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Tiger Fan · 09-01-2025, 08:47 PM

JANUARY 2, 1965

COWPENS STATE SURPRISE NATIONAL CHAMP IN YEAR OF CHANGE

Just as professional football entered a new era in the fall of 1964, the college game also experienced its own shake-ups—though nothing so earth-shattering as the arrival of a rival league. For the first time in nearly two decades, the familiar landscape of the collegiate conferences saw a round of reshuffling as several schools switched conferences and it was decided, after several years of debate, to add more games.

The American Intercollegiate Athletic Association, governing body for the nation’s major colleges, had long wrestled with the question of expanding the football schedule. Traditionalists warned that piling on more games would tip the scales against the “student” side of the student-athlete equation. But with television dollars growing louder than the voices of caution, the verdict was inevitable. Beginning in 1964, most schools added an extra game or two, pushing the standard regular season to 11 contests, with some still tacking on the traditional Classic.

That change in scheduling played a leading role in two conferences expanding their rosters to a more convenient eight members. The Southwestern Alliance —made up of six Texas powers plus Arkansas A&T— stuck close to home by welcoming the College of Waco Cowboys, a rising program that had proven itself as an independent. The Cowboys, fresh off an 8-2 campaign and their third top-25 finish in seven years, were a natural fit for the SWA.

Meanwhile, the Plains Athletic Association reached across state lines to bring in the Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers, an old rival of Oklahoma City State that immediately spices up the conference race. The Pioneers, long a strong program in the Midwestern Conference, went .500 last fall but have three New Year’s Day appearances in the last seven years to their credit. Their arrival gives the Plains circuit new punch and puts it closer to the ranks of the nation’s elite groupings, alongside the SWA, the Great Lakes Alliance, the Deep South, the South Atlantic, and the West Coast Athletic Association.

Not all the moves were expansion. Out west, the WCAA trimmed back to eight members after saying farewell to Idaho A&M. The Pirates had struggled badly in recent years —going just 4-46 between 1958 and ’62— before showing brief signs of life with a 6-4 record last fall. But the die had been cast long before and the Pirates were jettisoned. With Idaho A&M gone, the WCAA now boasts a clean eight-school slate, allowing each club to meet all seven rivals and crown a more deserving champion for the annual East-West Classic in Santa Ana.

That leaves only the Great Lakes Alliance, with its 10 members, and the sprawling Deep South, at an even dozen, as the lone major circuits outside the eight-team model now favored across the country.

*** All Eyes on Georgia Baptist ***

As the season began it was the defending national champion Georgia Baptist Gators that was once more tabbed as the squad to beat. The Gators were on the verge of a dynasty, if they were not already there, with 3 national titles to go along with a fifth and sixth ranking nationally over the past five years. In that span the Gators had posted an 50-5 record including a pair of perfect 11-0 seasons. With what was widely considered to be the best defense in the nation and a strong offense led by junior quarterback Jack Forsythe the Gators were the preseason favourite to win another title.

The early stages of the season did little to change that opinion as Georgia Baptist rolled to a 7-0 start that included Deep South Conference road wins over Western Florida and Mississippi A&M as well as an impressive 38-13 dismantling of what at the time was a 6-1 St Blane team fresh off an impressive win of its own when the Fighting Saints thumped Rome State 44-10. Senior halfback Charlie Radley, who would run for more than 1,500 yards during the season, reeled off 139 and 4 touchdowns as the Saints had no answer for the Gators ground game in what ended a 38-13 Baptist victory.

As it turned out that was the high point of the Gators season as Georgia Baptist was proved to be human a week later by a gutsy College of Omaha eleven that handed the Gators their first loss in over two years 24-17. The Gators would also lose to Deep South rival Cumberland two weeks later but still finished atop the conference and were invited to play on New Year's Day for the sixth consecutive season.

The two losses had left the Gators ranked sixth entering the Classic games. On the top was an Oklahoma City State school that was a perfect 11-0 and the only unbeaten team left in the nation. The Wranglers were 11-0 and Plains Athletic Association champions as they prepared to face 10-1 Cowpens State, winners of the South Atlantic crown and ranked third, in the Sunshine Classic. It would be the second year in a row the Sunshine Classic would determine the national champion as the Gators finished off their perfect season last year with a win over the same Oklahoma City State Wranglers who looked to turn the same trick and complete a perfect season on New Year's Day in Miami.

