Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Alabama's Organ Transplant Pioneer

Many of us in Alabama are aware of the organ transplant program at UAB School of Medicine and its success over the years. After all, about 400 organs are transplanted every year and more than 14,000 such operations have been performed since 1968. Some people may not know that one of the world's transplant pioneers was born in a small town in Shelby County. Let's investigate. 

A summary of James D. Hardy, Jr.'s career and accomplishments can be read below in the text from his historical marker in Calera. Luckily for us Dr. Hardy published an autobiography in 2002; the first chapter describes his years growing up in Calera. 

Hardy and twin brother Julian were born on May 14, 1918, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham. James was named after his paternal grandfather James D. Hardy, a native of Glasgow, Scotland. 

The family lived next to the Newala Lime Plant in Calera, owned by the elder James who had been in Alabama since at least 1882. In 1883 Hardy, his younger brother John and two other lime kiln owners formed the Alabama Lime Company. "Newala" is a pure type of limestone found in Shelby County; lime plants continue to operate there. 

At the time of the twins' birth, mother Julia taught Latin at the Girls' Technical Institute, now the University of Montevallo. A graduate of the University of Alabama and Columbia University in New York City, she eventually married an older widower, Fred Hardy, a University of Tennessee graduate who already had three children. 

Hardy's maternal grandfather Diggs Poyner was a Virginia Military Institute graduate who taught military topics at the University of Alabama during the Civil War. After the war he bought property in Mt Hebron, where Julia was born. 

After marriage the new couple and Fred's sons settled in what Hardy described as their drafty house that nonetheless provided "a home and a solid refuge." The 1930 U.S. Census notes they lived in Montevallo on state highway 25. Hardy claims the house was called "Newala" and reflected his parents' states of origins, New York and Alabama. 

In the first chapter of his memoir, Hardy paints his childhood and teen years with vivid details. His father was a stern disciplinarian with the twins, and his mother was too--with half-hearted switchings and shaming. He recalls his mother's home schooling of Julian and himself, since the family obviously valued education, and she was unhappy with the quality of local public schools. Hardy also mentions berry picking trips with her.

Many other memories are included: his first "ghost" sighting, jobs he had around the house, 4-H Club, Christmas foods and celebrations, his bout with pneumonia, their dogs and cows, and the Great Depression. In high school he played trombone and Julian played sax in a dance orchestra, the Bama Skippers. He includes a long section on the medical lessons he learned at home while growing up. 

The twins graduated from the University of Alabama on May 24, 1938, in a very hot football stadium. In early September James boarded a train in Birmingham for Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Two fellow Alabamians in the school were waiting for him at the station.

Hardy left Alabama for medical training because the state only had a two-year medical program in Tuscaloosa at the time. He would have had to go elsewhere to complete his M.D. anyway. The four-year Medical College of Alabama did not open in Birmingham until September 1946.  

Hardy's historical marker notes he published over 500 articles in medical journals. You can see a list of most of them here. That marker is one of only nine in Shelby County. He was inducted into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 1998. Hardy has an extensive Wikipedia page; the University of Mississippi Medical Center also has one 




Hardy's historical marker is in Calera





Side 1
James Daniel Hardy
May 14, 1918 – February 19, 2003



James Hardy and his twin brother, Julian, were born and reared in Newala, Alabama, 3 miles east of Montevallo. He attended the consolidated grammar school nearby which had 3 rooms for the 6 grades, then attended high school in Montevallo. James received his BA from the University of Alabama in 1938, and his MD in 1942 from the University of Pennsylvania, and continued there for his surgical residency and junior faculty experience. In 1951, he became Director of Surgical Research at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Three years later he became the first chairman of the Department of Surgery at the new University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 1987.
As a surgeon, researcher, teacher, and author Dr. Hardy made signal contributions to medicine over his long career.


Side 2
James Daniel Hardy
May 14, 1918 – February 19, 2003



In 1963 Dr. Hardy and co-workers did the first human lung transplant. In 1964 he and co-workers excised a living human heart for the first time and performed the first heart transplant in a human utilizing a chimpanzee heart. The procedure emphasized the need for generally accepted criteria for brain death so donor organs could be secured.

