Stark Paget '27 and the Song of the Crimson Tide!

This sweet-faced young man was named Stark Paget. He passed away in 1934 at the young age of 37. He suffered from severe food poisoning, and died at the home of his mother, Mrs. Lucy Paget in Troy, Alabama.

Paget was born in 1897 in Searight, Alabama, the son of J.E. Paget and Lucy Thomas Paget. He spent most of his youth in Andalusia. He came to The University of Alabama in 1923, after serving in the Quartermaster Corps in WWI and attending Auburn University for a short period of time.

Cover, Song of the Crimson Tide by Stark Paget

Though he has been gone a long time, Paget's legacy remains --a legacy of music. During his short life, he had a career as an auditor and stenographer for several companies, but he also was a pianist, appearing on the Keith Vaudeville Circuit in Alabama and Florida. He was a gifted singer and musician, but also a composer as well. He was very active in the UA Glee Club. And he composed a song that was popular regionally, called "The Kappa Sigma Dream Girl", which was dedicated to The University of Alabama chapter of his fraternity, Kappa Sigma. He was perhaps best known for composing the then widely known and performed song, "Song of the Crimson Tide", which was published by the Supe Store in 1930, and performed by Paget and the Glee Club on the opening of their then new location in the Union Building (now known as Reese Pfifer Hall)

Page 1, Song of the Crimson Tide

This song is not as widely known as the 1926 song, Yea Alabama! by Lundy Sykes, perhaps it will make a resurgence....

Cover, Rammer Jammer Magazine, May 1926, announcing the "new official song, Yay, Alabama"

This photograph of Stark Paget, along with his biographical information and this rare piece of sheet music (which the Hoole Library did not have until now!) was donated recently by Mrs. J.W. Hamiter of Andalusia, whose grandmother was Stark Paget's sister. These were given to us by Janice Fink, editor of the UA Alumni Magazine, who often receives materials like this and they know to pass them on to us. It is a greatly appreciated effort that helps us to preserve and document the history and culture of the University, the community, and beyond. These materials are now part of the Hoole Library's collections.

Shazam! Happy Birthday UA Alum Jim Nabors

Jim Nabors, UA Homecoming 1968

University of Alabama alum Jim Nabors (class of 1952) was born on June 12, 1930 in Sylacauga, Alabama. Best known for his beloved character, Gomer Pyle on both the Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pile, U.S.M.C., Nabors has had a long and successful career as both an actor and singer.

Nabors with a young fan in Alabama, 1966

Jim Nabors' earliest acting experience was on the UA campus, as part of the Jason's Jamboree, where he wrote skits and performed with his Delta Tau Delta fraternity brothers. After graduating, he did head off to New York, but not for a career in show biz -- he started out as a typist for the United Nations. He then moved and took a job working in the film industry -- not in Hollywood, but rather in Chattanooga, Tennessee as a film cutter.

It was asthma that brought him west, and he started his career in Los Angeles as an apprentice film cutter, and began performing cabaret in the evenings, in a club called The Horn, which showcased new talent. His singing style and "hillbilly" monologues brought him an audition to the Steve Allen show, where he became a regular.

When Allen's show was cancelled, Nabors tried his luck in San Francisco, but in six months he was back in Los Angeles. Soon after, he auditioned for Andy Griffith -- and from there, a career was born.

Nabors has recorded over two dozen albums, has stared on TV, film, hosted his own talk show, his own variety show, and and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jim Nabors album cover from Hoole Special Collections Library
Featured in Hear Hair Here Exhibit

Nabors is also a well-known face to racing fans -- performing the song "Back Home in Indiana" 30 times since 1972 at the Indianapolis 500, most recently this year. And back home in Alabama, U.S. Highway 280 in Talladega, Alabama is named the "Jim Nabors Highway" in his honor. He was also recently honored at University of Alabama/University of Hawaii fooball game in 2006. Though he has lived in Hawaii for many, many years, he still follows The University of Alabama football team.

Here is an example of Jim Nabors' acting -- capturing the moment when Gomer Pyle leaves Andy Griffith to join the Marines:



Here is a great example from his variety show which showcases his rich singing voice! Olé!




A very happy birthday to you, Mr. Nabors!

Jefferson Davis' 200th/Biographer Hudson Strode

Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederacy was born 200 years ago today in Kentucky -- on June 3, 1808.

A definitive Jefferson Davis biography was written by Hudson Strode and published by Harcourt Brace in 1955.

Strode was a University of Alabama graduate and legendary professor at UA. He was a fascinating man who left an incredible legacy to The University of Alabama, including an endowed program, his beautiful home, and a residence for a graduate student in the department of English. Hudson Strode is pictured here, gun at his side, pipe in hand, a dashing and mysterious figure.

Hudson Strode's papers are housed at the Hoole Library and consist of correspondence, typed manuscripts, proof sheets photographs, and other interesting materials.

Letter from Varina Davis to Jefferson Davis, 25 April 1880. 

The Jefferson Davis materials in the Hoole Library

come from Hudson Strode's papers orginally.