All that stood in the Wranglers way was Cowpens State. The Fighting Green were a decent program, long-time members of the South Atlantic Conference but had never finished higher than the #11 ranking they earned a year ago following an 8-2 season. The Green won the SAC title for the first time in five years after posting a 7-1 section record, only marred by an early season 21-14 loss on the road at Maryland State. That would be Cowpens State only blemish as they entered New Year's with a 10-1 record that included an impressive 31-0 shutout of east coast independent power Commonwealth Catholic.

The Fighting Green did not stand out in any facet of the game but they were good at everything and did not beat themselves with turnovers. Halfback Hubert Clary, a sophomore who gained 1,507 yards and ran for an AIAA best 23 touchdowns on the year, along with junior quarterback Roger Flora were named to the South Atlantic All-Conference team and were the closest things to star players on Cowpens State. The school was not expected to win the conference title, let along play for the national championship.

Oklahoma City State was also a slightly unexpected choice for an unbeaten team entering the Classic games. The Wranglers did play in the Sunshine Classic three of the previous four years but were outside the top 25 a year ago and just two years removed from a dreadful 2-8 campaign. The key game of their season had to be the 20-13 victory on the road over a 4-1 at the time Eastern Kansas club that ultimately decided the Plains Athletic Association title. The win improved the Wranglers to 6-0 and aside from needing a late touchdown to beat American Atlantic 26-22 a week later they were not tested the rest of the way. Even College of Omaha, which had the key upset win over Georgia Baptist, did not provide a huge threat to the Wranglers in the regular season finale on Thanksgiving Weekend, as Oklahoma City State led all the way in a 23-14 victory.

The Sunshine Classic, played in just that on a warm afternoon in Miami, saw the Wranglers take an early lead by driving for a field goal on their opening possession but they Wranglers knew they were in for a game when Cowpens State's rushing game, led by Clary and senior Leroy Avers drove for a touchdown on their second possession of the game. In the end the difference was the Cowpens State held the Wranglers to field goals as the Fighting Green went up 27-9 early in the fourth period, that was keyed by a trio of 1-yard scoring runs from touchdown king Clary. The Wranglers finally found the endzone with just over 3 minutes left but by then it was much too late and Cowpens State celebrated its first national title.

*** East-West Classic Foes Entered Santa Ana Feeling They Deserved Title Consideration ***

The Oklahoma City State stumble in the Sunshine Classic certainly jolted alive the title hopes of both the Coastal California Dolphins and Central Ohio Aviators as the two prepared to kick-off the East-West Classic in Santa Ana, CA., later that afternoon. Both schools were 10-1 entering the game with the Dolphins, winners of the West Coast Athletic Association title, ranked second, two spots ahead of the Great Lakes Alliance champs from Columbus, OH.

If past appearances in Santa Ana are any indication, neither school entered the East-West Classic with a load of confidence. The Dolphins had lost 24-9 to Minnesota Tech a year ago and also lost the last time they played in the game, back in 1944 when Central Ohio had beaten them 24-17 to culminate the Aviators perfect season that year. More recently the Aviators had little luck in Santa Ana either, losing each of their four previous New Year's Day trips west including two years ago against Lane State.

Someone had to win and if it was the Dolphins one would have to think they would move up a spot to number one with the Wranglers loss in the Sunshine Classic, giving Coastal California its record sixth national title but first since 1932. It did not happen as Scott Perry ran for 120 yards and two second half touchdowns to lead Central Ohio to a 24-14 victory. The Aviators, now 11-1 like Cowpens State, would move up in the polls but only two spots and finished second in the final rankings behind the Fighting Green. Georgia Baptist, which beat Southwestern Alliance champion Texas Gulf Coast 14-3 in the Oilman Classic, would finish third followed by Minnesota Tech and Oklahoma City State to round out the top five. The Dolphins finished 6th.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES

The Sunshine Classic victory that sealed the number one ranking for Cowpens State was the first time the Fighting Green had ever won on New Years. They had played in two other Classic's but ended up on the losing end both times.
Pittsburgh State, which beat Chesapeake State 26-6 in the Lone Star Classic, Charleston Tech -winners in the Cajun Classic and Bayside Classic champ Eastern Kansas also won for the first time on New Year's Day.
Payne State's Vern Rebovich became just the third back to top the 2000 yard rushing mark with 2,238 on the season. It helped earn the senior the Christian Trophy as college football player of the year.
Minnesota Lakers senior quarterback Ed Corsetti threw 17 touchdown passes this season. Only three teams a QB has thrown more in a season with the record being 26 established by Bayou State's George Girard in 1956.
Staying with in the Great Lakes Alliance, defensive end Larry Parker, a sophomore at Central Ohio, set a conference record with 11 sacks this season. In the AIAA since the stat began being tracked in 1950, only Renie Marquardt of St Patrick's (14 in 1954) and Spokane State's Andy Walsh (12 in 1953) have ever recorded more.
It looks like the Georgia Baptist run will continue for the foreseeable future. Recruits won't officially commit until the spring but it appears the Gators have inked eight five-star recruits out of the upcoming class including Brian Eagle, a quarterback out of Riverdale, GA., who is ranked the top recruit in the country according to the OSA. Aside from the Gators, only Mile High State and Miami State, with three 5-star commitments, have landed more than one of them so far.

