Yesterday in La Crosse
Trying to get above 50,000…43 years ago
In 1975, new mayor Pat Zielke said La Crosse would have to consider annexing parts of neighboring towns to stay above the 50,000 population mark, needed to qualify for more federal funds. Money from Washington was decreasing because the city’s population had gone down to 47,900.
Area schools were welcoming new teachers…Tom Berkedal at Lincoln Jr. High, Marilyn Hoff at Hintgen, and principal Myron McKee at Longfellow Jr. High. McKee’s approach to student discipline would be controversial enough to get him fired two years later, leading to the recall of five school board members.
UW-La Crosse hosted famous women that fall. Anthropologist Margaret Mead talked about contemporary marriage, and CBS reporter Lesley Stahl spoke of her adventures as a woman trying to succeed in the male-dominated world of TV journalism.
Two TV shows called “Saturday Night Live” began that fall. The first one was an ABC variety show hosted by Howard Cosell. The other one…which is still on NBC today…debuted on October 11th, 1975…yesterday in La Crosse.