Looking Back at 1963

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

The biggest event of the year had to be U.S. President John F. Kennedy being assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. The key aspects of the event include the shooting in Dealey Plaza, the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald, and the official Warren Commission findings.

We have covered that event several times in our past.There were a lot of other things going on nationally in our lives, enough to write a book about. In fact, for me it was the start of the journal which led to writing and publishing my first book, "A Million Tomorrows...Memories of the Class of '64."  My journal covers the events from Kennedy's assassination on, but the things that happened prior to that were undocumented by me. 

Rather than look at the national events, instead we will look more at what was going on in the city of Huntsville, that may or may not have attracted national news. 

Huntsville, Alabama — Civic Life, Public Affairs, 

And Social Change in 1963

Willard Finkbinder

Huntsville in 1963 was a city balancing extraordinary scientific progress with equally significant social transformation. While rockets thundered at Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center continued its march toward the Moon, Huntsville’s neighborhoods, churches, civic clubs, and downtown businesses were navigating a year defined by growth, planning, and the ongoing push for civil rights. The city’s newspapers reflected a community engaged in both modernization and moral reckoning — a dual identity that shaped nearly every aspect of public life.

City Government & Civic Planning: Managing a Growing Community

Huntsville’s municipal government spent much of 1963 addressing the challenges of rapid expansion. The city’s population had grown dramatically since the arrival of NASA, and public officials were tasked with keeping infrastructure, utilities, and services aligned with the needs of a booming community.

City Council meetings frequently addressed:

• • Annexation petitions from new subdivisions

• • Street widening and paving projects

• • Sewer and water line extensions

• • Zoning changes for commercial development

• • Traffic signal installations along busy corridors

The Parkway corridor, in particular, saw increased attention as traffic volumes rose with new residents and expanding commercial activity.

Public safety remained a priority. The Huntsville Police Department added officers, expanded patrol routes, and increased traffic enforcement. The Fire Department upgraded equipment and evaluated the need for additional stations in newly developed neighborhoods.

Federal Presence: NASA, Redstone Arsenal, and Economic Impact

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal continued to shape Huntsville’s civic landscape. The development of the Saturn I and Saturn IB rockets brought national attention, and each successful test firing was reported in local news.

The federal presence influenced nearly every aspect of Huntsville’s civic activity:

• • Housing demand surged as new families arrived.

• • Schools expanded to accommodate growing enrollment.

• • Retail and banking sectors grew rapidly.

• • Road and utility projects accelerated to meet federal workforce needs.

City leaders often coordinated with NASA officials to anticipate future infrastructure requirements, ensuring Huntsville could support the next phase of the space program.

Civil Rights in Huntsville: Negotiation, Activism, and Local Response

Although Huntsville’s civil rights movement was less violent than those in Birmingham or Montgomery, 1963 was a pivotal year for local activism, negotiation, and community change.

Sit Ins and Peaceful Demonstrations

Civil rights activity in Huntsville had begun earlier, but momentum continued into 1963. Local activists — including students from Alabama A&M, clergy members, and community leaders — organized peaceful sit-ins and demonstrations aimed at ending segregation in:

• • Downtown lunch counters

• • Public facilities

• • Movie theaters

• • Restaurants

These actions were part of a broader regional push for equality, and Huntsville’s activists emphasized nonviolence and negotiation.

Bi-Racial Committee & Negotiated Progress

One of Huntsville’s distinguishing features was its bi-racial committee, formed the previous year to facilitate communication between Black leaders and city officials. In 1963, the committee continued to meet, addressing issues such as:

• • Access to public accommodations

• • Hiring practices

• • Treatment of Black citizens in municipal services

• • Integration of public facilities

While progress was gradual, Huntsville’s negotiated approach helped the city avoid the violent clashes seen elsewhere in Alabama.

School Desegregation Discussions

Although Huntsville’s public schools did not fully integrate until later in the decade, 1963 included early planning and legal discussions related to compliance with federal desegregation guidelines. Local newspapers reported on national court rulings and federal expectations, signaling that Huntsville’s school system would soon face significant changes.

Community Reaction

Churches, civic clubs, and neighborhood groups discussed civil rights issues throughout the year. Some organizations hosted forums or invited speakers to address the moral and practical implications of integration. Huntsville’s reputation as a “moderate” Alabama city was shaped in part by these community conversations, which emphasized peaceful progress and civic responsibility.

Downtown Huntsville: Business Activity and Commercial Growth

Downtown Huntsville remained the city’s commercial center in 1963. Washington Street, Jefferson Street, and the courthouse square bustled with shoppers, office workers, and civic leaders.

Local newspapers reported:

• • Store renovations and expansions

• • New businesses opening downtown

• • Seasonal sales events

• • Chamber of Commerce initiatives

• • Discussions about future downtown modernization

Merchants played an active role in civic life, sponsoring parades, charity drives, and holiday promotions. Many downtown businesses also participated in civil rights negotiations, adjusting policies as integration discussions progressed.

Infrastructure & Public Works: Building for the Future

Public works projects were among the most consistent news items of 1963. Huntsville’s rapid growth required significant investment in roads, utilities, and public facilities.

Road Improvements

The city and county collaborated on:

• • Widening major thoroughfares

• • Improving intersections

• • Extending roads into new subdivisions

• • Installing new traffic signals

The Parkway corridor and Memorial Parkway interchanges were frequent topics in public works reports.

Utilities

Water and sewer expansions were essential. Crews installed new lines, upgraded pumping stations, and addressed service requests from newly annexed neighborhoods.

Public Buildings

Local news highlighted renovations to municipal buildings, courthouse improvements, and discussions about future civic facilities — including libraries, recreation centers, and administrative offices.