KING RULES MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

Lyman King, the pride of Oakland, Cal., extended his hold on the middleweight division with three more successful title defenses in 1964. That makes the 27-year-old, who first claimed the title in 1962 before briefly losing it and then getting it back in 1963, the only champion in the American Boxing Federation's three major division to both start and end 1964 as champion.

The heavyweight title now also resides on the west coast as Norm Robinson, a 29-year-old power puncher who grew up in Los Angeles and owns a 33-2 career record, may be at the start of a long run as champion of boxing's marquee division. Robinson, who made his pro debut nearly seven years ago, had his first title chance in 1960 but was no match for then-champion George Galleshaw.

The current champ will be the first to admit he was not yet ready and he lost again in his first fight after the schooling from Galleshaw, dropping a decision to Bert Parks. Since then Robinson has won seven straight fights, five by knockout, culminating in a unanimous decision over Steve Leivers at New York's Bigsby Garden in late September that made Robinson the top fighter in the world.

The welterweight division saw Brandon Dart take the crown away from former champ Matt Leach. It took two bouts for that to happen as the pair battled to a majority draw in Chicago on April 30th. A rematch was hastily arranged in Las Vegas and Dart, a 25-year-old who was born in Wales but grew up in New York City beat fellow New York Leach in a unanimous decision to claim the title. Whether he holds on to it remains to be seen as Dart had to settle for a technical draw with yet another New Yorker, Charlie McMichael after an accidental head butt opened a large gash over the challengers right eye in the penultimate 14th round. At the time of the stoppage, the judges were equally split on the outcome with one favouring the champ by a point, another seeing McMichael ahead by 2 points and the third scoring the bout dead even up to that point. It is expected a rematch will be staged in the spring.

The Year That Was
Current events from 1964

Jan 3- Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona announced he will seek the Republican nomination for president.
Jan 8- In his first State of the Union Address, President Johnson declares a "War on Poverty."
Jan 9- Armed clashes between US troops and Panamanian civilians in the Panama Canal Zone precipitates a major international crisis, resulting in the deaths of 21 Panamanians and 4 US soldiers.
Jan 11- For the first time, the US Surgeon General's office reports that smoking may be hazardous to one' health.
Jan 16- John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, resigns from the space program and a day later announces that he will run for the US Senate in Ohio.
Jan 28- A US Air Force jet training plane that strays into East Germany is shot down by Soviet fighters killing all 3 crew members.
Feb 1- The Beatles vault to #1 in the US singles charts for the first time with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." A week later they arrive at JFK Airport in New York, with 4,000 fans waiting in what marks the first occurrence of "Beatlemania" in the US.
Feb 26- John Glenn is suffers an inner ear injury after slipping on a rug in his home, forcing him to withdraw from the race for a Senate nomination.
Mar 4- Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa is convicted of jury tampering and receives a jail sentence.
Mar 9- The first Ford Mustang ins manufactured/
Mar 14- A Dallas jury finds Jack Ruby guilty of killing Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
May 19- The US State Department reports that more than 40 hidden microphones have been found embedded in the walls of the US Embassy in Moscow.
Jul 2- President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, abolishing racial segregation in the United States
Jul 27- The US sends 5,000 more military advisors to South Vietnam, bringing the total number of US forces in that country to 21,000.
Aug 7- Days after North Vietnam aircraft attacked two American Navy ships, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving the President broad war powers to deal with North Vietnamese attacks on US forces.
Aug 27- President Johnson is nominated with US Senator Hubert Humphrey as his running mate is nominated at the Democratic National Convention.
Oct 14- Martin Luther King Jr. becomes the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Nov 3- With over 60 percent of the popular vote, President Johnson defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater in the Presidential Election.
Dec 1- President Johnson and his top-ranking advisors agree on a 2-phase bombing plan to attack North Korea.