Dr. Hardy trained over 200 surgeons. He authored, co-authored, or edited 23 books, including 2 that became standard surgical texts, and 2 autobiographies; published over 500 articles in medical journals; and served on numerous editorial boards and as editor-in-chief of the World Journal of Surgery.  Among numerous other honors James Hardy served as president of the Southern Surgical Association, the American Surgical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the International Surgical Society, and the Society of University Surgeons. [2012: 7444 Hwy. 25 South, Calera]















St. Vincent Hospital, Birmingham in 1908





Photo of Shelby County Newala limestone taken by Charles Butts in 1924





Saturday, October 10, 2020

Alabama History and Culture News: October 10 edition

 


Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!


Clio, birthplace of former Alabama Gov George Wallace, elects first African American mayor
The Barbour County town of Clio has a long history since its founding in 1890. Its known as the birthplace of former Alabama governor George ...

City honors Native American history as Montgomery observes 1st Indigenous Peoples' Day
“From an early age I was told shut up, this is the way it is, when I knew it wasn't,” said Jackson. Alabama Indigenous Coalition members and supporters ...


Adjoining Huntsville's historic Maple Hill Cemetery is a playground that looks much like any other, featuring a modern swing set and climbing ...


Birmingham arts groups struggle during pandemic but seek to adapt, move forward
Alabama Ballet company dancer Andres Castillo lifts fellow dancer Madison Ryan ... These historic venues – both owned by the nonprofit Birmingham ...


Alabama writer turns 100, reflects on lifelong career in journalism and fashion
Letters written between Madera and her late husband John T., which were saved by the Alabama Department of Archives and History, give a glimpse ...


What's the Black Belt? Alabama Education Policy Center sets out to define it
“If you use a historical one, you get another, and as you get attitudes toward race, it varies with time and history, and so it's a lot more complicated.”.

LGBTQ History Month: Archives aim to preserve Southern queer history
When Spectrum, the undergraduate LGBTQ student group at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, launched in 1983 it became a resource not just ..


Quilts Again at Belle Mont
The historic house museum owned by the Alabama Historical Commission was built circa 1828. It is one of Alabama's most distinguished Federal ...


The haunted history of Newton's Oates-Reynolds Memorial Building
Most residents of Alabama will know the name of Newton because of the legend of Bill Sketoe, told in the classic “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey” book ...


'Black Belt Bounty' racks up awards at regional outdoor media conferences
Most of the contributors are from Alabama, with many from the Black Belt. “The history, traditions, food, abundant natural resources and, of course, ...


'Black Belt Bounty' racks up awards at regional outdoor media conferences
Most of the contributors are from Alabama, with many from the Black Belt. “The history, traditions, food, abundant natural resources and, of course, ...


Ashville Museum, Archives announces 2nd printing of 'History of St. Clair County'
Ashville Museum, Archives announces 2nd printing of 'History of St. Clair ... of Mattie Lou Teague Crow's book, "History of St. Clair County, Alabama.


Quilts Again at Belle Mont
The historic house museum owned by the Alabama Historical Commission was built circa 1828. It is one of Alabama's most distinguished Federal ...


Booker T. Washington's letter shows South Berwick-Tuskegee connection was 'meant to be'
The connection between the town of South Berwick, Maine, and its sister city of Tuskegee, Alabama, has a history going back to 1898. A letter ...


Books by Alabama authors any horror fan would love
The listing below names only a few of the talented authors with Alabama ties who write horror or supernatural novels. (We've included the genre “ ..


Absolutely Alabama: Gardens, The Gulf, Cowboys and Memories
Also, we'll visit some unforgettable places which one man show us in his new book, Forgotten Alabama. Gardens, The Gulf, Cowboys and Memories.


DON NOBLE: Tuscaloosa author presents images of town and country in earlier days
This new book, “The World through the Dime Store Door: A Memoir,” her ... She has published four books for children, a nonfiction work on Alabama ...


2020 Moundville Native American Festival goes virtual
The University of Alabama's Moundville Archaeological Park will conduct ... Native American performers, demonstrators and living history teachers.


5 things you may not know about Birmingham's LGBTQ history
As Alabama's first queer film showcase, SHOUT features documentaries and short films that explore issues and situations involving the LGBTQ ...


It is the largest funeral in Alabama history. He is buried at Montgomery's Oakwood Cemetery Annex. “People visit his grave daily from all over the ...



