes, and “Anyone Who Had A Heart” by Dionne Warwick.
On New Year’s Eve, Oregon beat SMU in the Sun Bowl, 21-14.
The college football season came to an end on New Year’s Day with the playing of the four classic bowl games – the Cotton, Orange, Rose and Sugar. Texas won the Cotton Bowl Classic, beating Navy, 28-6. In the Orange Bowl, Nebraska beat Auburn, 13-7.
Illinois downed Washington, 17-7, in the Rose Bowl. And Alabama won the Sugar Bowl, with a 12-7 victory over Ole Miss.
Texas (11-0-0), coached by Darrell Royal, won the national championship, finishing in first place in both the Associated Press and UPI polls. Five of Texas’ 11 wins that season were close games – a 17-13 win over Arkansas, 10-6 over Rice, 17-12 over SMU, 7-0 over Baylor and a 15-13 win over Texas A&M.
“Washington Square” was recorded by the Village Stompers. The instrumental entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 21. It peaked at No. 2 on November 23, during the week that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. “Washington Square” was on the Billboard chart for 14 weeks, throughout the football season, until December 28.
The song was originally composed as an instrumental. The music was written by David Shire and Bobb Goldstein. Goldstein then wrote the lyrics for the song while the instrumental version by the Village Stompers was on the charts. Before the year was over, and while the instrumental was still on the charts, the Ames Brothers and the Kirby Stone Four recorded the song with Goldstein’s lyrics. The Village Stompers were an American Dixieland jazz group during the 1950s and 1960s. The group developed a folk-dixie style that began with the hit song “Washington Square.”
The year and football season was 1963.
Touchdown Tom