09-01-2025, 08:47 PM	#1124
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,767	1964 Comes to a Close JANUARY 2, 1965 COWPENS STATE SURPRISE NATIONAL CHAMP IN YEAR OF CHANGE Just as professional football entered a new era in the fall of 1964, the college game also experienced its own shake-ups—though nothing so earth-shattering as the arrival of a rival league. For the first time in nearly two decades, the familiar landscape of the collegiate conferences saw a round of reshuffling as several schools switched conferences and it was decided, after several years of debate, to add more games. The American Intercollegiate Athletic Association, governing body for the nation’s major colleges, had long wrestled with the question of expanding the football schedule. Traditionalists warned that piling on more games would tip the scales against the “student” side of the student-athlete equation. But with television dollars growing louder than the voices of caution, the verdict was inevitable. Beginning in 1964, most schools added an extra game or two, pushing the standard regular season to 11 contests, with some still tacking on the traditional Classic. That change in scheduling played a leading role in two conferences expanding their rosters to a more convenient eight members. The Southwestern Alliance —made up of six Texas powers plus Arkansas A&T— stuck close to home by welcoming the College of Waco Cowboys, a rising program that had proven itself as an independent. The Cowboys, fresh off an 8-2 campaign and their third top-25 finish in seven years, were a natural fit for the SWA. Meanwhile, the Plains Athletic Association reached across state lines to bring in the Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers, an old rival of Oklahoma City State that immediately spices up the conference race. The Pioneers, long a strong program in the Midwestern Conference, went .500 last fall but have three New Year’s Day appearances in the last seven years to their credit. Their arrival gives the Plains circuit new punch and puts it closer to the ranks of the nation’s elite groupings, alongside the SWA, the Great Lakes Alliance, the Deep South, the South Atlantic, and the West Coast Athletic Association. Not all the moves were expansion. Out west, the WCAA trimmed back to eight members after saying farewell to Idaho A&M. The Pirates had struggled badly in recent years —going just 4-46 between 1958 and ’62— before showing brief signs of life with a 6-4 record last fall. But the die had been cast long before and the Pirates were jettisoned. With Idaho A&M gone, the WCAA now boasts a clean eight-school slate, allowing each club to meet all seven rivals and crown a more deserving champion for the annual East-West Classic in Santa Ana. That leaves only the Great Lakes Alliance, with its 10 members, and the sprawling Deep South, at an even dozen, as the lone major circuits outside the eight-team model now favored across the country. * All Eyes on Georgia Baptist * As the season began it was the defending national champion Georgia Baptist Gators that was once more tabbed as the squad to beat. The Gators were on the verge of a dynasty, if they were not already there, with 3 national titles to go along with a fifth and sixth ranking nationally over the past five years. In that span the Gators had posted an 50-5 record including a pair of perfect 11-0 seasons. With what was widely considered to be the best defense in the nation and a strong offense led by junior quarterback Jack Forsythe the Gators were the preseason favourite to win another title. The early stages of the season did little to change that opinion as Georgia Baptist rolled to a 7-0 start that included Deep South Conference road wins over Western Florida and Mississippi A&M as well as an impressive 38-13 dismantling of what at the time was a 6-1 St Blane team fresh off an impressive win of its own when the Fighting Saints thumped Rome State 44-10. Senior halfback Charlie Radley, who would run for more than 1,500 yards during the season, reeled off 139 and 4 touchdowns as the Saints had no answer for the Gators ground game in what ended a 38-13 Baptist victory. As it turned out that was the high point of the Gators season as Georgia Baptist was proved to be human a week later by a gutsy College of Omaha eleven that handed the Gators their first loss in over two years 24-17. The Gators would also lose to Deep South rival Cumberland two weeks later but still finished atop the conference and were invited to play on New Year's Day for the sixth consecutive season. The two losses had left the Gators ranked sixth entering the Classic games. On the top was an Oklahoma City State school that was a perfect 11-0 and the only unbeaten team left in the nation. The Wranglers were 11-0 and Plains Athletic Association champions as they prepared to face 10-1 Cowpens State, winners of the South Atlantic crown and ranked third, in the Sunshine Classic. It would be the second year in a row the Sunshine Classic would determine the national champion as the Gators finished off their perfect season last year with a win over the same Oklahoma City State Wranglers who looked to turn the same trick and complete a perfect season on New Year's Day in Miami. All that stood in the Wranglers way was Cowpens State. The Fighting Green were a decent program, long-time members of the South Atlantic Conference but had never finished higher