Here’s a look at some stories happening the week of June 11-17.
June 13, 1937: Patterson Field swimming pool memorial to aviator to be dedicated
The memory of Lt. Stuart Patterson was set to be memorialized with a new pool at Patterson Field.
The pool was paid for by Mrs. H.G. Carnell, the mother of the fallen pilot. Patterson died in 1918 after the military plane he was testing for the government crashed on what is now Patterson Field, which was also named after him.
The memorial itself was in the form of a wall water fountain at the pool.
The ceremony was to be on the 19th anniversary of the crash that claimed the life of the then 21-year-old. Former Governor James M. Cox was to deliver a brief eulogy during the event.
June 17, 1950: Record 78-mph gale rocks Dayton area
Injuries, accidents, debris and damage to property were coming to light the morning after a 78 mph windstorm blew through Dayton.
It was the fastest gale ever recorded in Dayton. The previous record was a 75 mph gust that was recorded in 1916.
Downtown Dayton did not receive must damage but the surrounding areas were not so lucky. Lightning killed farm animals, trees were blown onto houses and several traffic accidents were reported.
It was considered one of the worst storms of recent years despite only half and inch of rain falling.
June 11, 1961: Their TV world in pantomime
Some people could sit in front of a television set for eight hours and not get bored.
But can you imagine sitting before three TVs for eight hours with no sound? And getting paid for it?
Three men in Dayton did that daily in 1961. The men worked as “monitors” at the television operation center at the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. section of the Ohio Bell Telephone Co.
Their job was to keep an eye on picture quality. The only time they had also monitored sound was for the rocket launch with astronaut Alan Shepard.
The men said most times they don’t even know what they are watching, they just watch for picture quality and for technical trouble. Trouble could mean the picture breaking up, lines across the screen or general poor picture quality.
During any issues, equipment is checked before contacting the networks to report the trouble. They can then post a card for viewers that reads, “It’s not in you set.”
June 11, 1967: 500 youngsters call him dad
Col. S. L. Stephans was the superintendent of the Ohio Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphans Home in Xenia. He was also the legal guardian to the 500 children under his care.
The state-supported institution was the only one of its kind in Ohio.
Children regularly flocked to Stephans when he walked around the campus and he always made time to stop and talk with them.
Stephan often accompanied the children to out-of-town athletic events, band trips and exchange weekends with another orphan home in Indiana.
The children there not only followed an academic program but also a vocational program that provided each student with a trade before graduation.
Students earned money for their work and could use it to go to the movies, go shopping or visit remaining family, but each night the had to return, “This is their home,” said Colonel Stephan.
June 12, 1973: Bogie Busters strip jackets
Indoor temperatures reached 90 degrees during the Bogie Busters gala at the non-air-conditioned UD Arena in 1973.
The famous red jackets worn during the celebrity golf tournament had to come off.
Despite the heat, the audience of 8,500 still enjoyed the show.
Emceed by TV personality Bob Braun introduced entertainers like Foster Brooks, Lawrence Welk, The Dazzlers, Les Brown, Marilyn Maye, Harvey Korman (Carol Burnett show) and McLean Stevenson (MASH).
The headliner was singer Glen Campbell, who sang his hits including “Gentle On My Mind,” “Galveston,” By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”
June 12, 1983: Nanette Davis plants her foot firmly on history
Nanette Davis may well have been America’s most famous college graduate of 1983.
Davis, who was graduation from Wright State University with a degree in education, became a paraplegic after a car accident in 1978. She became a world-wide celebrity as a pioneer in biomedical research.
When she started college in 1979, everybody told her she would never walk again. But when it became time for her to cross the stage, she stood, with help, and walked five feet.
More than 8,000 graduates, teachers and visitors roared with applause as she collected her diploma.
By the time she got to the podium to speak, Davis was winded but smiling, “Boy, I’m tired,” she said.
President Reagan congratulated Davis in a letter, saying in part, “To achieve this honor, you have put in many hours of work and study that demonstrate a desire to succeed in life...we are all proud of you.”
June 11, 1991: Tragedy at Kings Island
Kings Island was the site of three deaths from two separate events on Sunday, June 9, 1991.
Two men, a park visitor and a security guard, were electrocuted while trying to save another park visitor who had fallen from a wooden bridge into a pond after leaving the Viking Fury ride.
The park visitor that had originally fallen into the pond was injured but alive.
A little over an hour later, a woman fell to her death from the Flight Commander ride, which had just opened at the park the year before.
That death prompted three other amusement parks with similar rides to close them down during an investigation into the cause. The investigation was centered on the ride’s safety harness, and whether it worked properly.
The deaths didn’t seem to keep people for the park the next day, with park officials reporting that they had met their average Monday attendance of 16,000 people.
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