Strode corresponded with some of the best known political and literary minds of the day including Aldous Huxley, H.L. Mencken, Sigrid Unsdset, Pearl S. Buck, Hugo Black, George Wallace, Clifton Fadiman and Alfred A. Knopf. The collection also contains research materials for his biography of Davis like the image of the letter featured here. You can view the finding aid for this collection at http://www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/hoole/findingaids/pdf/ms_1361.pdf

Cool as a Plate Glass Negative: Selections from the Eugene Allen Smith Collection

Camp kitchen and cooking staff, Central Coal and Iron Company, undated

The Eugene Allen Smith Collection spans more than four decades from the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century. The collection depicts Smith's field work and travels. E.A. Smith was a professor of Chemistry and Mineralogy at The University of Alabama from 1871-1913, and served as Alabama State Geologist from 1873-1913. We have 209 images from from his collection of plate glass negatives accessible through the UA Libraries Digital Collections.
The photographs featured here illustrate the broad spectrum of subjects -- from industry, to natural history, to The University of Alabama's history, to travel photographs.

View of Atlanta and Georgia Southern Railroad, undated

A native of Autauga County, Alabama and was born in 1841. Smith entered The University of Alabama at the age of nineteen and graduated with an A.B. degree in 1862. In his long and successful career as Alabama State Geologist he was instrumental in documenting, mapping, discovering and publicizing the abundant resources in the State.

Chemistry laboratory and classroom, Tuomey Hall, University of Alabama campus, undated

Smith was responsible for creating the first comprehensive Alabama geological survey as well as documenting these findings to fellow scientists and to the press, bringing to public view each new discovery of coal, iron, or other minerals. It was Dr. Smith who also first realized the historical value of Moundville and its artifacts, and actively focused public interest on this important archaeological site. His impact as an advocate for the state of Alabama is still felt to this day. The extensive Mineralogy collection stated by Smith in the 1870s is housed at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, located in E.A. Smith Hall also on the UA campus.

View of unidentified temple in China, undated

The purpose of the UA Libraries Digital Program at the University Libraries is to develop accessible digital collections of materials that support the teaching and research of UA faculty and students, and that, in turn, further the mission of The University of Alabama.

The Digital Program coordinates major digitization projects, actively develops policy and procedure relating to digital project and program development, and is active in soliciting digital project proposals and ideas for proposals, regardless of size, format, or technological medium. The program works with idea submitters to develop ideas into potentially viable projects, evaluating each individual digital project proposal. The Digital Program's role is to assess and seek out potential digital projects, and in turn make recommendations about implementation and development of these potential projects to the Dean of University Libraries.

Inscribed items by Alabama native Helen Keller: A Gift of Betsy Plank, 2007

A small exhibit is now on display in the lobby of the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library. The items were part of a gift to The University of Alabama Libraries by Betsy Plank, UA alumna and pioneer in the field of Public Relations. These items are all inscribed by Alabama native, Helen Keller (1880 -1968), a longtime friend of Ms. Plank’s family.

The photograph and the book Midstream are inscribed to her aunt Adeline by Ms. Keller, her teacher Anne Sullivan, and Ms. Keller’s companion, Polly Thompson. The book, Helen Keller’s Journal is inscribed to Bettye Hood Plank, Ms. Plank’s mother.

Helen Adams Keller was an author, activist and lecturer and is known internationally for her courage and triumph over adversity. Her story was made famous through dramatic productions of the Miracle Worker, both on the stage and screen.

At the age of 24, Keller graduated magna cum laude from Radcliffe College, making her the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. She went on to author numerous works, and to speak and advocate for numerous causes the world over. A prolific author, she was well traveled, and was outspoken in her opposition to war. She campaigned for women's suffrage, workers' rights and socialism, as well as many other progressive causes.

Fellow Alabamian Betsy Plank graduated from The University of Alabama in 1944 and went on to a stellar career in public relations, eventually becoming known as “public relations’ first lady” and garnering numerous awards. In 2004, the UA Board of Trustees adopted a resolution establishing the Betsy Plank Center for Public Relations Studies to promote “effective and ethical representation of institutions, organizations, ideas and individuals.” As donor for the Center and to University Libraries, Ms. Plank has demonstrated her continued dedication to the University, its students and society.

Photograph of these materials by Zach Riggins, UA Photography.

Corolla Digital Initative

Imagine over 100 years of The University of Alabama's yearbook, the Corolla, fully searchable and accessible with the click of a mouse! The UA Libraries have launched a project that will do just that --the Corolla Digital Initiative. Yearbooks are a source of history, humor and nostalgia, and are used by scholars interested in the history and culture of higher education.

We are using this as an opportunity to allow alums, groups of alums, individuals, and others interested in the project to sponsor the digitization of a Corolla in honor of a family member or friend, or just because! For more information about the project visit the Corolla Digital Initiative page, and to see what we've done so far, click here. To sponsor a Corolla, contact Jody DeRidder at jlderidder@ua.edu or 205.348.0511.