than the #11 ranking they earned a year ago following an 8-2 season. The Green won the SAC title for the first time in five years after posting a 7-1 section record, only marred by an early season 21-14 loss on the road at Maryland State. That would be Cowpens State only blemish as they entered New Year's with a 10-1 record that included an impressive 31-0 shutout of east coast independent power Commonwealth Catholic. The Fighting Green did not stand out in any facet of the game but they were good at everything and did not beat themselves with turnovers. Halfback Hubert Clary, a sophomore who gained 1,507 yards and ran for an AIAA best 23 touchdowns on the year, along with junior quarterback Roger Flora were named to the South Atlantic All-Conference team and were the closest things to star players on Cowpens State. The school was not expected to win the conference title, let along play for the national championship. Oklahoma City State was also a slightly unexpected choice for an unbeaten team entering the Classic games. The Wranglers did play in the Sunshine Classic three of the previous four years but were outside the top 25 a year ago and just two years removed from a dreadful 2-8 campaign. The key game of their season had to be the 20-13 victory on the road over a 4-1 at the time Eastern Kansas club that ultimately decided the Plains Athletic Association title. The win improved the Wranglers to 6-0 and aside from needing a late touchdown to beat American Atlantic 26-22 a week later they were not tested the rest of the way. Even College of Omaha, which had the key upset win over Georgia Baptist, did not provide a huge threat to the Wranglers in the regular season finale on Thanksgiving Weekend, as Oklahoma City State led all the way in a 23-14 victory. The Sunshine Classic, played in just that on a warm afternoon in Miami, saw the Wranglers take an early lead by driving for a field goal on their opening possession but they Wranglers knew they were in for a game when Cowpens State's rushing game, led by Clary and senior Leroy Avers drove for a touchdown on their second possession of the game. In the end the difference was the Cowpens State held the Wranglers to field goals as the Fighting Green went up 27-9 early in the fourth period, that was keyed by a trio of 1-yard scoring runs from touchdown king Clary. The Wranglers finally found the endzone with just over 3 minutes left but by then it was much too late and Cowpens State celebrated its first national title. * East-West Classic Foes Entered Santa Ana Feeling They Deserved Title Consideration * The Oklahoma City State stumble in the Sunshine Classic certainly jolted alive the title hopes of both the Coastal California Dolphins and Central Ohio Aviators as the two prepared to kick-off the East-West Classic in Santa Ana, CA., later that afternoon. Both schools were 10-1 entering the game with the Dolphins, winners of the West Coast Athletic Association title, ranked second, two spots ahead of the Great Lakes Alliance champs from Columbus, OH. If past appearances in Santa Ana are any indication, neither school entered the East-West Classic with a load of confidence. The Dolphins had lost 24-9 to Minnesota Tech a year ago and also lost the last time they played in the game, back in 1944 when Central Ohio had beaten them 24-17 to culminate the Aviators perfect season that year. More recently the Aviators had little luck in Santa Ana either, losing each of their four previous New Year's Day trips west including two years ago against Lane State. Someone had to win and if it was the Dolphins one would have to think they would move up a spot to number one with the Wranglers loss in the Sunshine Classic, giving Coastal California its record sixth national title but first since 1932. It did not happen as Scott Perry ran for 120 yards and two second half touchdowns to lead Central Ohio to a 24-14 victory. The Aviators, now 11-1 like Cowpens State, would move up in the polls but only two spots and finished second in the final rankings behind the Fighting Green. Georgia Baptist, which beat Southwestern Alliance champion Texas Gulf Coast 14-3 in the Oilman Classic, would finish third followed by Minnesota Tech and Oklahoma City State to round out the top five. The Dolphins finished 6th. COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES The Sunshine Classic victory that sealed the number one ranking for Cowpens State was the first time the Fighting Green had ever won on New Years. They had played in two other Classic's but ended up on the losing end both times. Pittsburgh State, which beat Chesapeake State 26-6 in the Lone Star Classic, Charleston Tech -winners in the Cajun Classic and Bayside Classic champ Eastern Kansas also won for the first time on New Year's Day. Payne State's Vern Rebovich became just the third back to top the 2000 yard rushing mark with 2,238 on the season. It helped earn the senior the Christian Trophy as college football player of the year. Minnesota Lakers senior quarterback Ed Corsetti threw 17 touchdown passes this season. Only three teams a QB has thrown more in a season with the record being 26 established by Bayou State's George Girard in 1956. Staying with in the Great Lakes Alliance, defensive end Larry Parker, a sophomore at Central Ohio, set a conference record with 11 sacks this season. In the AIAA since the stat began being tracked in 1950, only Renie Marquardt