Yesterday in La Crosse
A new high school opens in southern Minnesota, 52 years ago
In April of 1967, the new La Crescent High School opened its doors, with the Minnesota state education secretary brought in as keynote speaker. One reason La Crescent built a new school was a ruling from La Crosse four years earlier, not to accept Minnesota students in Wisconsin public schools.
The Miss USA pageant for 1967 was held in May…but contestants were still being sought in April. Advertising on college campuses said that to compete for Miss Wisconsin USA, a young woman had to be 18 to 27 years old, and have lived in the state for six months. No talent required.
Lots of TV talent went on strike that spring, forcing the major networks to replace daytime soap operas and game shows with black-and-white reruns. The strikers included Johnny Carson and Walter Cronkite…so for two weeks, the CBS Evening News was anchored by non-union substitute Arnold Zenker. That’s the way it was, in 1967, yesterday in La Crosse.