Thursday, October 8, 2020

Alabama Author: Arthur K. Akers

Arthur Kellogg Akers was a prolific author of short stories who lived in Birmingham during the 1920's and 1930's. I first came across him while doing research for a recent post on the Federal Theatre Project in Alabama during the 1930's. Let's investigate.

Akers was born in Richmond, Kentucky, on November 6, 1886. His parents James and Clara Akers were both born in Virginia and died in Kentucky in 1901 and 1929 respectively. Arthur was the first born of five siblings; he had two brothers and two sisters. 

Akers' draft registration cards for World War I and II tell us a great deal about him; you can see images below. We learn that he registered June 5, 1917, for the First World War draft. At the time he was living at 406 West Addison in Richmond, Virginia. He worked as manager for the Postal Telegraph Cable Company located at 1216 East Main. Akers described himself as medium height and build with gray eyes and light brown hair. He had a wife and one child. The form asked if he claimed any exemption from service, and he did--"in telegraph business". 

The World War II registration card has additional information. Akers registered at local draft board 244 in Queens, New York, on April 25, 1942. The family was living at 206 Burns Street in Forest Hills, New York. Akers' employer was Public Works magazine at 310 East 45th Street in New York City. Akers listed his height as 5'8" and his weight as 145 lbs. He had a tattoo on his left wrist. 

The 1940 U.S. Census tells us the Akers family was living at the same Burns Street address in Queens. Two additional children were in the household, John, 15, and Nancy 13. By this time Arthur Jr. was 23 and that October registered for the draft in Birmingham, giving his address as 1432 South 18th Street. Apparently his parents and siblings had moved to New York from Birmingham, and perhaps there was some falling out with his parents. On the draft card he listed an aunt in North Carolina as the "Name of Person Who Will Always Know Your Address." Born in Richmond, Virginia, on February 8, 1917, Arthur Jr. died June 24, 1996. 

Akers began publishing short stories long before he moved to Birmingham. According to the FictionMags Index, several appeared between 1909 and 1914, then a gap with few publications until many during the 1925-1935 decade. The earliest two are "Buffalo Mountain Tunnel" in McClure's September 1909 and "As the Dispatcher Told It" in Pearson's Magazine July 1910. One source [the book by Drew cited below] states that some of Akers' fiction was serialized in newspapers but gives no examples. 

During that decade of Akers' prolific output, he and his family were located in Birmingham. I found an entry for him and wife Nancy in the 1920 city directory. They were living at 1625 South 13th Street. I also found this house at that address on Google Maps, which certainly looks like it has survived from his time in the city. Akers occupation was listed as state representative for the Alexander Hamilton Institute, an organization dedicated to business education opened in 1909 and dissolved in the 1980's. Their 1921 publication Forging Ahead in Business describes the Institute and its course of instruction.

Akers and his wife and children appear in the 1930 U.S. Census. He was 43 years and Nancy was 31. Son Arthur was 13, John was five and daughter Nancy was three. A 20 year-old woman named Mary Ellis Spotts was a ward of the "head of household", i.e., Akers. The family lived at 307 English Circle in Homewood; here's the Google Map photo. Akers gave his occupation as self-employed writer. 

Finally, there is a listing in the 1935 Birmingham city directory, on page 32, which I found at Ancestry.com Akers and wife were living at 1434 South 18th Street; son Arthur was listed as a student. On Google Maps that address defaults to 1434 19th Street South, so the address of their house may have changed. According to this listing Akers was Secretary of the Rotary Club of Birmingham. 

Akers was not the only prolific author in Birmingham during the 1920's and 1930's; Octavus Roy Cohen was another. You can read an overview of Cohen's life and writing at the Encyclopedia of Alabama. During his career he produced an enormous number of novels and short stories, many of which featured three different detectives. The first one was David Carroll in four early novels, such as The Crimson Alibi (1919). Then a shabby, obese, folksy detective named Jim Hanvey is featured in three novels and numerous short stories. Cohen's third and most problematic creation was Florian Slappey, an early black private investigator who moved in upper class African-American society in Birmingham. The stories were very popular; many were published in the Saturday Evening Post and then various collections. Unfortunately, these tales are full of stereotypical black characters, behavior and language that aroused complaints at the time. Essays dealing with Cohen's troubled legacy can be found here and here

Akers created a similar, equally problematic series about Bugwine Breck, the "Human Bloodhound" a detective character in the "Darktown" stories. Most of Akers' stories are apparently a part of this series according to the FictionMags Index linked earlier. They were published frequently in Blue Book and Redbook magazines. The stories are discussed in Bernard A. Drew, Black Stereotypes in Popular Series Fiction, 1851-1955: Jim Crow Era Authors and Their Characters [2015]; Akers is included on pages 179-183. Cohen's Florian Slappey is also included in this book.