Education: Expansion, Planning, and Community Engagement

Huntsville’s schools were among the busiest institutions in 1963. Enrollment continued to rise, and administrators worked to keep pace with the demands of a growing student population.

School Construction & Renovation

Reports throughout the year covered:

• • Classroom additions

• • Renovations to older buildings

• • New science and math facilities

• • Playground and athletic field improvements

Teacher Hiring & Training

With more students arriving each semester, Huntsville City Schools expanded its teaching staff. Professional development programs focused on modern instructional methods, reflecting national trends in education reform.

PTA & Community Involvement

PTA groups organized fundraisers, volunteer programs, and student achievement recognitions. School events often appeared in the newspaper’s community section.

Parks & Recreation: Outdoor Life in a Growing City

Huntsville’s parks and recreation programs expanded in 1963 to meet the needs of families and youth.

• • Big Spring Park hosted picnics, concerts, and civic gatherings.

• • Monte Sano State Park remained a favorite destination for hiking and camping.

• • City recreation centers offered youth sports, adult leagues, and summer programs.

These facilities played a major role in community cohesion during a period of rapid change.

What Huntsville Teens Were Listening To in 1963

The Billboard charts of 1963 reveal what Huntsville teens were dancing to, singing along with, and spinning on their record players:

• “Sugar Shack” — Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs

• “Be My Baby” — The Ronettes

• “Surf City” — Jan & Dean

• “Walk Like a Man” — The Four Seasons

• “Fingertips, Pt. 2” — Stevie Wonder

• “Wipe Out” — The Surfaris

• “Louie Louie” — The Kingsmen

Surf rock was huge. Girl groups were everywhere. Motown was rising fast. And Huntsville teens were soaking it all in.

Local bands covered these songs at teen clubs, school dances, and backyard parties. The mix of national hits and Huntsville’s homegrown sound gave Rocket City teens a soundtrack that felt both familiar and uniquely theirs.

The biggest films of 1963

• Bye Bye Birdie — a teen musical that felt tailor‑made for Huntsville’s youth.

• Beach Party — kicking off the beach‑movie craze.

• The Nutty Professor — Jerry Lewis at his comedic peak.

• Cleopatra — the year’s biggest Hollywood spectacle.

• It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World — a comedy hit that teens loved.

Looking Back at 1963

Huntsville in 1963 was a city defined by civic activity, public engagement, and social transformation. Government meetings, infrastructure projects, civil rights negotiations, school expansions, and community initiatives filled the year with purpose and progress. Residents experienced a city balancing tradition with change — a place where everyday decisions shaped the future of the Rocket City.

The Wayback Machine

"Louie Louie"

The Kingsmen

1963

"Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written, composed, and recorded by American musician Richard Berry in 1956 and released in 1957. In 1963, a version by the Kingsmen attracted controversy over allegedly profane lyrics. The song is based on the tune "El Loco Cha Cha" popularized by bandleader René Touzet and is an example of Afro-Cuban influence on American popular music.

The song's historical impact and ongoing popularity, attested by books, articles, rankings, and hundreds of cover versions, have earned it a reputation as "a cornerstone of rock".

"Louie Louie" tells, in simple verse–chorus form, the first-person story of a "lovesick sailor's lament to a bartender about wanting to get back home to his girl".

"Louie Louie" is the world's most recorded rock song, with published estimates ranging from over 1,600 to more than 2,000 "with ever more still being released and performed" (and uploaded to music and video websites). Due to its "raw, open structure that invites interpretation, mishearing and reinvention".

It is unquestionably the most popular and most recognized song for the Lee High Class of '1964.

One of my earliest memories of 1963 was taking my steady girlfriend to the Junior Prom at Lee. I double-dated to the prom with my friend Bob Walker. I remember getting dressed for the prom, but did not know how to properly tie my necktie. I had never been taught because most of the ties I wore were the clip-on type, but I had a special regular one I bought just for the prom. I was driving that night so I picked up Bob and handed him the tie and told him I was running late so would he just tie the tie for me and then I would put it on. My plans were foiled when he looked at the tie and handed it back to me and said in no printable words he didn’t know how to tie a tie either. We had to turn the car around and go back to his house and get his father to tie it for me. It was quite funny, thinking about it. I don’t remember who Bob’s date was that night. 

Another of my memories was of a trip taken the summer of that year. Bob had a brother living in Washington D.C. and his mother wanted to go see him. I was invited along and one morning we headed out in his father’s 1952 Ford. Both Bob and I and his mother had driver’s licenses at the time so we all took turns driving. I don’t remember how long a trip it was back then, but it was before the speed of Interstate traffic, so it was a time-consuming journey. Their plan did not include stopping at a motel, so by taking turns we drove the whole distance without stopping anywhere to sleep. I seem to remember driving all night and getting there early the next morning. We had the same driving conditions coming home. My memories of the trip included seeing some of the historic sites of Washington D.C. and attending a Washington Senator’s professional baseball game – my first major league game. I documented parts of the trip with an eight-millimeter Kodak color movie camera which I had purchased at a pawn shop in Huntsville. It was one of less than a dozen reels of film I eventually took with that camera. 

Last Week's Questions, Answers, And Comments

Delores McBride Kilgore, LHS '66, “Very nice! Thank you Tommy for bringing those memories back for us to cherish ! Those were the good old days! ”

Cecilia LeVan Watson, LHS ‘68, "In 1961 I was 11 years old. Mckinley Avenue was my life. My neighbors were like family. We were poor but the kids weren’t aware of it. Our parents made us feel like the richest kids in the world. We visited Big Springs Pool or Monte Sano on hot days. My social life was my church and my school. Life was so simple and joyful.!"