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CLASSNOTES
Jack Russell Cunningham Sr.
’50
of Mobile, on Jan. 5, 2015.
Cunningham began his career
at U.S. Steel in Fairfield, Ala.,
and moved to Liberty National
Insurance in Birmingham. He then
was employed by General Motors
and was the youngest person in its
history to be promoted to manager.
He ultimately retired after 35 years
of serving as vice president of
Grady Buick Automotive. He was
an avid outdoorsman and an active
member of Spring Hill Baptist
Church. Survivors include his wife,
four children, nine grandchildren,
and four great-grandchildren.
William Claud Ingram ’50
of
Pelham, on Oct. 17, 2013. Ingram
retired from Southern Natural
Gas after 34 years of service. He
served his country during WWII
and the Korean War as a Navy
medic and was a survivor of the
Battle of Okinawa. Ingram was
a member of Lakeside Baptist
Church. Survivors include his wife;
two children, including
Claudia
Ingram Harris ’80
of Adamsville,
Ala.; a brother,
Cecil Ingram ’47
of Atlanta; four grandchildren; and
three great-grandchildren.
Benny Carle ’51
of Florence,
on Oct. 2, 2014. Carle was a
broadcasting pioneer and television
entertainer, best known as the
host of TV shows in Birmingham,
Decatur, and Huntsville from the
late 1940s to the late 1970s. He
began his career on radio after
his service in the U.S. Merchant
Marine during World War II. He
became owner and manager of
TV23 in Decatur in 1965, changed
the channel to 48, and moved the
station to Huntsville. He sold that
operation and moved to Florence
in 1977 to begin WBCF-AM/FM/TV;
his son, Benji, operates the family
stations today. Carle’s acting
credits include the
Rifleman
. He
is survived by his wife and three
sons.
Katherine Pritchett Clark ’52
of
Albany, Ga., on Dec. 29, 2014. A
keyboardist and organist, Clark’s
interests were primarily music
and teaching. After graduating
from BSC, she studied privately at
the Royal Conservatory of Music
in Toronto, the San Francisco
Conservatory, and the Summer
Music Conference at Interlochen,
Michigan; she earned a master’s
degree from the University of
Alabama. Clark enjoyed performing
as an accompanist for oratorios,
operas, weddings, and recitals.
She was honored with a “Lifetime
Achievement Award” by the
Dougherty County Youth Orchestra.
She was a member of Porterfield
United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband,
Dr.
Eugene C. Clark ’51
, four children,
and four grandchildren.
Mildred “Millie” E. Davis ’52
of Birmingham, on Sept. 15,
2014. Davis retired from the U.S.
Department of Justice after serving
25 years in the U.S. Marshals
Office and 15 years in the U.S.
Attorney’s Office. She was an
active volunteer at Highlands
United Methodist Church, a
staunch supporter of civil rights
for all, and an advocate of rescued
dogs. She is survived by a cousin
and many friends.
CharlesW. Copeland Jr. ’54
of
Tuscaloosa, on Aug. 16, 2014.
Following BSC and three years in
the U.S. Army, Copeland received
a master’s degree in geology from
the University of North Carolina.
He worked at the Geological
Survey of Alabama for 34 years,
retiring in 1995. In 1989, as project
director, he and a group of others
compiled the Geologic Map of
Alabama, which is still used today.
In
Memoriam
’50
William Legg
, athletic hall of famer and
former executive director of the Alabama Sports
Hall of Fame, passed away on Feb. 13, 2015, in
Birmingham, at the age of 86.
“Coach Legg,” as he was affectionately
known, played a major role in the planning
and oversight of the construction and eventual
move of the Hall of Fame’s headquarters to its
present location and its later expansion. He
guided the museum, which is considered one
of the best sports halls of fame in the country,
and its programs over a period of outstanding
growth and development before retiring in
2009.
Legg studied business on the Hilltop and
was a baseball and basketball standout. After
a storied athletic career at BSC, he earned a
master’s degree from Peabody College (now Vanderbilt University) and joined the
U.S. Navy in 1952; he served for four years. Legg retired from the Naval Reserve
program in 1983 with the rank of captain. Prior to assuming his role at the hall of
fame, he was a geometry teacher and coach at Shades Valley High and was athletic
director for the Jefferson County Schools for 20 years.
He was inducted into the BSC Sports Hall of Fame in 1985 and was honored by
the board of directors of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as its 2001 Distinguished
Alabama Sportsman.
On April 4, 2009, the Alabama Legislature certified a resolution commending him
for professional achievement, most notably for his distinguished record as executive
director. That same year, then-Gov. Bob Riley proclaimed May 30 “Bill Legg Day” for
his service to Alabama.
Legg was a member of First United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife,
seven children, 17 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the William Legg Award at the Office of
Institutional Advancement at BSC, Box 549003, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham,
Alabama 35254. The scholarship is presented annually to a senior student-athlete
who plans to attend graduate school.