In the 1940's and 1950's Cohen made a transition away from his black stereotypes and wrote numerous crime thrillers such as My Love Wears Black (1948) and The Corpse That Walked (1951). Many were published as paperback originals. Akers made no such change; he seems to have abandoned fiction.

Since both men were living and writing in Birmingham during the 1920's and 1930's, did they ever meet? There are two possible connections. As noted above Akers worked as Secretary at the Rotary Club during some period while he lived in the city. Cohen was a prominent member of that organization during the 1920's and 1930's. According to an early history of the club, Cohen left the city in 1935 for Hollywood. 

Cohen was also a member of a group known as the Loafers, a loose confederation of writers in the city. Some such as Jack Bethea and James Saxon Childers became well-known also. John W. Bloomer's article "'The Loafers' in Birmingham in the Twenties" [Alabama Review April 1977, pp 101-108] details many writers associated with the group but Akers is not mentioned. The creative writing community in Birmingham at the time surely wasn't very large, so perhaps they encountered each other that way even if Akers didn't make the historical records. 

By 1940 the Akers family appears in the U.S. Census as living in Queens, New York. He and Nancy were living with son John, 15, and daughter Nancy, 13. Their address was 206 Burns Street; you can see it here on Google Maps from 2007. In that census Akers described himself as a salesman in the advertising industry.

I've located a few others bits about Akers. I found an interesting note in the spring 1958 issue of the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial, a newsletter devoted to the author and published in Red Cloud, Nebraska. "Arthur Kellogg Akers, Forest Hills, Long Island, our traveling member, sent us greetings most recently from Bermuda. He hopes to visit here again next September." The National Willa Cather Center has operated in Red Cloud since 1955. I have no idea what Akers' connection was to Cather. In searching for him at Ancestry.com, I found a passenger ship manifest that listed him in the voyage to Hamilton, Bermuda, in late February 1961, so perhaps he went often.

A couple of other Rotary Club references turned up. A letter from Akers was published in the October 1969 issue of The Rotarian, the organization's monthly magazine. In it he thanks the editor for publishing a particular article and signs himself "Rotarian, formerly printing and publishing, Gulfport, Mississippi." What he meant by that and why and how long he had been in Gulfport is unknown. Perhaps by that time Akers was retired and had a vacation home in Gulfport. In the July 1972 issue Akers published an article "Meet Roy Hickman: Work Made the Man." Hickman, whom Akers had known in Birmingham, became the 62nd President of Rotary International. The author note [with photo!] is shown below, indicating Akers was living in Gulfport in 1972.

In the catalog of the Birmingham Public Library, I found this record:  

Akers, Arthur K.
Typescript, 1929 and 1934
AR1887
Arthur K. Akers was a Birmingham resident and writer who published more than 30 short stories in various magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post and Redbook. This collection contains typescripts with some handwritten notes for two Akers stories, “Business and Domestic Entanglements” and “Recovery, Here We Come” (published in Redbook, March 1934). These are comic stories typical of the era, employing characters that are caricatures of African American Southerners and exaggerated black dialect.
Size : ¼ linear foot (1 box)


According to the U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Akers died in October 1980. His last residence was given in Morris, New Jersey. I did not locate a Find-A-Grave listing for him or a specific death date. His son Arthur Jr. died in 1996; I didn't find death dates for his wife or other children. 

Well, that's the sum of my investigation so far into Arthur Kellogg Akers. He seems to have been a prolific author from 1909 until the late 1930's, and then moved on to something else. A bit more commentary is below. 





This issue includes "You Can’t Argue with the Evidence" one of the Darktown stories. 



Akers' story in this issue is "Baptist Hill's Dog Derby"




Both Cohen and Akers have a story in this March 1934 issue





Akers' comedic play was produced in Birmingham in April 1936 under the auspices of the Federal Theatre Project. I've written about that project here. Note the first act reference to "Tittisville", probably referring to Titusville, a group of Birmingham neighborhoods. There's also a "Street Scene, Birmingham" and in the final act, scene III is set in Hillman Hospital




Akers' World War I draft registration card above and World War II below

Source: Ancestry.com













Saturday, October 3, 2020

Alabama History & Culture News: October 3 edition

 


Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!


Arkansas-born novelist Greene dies at 86
She attended several colleges -- the University of Alabama, Memphis State ... In 1973, "Summer of My German Soldier" was a National Book Award ...

Watch trailer for 'The Witches,' starring Octavia Spencer and set in Alabama
This isn't the first time Dahl's book has been adapted for the screen. A 1990 film version of “The Witches” was directed by Nicolas Roeg, starring ...


Harper Lee's love letter to teaching
In April 1949, just after Lee dropped out of the University of Alabama, her ... When I started on my book, I already knew that Lee had worked for The ...
Black Belt Bounty book earns awards at Regional Outdoor Media Conferences
An Alabama Black Belt Adventure Association book won three awards at a pair of regional outdoor media conferences last week. Black Belt Bounty ...

Developers revitalizing Huntsville cotton mill to add food, beverages, stores
One of Huntsville's historic cotton mills is being redeveloped to include food, beverage and retail businesses, developer Crunkleton Commercial Real ...


Alabama's governor apologizes to survivor of 1963 Klan bombing of Birmingham church
The bombing on Sept. 15, 1963 “was one of the darkest days in Alabama's history,” Ivey (R) wrote in a letter to attorneys for Sarah Collins Rudolph, ...

The colorful history behind a timeless Alabama restaurant
Not that anybody around St. Clair County or neighboring Talladega County needs any help finding The Ark, a local institution with a national reputation ...

Historic Fairhope cemetery damaged by crews after Hurricane Sally
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) – Trees and limbs fell across Tatumville Cemetery in Fairhope during Hurricane Sally, but much of the damage at the site ...

These cemeteries will be operated by Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo. Anniston Army Depot Chief of Staff Phillip Trued, right, and Steven ...

City of Smiths Station receives grant from Alabama Power Foundation
“We are appreciative of the Alabama Power Foundation's selection of this project, one that will preserve our history for generations to come.” Christian ...

A look back: Auburn and the 1918 pandemic
... magazine published by The University of Alabama, The University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Save the Alabama: Pandemic Threatens to Close Birmingham's Historical Theaters
Photo courtesy Alabama Theater. Mountain Brook resident Frank Falkenburg has personally seen the rise, fall and resurgence of the Alabama Theatre ...

New book examines Birmingham's checkered history with professional football
Q: How did the fact you went to UAB rather than Alabama or Auburn help you gravitate more toward pro football than college? A: “Originally, growing up, ...

“The World through the Dime Store Door: A Memoir” By: Aileen Kilgore Henderson
She has published four books for children, a nonfiction work on Alabama ... This short and pleasant book tells the story of one little girl in Tuscaloosa ...


These Alabama authors made list of 'most banned' books
These Alabama authors made list of 'most banned' books. Posted Sep 29, 2020. Banned book authors. Novels by (from left) ...
Now You Can Stay in the Former Home of Scott Fitzgerald
... one of Montgomery's oldest and historic neighbourhoods. There are many plaques dotting the neighbourhood indicating its historical associations.

Unique Alabama monument honors woman struck by meteor
She ended up donating it to the University of Alabama. Today, it is on display in the Museum of Natural History. In an odd twist, a farmer who lived ...

Stubbs publishes hometown love story
It was this belief that led me to share the mark Wetumpka has made in Alabama's history books. Pride of place is very much a part of my own story,” ...


Historic Jones Store in Smiths Station receives historic designation
The Alabama Historic Commission voted recently to add the city of Smiths Station's historic Jones Store to the Alabama Register of Historic Places.

Black Belt Bounty racks up awards at Regional Outdoor Media Conferences
... Alabama Black Belt Adventure Association's stunning coffee table book ... It was also awarded third place in the Outdoor Book Category by SEOPA.

DuBois' debut historical novel now available
Read LOUISA- The Wilds of Alabama (Book One of the Louisa Saga) and become enchanted. DuBois graduated from Marshall High School in 1973.

DuBois' debut historical novel now available
Elizabeth DuBois' debut historical novel “Louisa” casts a spell from the ... as she travels from Laurens, S.C., to the Wilds of Alabama during 1818-1819.