Flashback Friday: A look at what life was like in Tucson in the 1980s
Snapshots in time of the mid-1980s in Tucson.
University of Arizona Homecoming
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The 1985 UA Homecoming Pep Rally on the UA Mall included an egg toss. The participant at left is wearing a guitarist Eric Clapton tour shirt. Clapton was nicknamed "Slow Hand." But an egg toss requires quick hands or there could be a mess.
Hughes Aircraft Co.
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Cutline from Feb. 18, 1985: Hughes has cranked up assembly operations after voluntarily shutting down late last year.
Mayor Lew Murphy
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Tucson Mayor Lew Murphy chuckles during the announcement of the parade Grand Marshal for La Fiesta de los Vaqueros on Feb. 22, 1984.
Vicki Lynne Hoskinson
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Law enforcement officers during the search for Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, 8, in Tucson in 1984.
The Stumble Inn
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Suicidal Tendencies performs at the Stumble Inn, today known as The Rock, January 23, 1984.
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
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Loews Ventana Canyon Resort under construction in 1984.
Tucson Rodeo
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Kelly Tierney of South Dakota makes a turn during barrel racing during the La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Tucson Rodeo in 1984.
Tucson Rodeo
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A calf roper pitches his slack and gets ready to dismount after roping his calf during La Fiesta de los Vaqueros on March 3, 1984.
Los Lobos at Wildcat House
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David Hidalgo and Los Lobos at the Wildcat House on Jan. 29, 1985.
Arizona Theater Company
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Gary Gisselman, left, of Arizona Theater Company works with actors in "Robber Bridegroom" at the ATC offices on West Congress Street in 1985.
Mine closure
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Bill Puffer, a striking crusher repairman, sits in his front yard (across from the Phelps-Dodge mine) in 1984. He had a new job working for a nearby Indian reservation and laughed at the miners who were leaving work that day. The jobs they took away during the previous strike were terminated that day when the mine closed down.
Roy P. Drachman
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A November 1984 photo of Roy P. Drachman.
Rainer Ptacek
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Rainer Ptacek (AKA Rainer) plays at Niños in this 1984 file photo.
Joseph Bonanno, Sr.
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Joe Bonanno is escorted to federal prison in a wheelchair by a U.S. Marshal in Tucson in 1985 after refusing to answer questions at a deposition.
Brittle rescue
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Kelly Brittle held on to a rope and his truck for dear life as he awaited rescue after driving around a barricade and through the Canada Del Oro wash at Overton Road on 12/27/1984.
Los Changuitos Feos
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Trumpeter Jeff Nevin performs with Los Changuitos Feos during a Christmas concert for residents of the Marshall Home for Men on Dec. 21, 1985.
Sheriff Dupnik
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Sheriff Clarence Dupnik speaking to a crowd in 1984.
Elephants and opera
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Glynn Ross, director of Arizona Opera, with elephants at Reid Park Zoo, March 30, 1984.
The Green Dolphin Bar
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The Green Dolphin Bar in Tucson, on January, 1985.
University of Arizona Homecoming
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Students and faculty took turns beating up a junk car painted with "Crush the Cardinal" during a 1984 UA Homecoming Rally on the UA Mall in advance of the Stanford football game. People could take home any parts that fell off after they took their whacks.
Steve Kerr
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Steve Kerr of Arizona (No. 25) against Arizona State on Jan. 20, 1984 at McKale Center in Tucson.
La Fuente family
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The family that owned La Fuente, pictured in 1984: Frank Flores, Rosemary Flores, Joseph Huerta, Hope Davis, Frank Davis Jr., nephew of Joseph Huerta.
Las Posadas
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Las Posadas in Tucson in December, 1985.
Lute Olson
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Arizona coach Lute Olson coaching at his youth basketball camp in 1985.
Barry Manilow in Tucson
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Barry Manilow performing in McKale Center at the University of Arizona on Jan. 11, 1985. The Daily Star wrote, "Manilow was dressed mostly in black, a color well-suited to his new smoky saloon tunes."
Tohono Chul Park
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Two women stand near the in this 1984 photo of Tohono Chul Park. Although the park was formally dedicated on April 19, 1985, its roots run as far back to 1966. Richard and Jean Wilson started piecing together patches of desert in order to preserve it. After fighting off many opportunities to sell to developers for years, they eventually amassed 49 acres. They even received a citation from the Tucson Audubon Society in 1980 for saving a desert green space and opening it up to the public. Now it is a desert oasis with meandering trails, a variety of wildlife and natural beauty for anyone to admire.
Joseph Bonanno
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Joseph Bonanno, a reputed mafia figure, walks through Tucson International Airport in Arizona in 1984, flanked by daughter-in-law Rosalie Bonanno, left, grandson Joseph Gregory, second from right, and son Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno, far right, after his parole from a federal prison in Lexington, Ky. Bonanno served nearly eight months of a 366 day sentence for obstructing justice. He returned to his home in Tucson.
Olson fans
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Fans of coach Lute Olson in McKale Center in 1984.
'Revenge of the Nerds' filming
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Actors Anthony Edwards, far right and Robert Carradine, center, stumble with their suitcases during a scene for the film, "Revenge of the Nerds" on January 30, 1984. Annette Knapp, far left and Susan Schellmeyer, were extras who played women enjoying a picnic on the University of Arizona campus. The movie was filmed in areas in and around the campus.
'Revenge of the Nerds' filming
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Crew members and spectators at the filming of the 20th Century Fox movie "Revenge of the Nerds" in 1984.
Tanque Verde and Wrightstown Road
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Tanque Verde and Wrightstown Road in 1985.
East Congress Street
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East Congress Street in 1984.
Miner strike
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Miners strike against Phelps Dodge Corp. in Clifton, Ariz. on May 7, 1984.
Meals at Santa Rita Park
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Casa Maria Soup Kitchen served meals to about 200 homeless people at Santa Rita Park, at East 22nd Street and North Fourth Avenue, on Dec. 12, 1985.
Sean Elliott
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Sean Elliott (32) of Cholla High School battles the boards against Sunnyside High opponents at Sunnyside on Jan. 31, 1984.
'Road to Refuge' series
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Jorge and Carlota, having crossed the border with fake identification cards are greeted by family members upon their safe arrival in Tucson. The photo is from the 1984 series "Road to Refuge" documenting the travels of Guatemalan refugees from Mexico city to Tucson by means of an "underground railroad".
Tucson International Airport
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Tucson International Airport tower in 1985.
