Saturday, May 25
Rebel Steel Corp of Dayton and Chattanooga has completed plans to locate a $25,000,000 steel mill in Rhea County, with construction on the mammoth plant to get underway in 60 to 90 days. The plant will be located on a 400-acre site at Watts Bar, will turn out 175,000 tons of finished steel annually, and is expected to employ 600 to 700 persons, Ross Bohannan, attorney for the company, announced.
Mrs. Louise Snodgrass Trotter, widow of Thomas O. Trotter and daughter of the late Tennessee Chief Justice D.L. Snodgrass, died Friday evening after a long illness. Mrs. Trotter was a resident of Missionary Ridge for many years and a long-time member of Centenary Methodist Church. She is survived by a sister, Mrs. W.O. Spears of Washington, D.C., and a grandson, Thomas O. Trotter of Chattanooga.
Sunday, May 26
Wesley G. Brown, Chartered Life Underwriter, was elected president of the Chattanooga Association of Life Underwriters, succeeding Robert F. Hopper, at a luncheon Friday at Wimberly Inn.
The Home Builders Association of Chattanooga will construct a modern office building in a new industrial area on Stuart Street just off Riverside Drive. The building will include an auditorium and a “Better Living Display Center,” W.B. Close, chairman of the Association Board of Trustees, announced Saturday.
Monday, May 27
William H. Zachry, city auditor since 1951, and assistant City Traffic Engineer William G. Mason announced Monday they were resigning their posts in the city government. Zachry told the city commission he wanted to leave by June 12 for three days, but will return to assist in completing the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 and then resign. Mason is leaving as of June 11 to accept a position with Wilbur Smith & Associates.
Tuesday, May 28
A senior class of 246 received diplomas at Central High School’s 56th annual commencement exercises Tuesday night at Memorial Auditorium. “American Youth in Action” was the commencement theme. W. Hobart Millsaps, principal, presented the graduating class to Sam P. McConnell, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. Leslie L. Hudson, chairman of the Board of Education, awarded the diplomas.
Wednesday, May 29
Chattanooga High School’s graduating class of 1963, the last class to graduate from the present plant on East Third Street, will have commencement exercises Thursday night at Memorial Auditorium. The 288-member class will be addressed by Dr. Judson Ward, dean of faculties and vice president of Emory University. Col. Creed Bates, principal of City High, will present the graduating class.
New drivers’ licenses will go on sale Saturday, June 1, in County Court Clerks’ offices across Tennessee. The new licenses will cost $4 for the two-year period, up from the old rate of $2. The 1963 Legislature raised the fee. Present licenses expire July 1.
Thursday, May 30
J. Gilbert Stein, chairman of the Industrial Committee of 100 of the Greater Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, and Henry R. Hutt, president of Polymers, Inc., Wednesday announced plans by Southeast Polymers to locate a factory in the Shallowford Industrial District. It will be the first in the area to make synthetic latex.
John Ross Day was celebrated Wednesday in Rossville, Ga. Judge Luther A. Smith of Washington, Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Free and Accepted Masons, Southern Jurisdiction, was the chief speaker at dedication ceremonies for the historic John Ross House Association. An estimated crowd of 2,500 to 3,000 persons attended the event. A number of Cherokee Indians from the Qualla Reservation, Cherokee, N.C., also participated.
Friday, May 31
The new food stamp plan will result in some $1,500,000 in food stamps being “moved through authorized retail grocers” in the Chattanooga area in the next year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. James Lloyd, food stamp program supervisor for the adjacent four counties, who met with officials and interested citizens at Hotel Patten, said issuance office for stamps would open in Chattanooga June 10.