of St Patrick's (14 in 1954) and Spokane State's Andy Walsh (12 in 1953) have ever recorded more. It looks like the Georgia Baptist run will continue for the foreseeable future. Recruits won't officially commit until the spring but it appears the Gators have inked eight five-star recruits out of the upcoming class including Brian Eagle, a quarterback out of Riverdale, GA., who is ranked the top recruit in the country according to the OSA. Aside from the Gators, only Mile High State and Miami State, with three 5-star commitments, have landed more than one of them so far. KING RULES MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION Lyman King, the pride of Oakland, Cal., extended his hold on the middleweight division with three more successful title defenses in 1964. That makes the 27-year-old, who first claimed the title in 1962 before briefly losing it and then getting it back in 1963, the only champion in the American Boxing Federation's three major division to both start and end 1964 as champion. The heavyweight title now also resides on the west coast as Norm Robinson, a 29-year-old power puncher who grew up in Los Angeles and owns a 33-2 career record, may be at the start of a long run as champion of boxing's marquee division. Robinson, who made his pro debut nearly seven years ago, had his first title chance in 1960 but was no match for then-champion George Galleshaw. The current champ will be the first to admit he was not yet ready and he lost again in his first fight after the schooling from Galleshaw, dropping a decision to Bert Parks. Since then Robinson has won seven straight fights, five by knockout, culminating in a unanimous decision over Steve Leivers at New York's Bigsby Garden in late September that made Robinson the top fighter in the world. The welterweight division saw Brandon Dart take the crown away from former champ Matt Leach. It took two bouts for that to happen as the pair battled to a majority draw in Chicago on April 30th. A rematch was hastily arranged in Las Vegas and Dart, a 25-year-old who was born in Wales but grew up in New York City beat fellow New York Leach in a unanimous decision to claim the title. Whether he holds on to it remains to be seen as Dart had to settle for a technical draw with yet another New Yorker, Charlie McMichael after an accidental head butt opened a large gash over the challengers right eye in the penultimate 14th round. At the time of the stoppage, the judges were equally split on the outcome with one favouring the champ by a point, another seeing McMichael ahead by 2 points and the third scoring the bout dead even up to that point. It is expected a rematch will be staged in the spring. The Year That Was Current events from 1964 Jan 3- Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona announced he will seek the Republican nomination for president. Jan 8- In his first State of the Union Address, President Johnson declares a "War on Poverty." Jan 9- Armed clashes between US troops and Panamanian civilians in the Panama Canal Zone precipitates a major international crisis, resulting in the deaths of 21 Panamanians and 4 US soldiers. Jan 11- For the first time, the US Surgeon General's office reports that smoking may be hazardous to one' health. Jan 16- John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, resigns from the space program and a day later announces that he will run for the US Senate in Ohio. Jan 28- A US Air Force jet training plane that strays into East Germany is shot down by Soviet fighters killing all 3 crew members. Feb 1- The Beatles vault to #1 in the US singles charts for the first time with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." A week later they arrive at JFK Airport in New York, with 4,000 fans waiting in what marks the first occurrence of "Beatlemania" in the US. Feb 26- John Glenn is suffers an inner ear injury after slipping on a rug in his home, forcing him to withdraw from the race for a Senate nomination. Mar 4- Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa is convicted of jury tampering and receives a jail sentence. Mar 9- The first Ford Mustang ins manufactured/ Mar 14- A Dallas jury finds Jack Ruby guilty of killing Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. May 19- The US State Department reports that more than 40 hidden microphones have been found embedded in the walls of the US Embassy in Moscow. Jul 2- President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, abolishing racial segregation in the United States Jul 27- The US sends 5,000 more military advisors to South Vietnam, bringing the total number of US forces in that country to 21,000. Aug 7- Days after North Vietnam aircraft attacked two American Navy ships, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving the President broad war powers to deal with North Vietnamese attacks on US forces. Aug 27- President Johnson is nominated with US Senator Hubert Humphrey as his running mate is nominated at the Democratic National Convention. Oct 14- Martin Luther King Jr. becomes the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Nov 3- With over 60 percent of the popular vote, President Johnson defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater in the Presidential Election. Dec 1- President Johnson and his top-ranking advisors agree on a 2-phase bombing plan to attack North Korea. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles