Photos: Tucson life in the mid-70s
Venture back in time with these photographs of people, places and events in Tucson in 1976 and 1977.
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De Anza Drive-In movie theater
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De Anza Drive-In at 22nd and Alvernon. June 10, 1977.
World's 'ugliest street'
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An image of East Speedway, once dubbed America’s “ugliest street” by Life magazine, looking east from Alvernon Way .
Willie Nelson concert
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The crowd went wild when Willie Nelson appeared on stage on a bill that included Asleep at the Wheel and Jerry Jeff Walker on June 18, 1977.
Waylon Jennings
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Waylon Jennings during his performance with Willie Nelson at the Tucson Community Center on September 6, 1976.
University of Arizona main library
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Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner was the main speaker at the dedication of the new University of Arizona Main Library on April 13, 1977. More than 400 people gathered for the ceremony in front of the new $12.5 million facility. Following the speeches, local folklorist "Big Jim" Griffith and his banjo took the stage with a group called Summer Dog, shown here, and later The Enis Group played "genuine Papago chicken scratch." Some 5,000 servings of cake, ice cream and lemonade were ordered, so there was plenty for any hungry students who dropped by.
University of Arizona basketball
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University of Arizona head coach Fred Snowden surrounded by players during an Arizona vs. Arizona State game at McKale Center on Mar. 6, 1976.
Tucson Meet Yourself
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Tucson Meet Yourself in Downtown Tucson on Oct. 8, 1976.
Tucson Meet Yourself
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Tucson Meet Yourself in Downtown Tucson on Oct. 8, 1976.
Tucson hail storm
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Hail caked on the ground after a huge hail storm in Tucson on Sept. 26, 1976.
Tuba clinic
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Players get ready to perform in a thundering ensemble at the tuba clinic at the University of Arizona School of Music. The First Annual Tuba and Euphonium Clinic was held on April 30, 1977, at the University of Arizona School of Music. Sponsored by the UA and the Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association (TUBA), the event brought together about 30 high school, college and professional musicians. Euphoniums, which are something like a tuba's little brother, joined with the tubas to play several works en masse. And in case you thought the attendees just sat around tooting their horns, they also discussed technical innovations in the production of brass instruments and exchanged views on performance methods.
Titan II ICBM complex, south of Three Points
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On-duty crew members at the ready during a drill at Titan II ICBM complex 570-9, southwest of Tucson on Dec. 28, 1977.
The Mondales and Rep. Morris Udall
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Rep. Morris Udall speaks at the Temple of Music and Art on June 19, 1977.
Ted DeGrazia
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Ted DeGrazia at his studio in Tucson on June 8, 1977.
Tanque Verde Swap Meet
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Tanque Verde Swap Meet was once located where Grant Road meets Tanque Verde Road. Photo taken in February, 1977.
Tanque Verde Bridge
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On November 8, 1977, the Tanque Verde Bridge over the Pantano Wash was in the process of being torn down to make way for a larger, more efficient structure.
Sunnyside High School track meet
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Harry Holt bolts into action at the Sunnyside High track meet in March 1976.
St. Patrick's Day
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It wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without green clothing and Irish jigs. In the spirit of the day, Kathleen Sweeney showed off her fancy footwork on March 17, 1977, at the Oxbow Saloon. She was dancing to the melodic bagpipes of Ernie Nelson, Bruce McGrew and Brad Frazier.
Spider-Man at the Spaghetti Company
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Spider-Man hangs with children at the Spaghetti Company in 1977. While in town, Spidey also visited hospitalized children at five local hospitals and made appearances Downtown and at El Con Shopping Center.
Snowball fight
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A snowball fight on the University of Arizona Mall on March 3, 1976.
Santa Claus in Nogales
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A Santa Claus hired by the Nogales, Ariz., merchants association greets shoppers from both countries in November of 1976.
Roosevelt Elementary School
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Blanche Lucille Warner Lewis at Roosevelt Elementary School on May 24, 1977.
Rincon High School computer
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Ed Alwood plays the verbal guessing game, "Hangman" with a computer at Rincon High School on. May 18, 1977.
Raul Grijalva
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Tucson Unified School District board member Raul Grijalva in 1977.
Raul Castro and Billy Carter
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Gov. Raul H. Castro and presidential brother Billy Carter participate in the opening ceremonies for the Pima Town and Country Fair on April 15, 1977. At the fairgrounds, Carter was guest of honor at a barbecue lunch, made some brief remarks and then entertained a crowd of about 300 with a question-and-answer session. Carter promised to send the governor a supply of grits, and Castro said he would send Carter a shipment of menudo. While taking a break from handshakes, signing autographs and speaking, Carter did drink an occasional can of beer. For his appearance at three events, Carter was paid $10,000.
Rainstorm flooding
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A rainstorm resulted in flooding near 22nd St and Park Ave on Sept. 24, 1976.
Piano recital
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Becky Greenlee, left, and Beth Furst were among the performers at the pupil piano recital at The Tucson Community Center on March 12, 1977.
When the Tucson Music Teachers Association staged a piano recital on March 12, 1977, it went all out with 250 young piano students, 23 works of music and 10 pianos. Among the young performers at the Tucson Community Center Music Hall were Becky Greenlee, left, and Beth Furst. Playing simultaneously in groups of 10 and 20, the students were led by James R. Anthony. To keep the groups on tempo, Anthony used a maraca and a 6-foot pole.
Old Main Library on UA campus
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The empty main reading room at Old Main Library on the UA campus. Hushed conversations and the rustling of papers were replaced by silence in the main reading room of the old University of Arizona Library at 1013 E. University Blvd. On Feb. 25, 1977, the building stood empty as its collections had been moved down the street to the new UA library. Construction on the original building was begun in 1924, and cost $475,000. Three subsequent additions to the building brought the square footage up to 97,000, but its library days were over. The Arizona State Museum moved into the space.
Mt. Lemmon hoedown
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Mt. Lemmon's Summerhaven residents listen to a mountain hoedown to raise money to build a new community center on July 3, 1977.
Mount Lemmon fire
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Waitress, Phyliss Huisgen gazes at the ruins of the burned Mt. Lemmon Inn. Since 1945, the Mount Lemmon Sawmill Co. & Restaurant, also known as the Mount Lemmon Inn, had been a fixture in the small community of Summerhaven atop the Santa Catalina Mountains. Early in the morning of April 29, 1977, after the establishment had closed for the evening, a fire started in the ground-floor dance hall. The old landmark was destroyed within a few hours. In the aftermath that day, waitress Phyliss Huisgen sat by the still-smoldering ruins. The original lodge had been built by Tony Zimmerman as a restaurant and country store. A two-story structure, once used as a 12-room hotel, was added on in the early 1950s.
Major Clarence Dupnik
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Major Clarence Dupnik of the Tucson Police Dept. in November, 1976, months before he took over as chief deputy at the Pima County Sheriff's Dept.
Los Reales landfill pickers
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Scavengers at Los Reales Landfill. June 15, 1977.
Los Changuitos Feos
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Los Changuitos Feos perform from the back of a stake bed truck at Southgate Shopping Center, 6th Ave. and I-10, on Dec. 9, 1977.
Lining up to see Wings
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Fans line up prior to the Paul McCartney and Wings in concert at the Tucson Community Center on June 18, 1976.
Linda Ronstadt
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Linda Ronstadt signs autographs at Tucson's Symphony Cotillion Ball.
Linda Ronstadt
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Linda Ronstadt arrives at Tucson International Airport on Sept. 16, 1976, for a benefit concert for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Lawrence Welk at the Tucson Open
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Famous variety show host Lawrence Welk does the polka during the 1976 Tucson Open, sponsored by NBC-TV.
KCUB radio meeting
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Back in December 1976, Billboard magazine named KCUB radio the No. 1 music station in the world. At the time, the cast of characters included, from left, Bob English, KCUB program director; Jim Slone, general manager; "Sunny" Jim Arnold, operations manager; and Phil Richardson, sales manager.
Judy Blume in Tucson
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"Love from Judy Blume" is written on several hundred volumes of popular author Blume's books for children. Blume signed autographs for almost two hours at the University of Arizona on March 8, 1977. Blume received the first Young Arizona Readers Award at the University of Arizona Children's Book Fair. After the award ceremony at the UA Gallagher Theater, she spoke to the 500 young students in the audience about her life as a writer. Then for two hours, Blume chatted with her fans and signed "Love from Judy Blume" in hundreds of books.
International border from Nogales, Sonora
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The international border from the Nogales, Son. in 1976 looking towards the new DeConcini Port of Entry on Grand Ave.
God takes a walk
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Every morning for years, Jim Anderson, owner of the Meet Rack, could be seen running down Speedway near the university. Always followed by a loyal group of fellow runners, Anderson and the others would wave to the passing cars as they ran. A self-described "megalomaniac," Anderson is seen here on July 7, 1977, running and carrying his trademark wooden staff, which was topped with a solid gold bust of himself.
Freeway airport
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Pilot Kathy Williams looks over controls of her plane during preflight procedures before a flight from the Freeway Airport on August 31, 1977. Originally built in 1941, it was to house the headquarters of the G. and G. Airlines Company. It was founded by Charles Gilpin and Isabella Greenway. The airfield was called Gilpin Air Field and at one time was used to train pilots during WWII. Arthur Pack bought 100 acres of the airport land in 1958, changed the name to Freeway Airport and planned to build new facilities and move the landing strip. It closed for good in 1978.
First day of school around Tucson
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Thumb-sucking students calm their nerves during the first day of school at Howell Elementary School in Tucson on Sept. 6, 1977.
Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt
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A new Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt, clad in white, with armaments on display at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, in March, 1976.
Elysian Grove
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Inside someone's home at the Elysian Grove Apartments, 400 West Simpson St. on May 10, 1977.
Dust storm
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Weather picture from A Mountain of a dust storm moving in on July 10, 1977.
Doubletree ballroom
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Workers were putting the final touches on the carpet in The Doubletree Inn's brand new $1-million ballroom on Feb. 24, 1977. The 10,200-square-foot ballroom could accommodate a meeting of 1,600 people and a banquet for 1,000.
Cycling in Tucson
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Don Shoemaker on his 1880s velocipede. March 26, 1977.
Cooling down in Old Pueblo
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A couple of guys hang out at the Mission Manor Pool on the first day the pool is open for the summer on May 21, 1977.
Cooling down in Old Pueblo
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A couple chats along the edge of the Ft Lowell Park pool on May 21, 1976.
Chuck Mangione
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Before his concert in Tucson, Chuck Mangione does some solitary practicing. July 1, 1977.
Fleetwood Mac in Tucson
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Christie Coleman, a UA student, fooled them all. She brought water in her wineskin to the Fleetwood Mac Concert at the University of Arizona stadium.
Fleetwood Mac in Tucson
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Fleetwood Mac ticket holders in the stands of the UA Stadium couldn't resist a run for the infield seats in 1977.
Casa Seton
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Casa Seton at 2301 E. Elm Street, Tucson, which was home to 14 graduate students from the University of Arizona art department in 1977. Formerly known as the James W. Wheeler ranch when built. It was sold to Tucson Rodeo pioneer Leighton Kramer in 1918, who renamed it "Rancho Santa Catalina."
Cactus Bowl
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Cactus Bowl's Class 'A' Doubles Champions on December 12, 1976.
Bisbee coaster races
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There have been coaster races in Bisbee on the Fourth of July for over 90 years, and the steep curves down Tombstone Canyon have dashed many a driver's hope for victory. This race on July 4, 1977 was only the second year since adults had once again been allowed to race following a serious accident in the '50s. The 1 3/4 mile course had 16 turns, and speed was determined by gravity, the driver's weight and skills. Speeds could reach 40 mph. Tragedy again struck the event in 1980 when a woman and her 5-year-old son were killed when a race car skidded out of control and slammed into a group of spectators. The race was discontinued for several years and when it resumed in 1993, drivers could not be over 16 years of age.
Beard judging contest
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If you thought judging a beard contest wasn't serious work, think again. To kick off La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, a beard contest was held at Armory Park on Feb. 20, 1977. Judges Terri Acuna, Syd Steventon and Pat Waring carefully inspect the facial foliage of contestant John Patterson. Competitors faced off in such categories as the most natural beard, the longest beard, the most attractive beard and the bushiest.
Barry Manilow in Tucson
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Barry Manilow and Lady Flash, a trio of back-up singers, performing at the Tucson Community Center on Dec. 3, 1976. The Tucson Citizen wrote, "Manilow worked through three costume changes, two of them covered with enough spangles to look like part of the Ice Capades wardrobe...."
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Back at the pool at the Doubletree Inn, Arnold Schwarzenegger gets some rest as he catches some rays as he hangs out at the pool. He was a 28-year-old aspiring actor promoting his movie, Stay Hungry, in August 1976. At the time what lay ahead for him was unknown. Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, the governorship of California would come later but that was followed by scandal. The Austrian-born newcomer was a relative unknown except for those in the international body-building world who knew him as the former Mr Universe and Mr Olympia. During his stay he gave interviews to the local media, worked out at the gym of a friend, Carlos Rodriguez, and took a dip in the pool at the Doubletree Inn. The documentary, Pumping Iron, had yet to be released and his future had yet to be defined. However, in an interview with a reporter from the Tucson Citizen, he expressed the desire to find the kind of success in the movies that he had achieved in the world of body-building.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Fellow body-builder and former Mr Universe Carlos Rodriguez, left, gets a surprise visit from Arnold Schwarzenegger at his gym, Tucson Health Studio. At the time, Schwarzenegger was a 28-year-old aspiring actor promoting his movie, Stay Hungry, in August 1976. The Austrian-born newcomer was a relative unknown except for those in the international body-building world who knew him as the former Mr Universe and Mr Olympia. During his stay he gave interviews to the local media, worked out at Rodriguez's gym and took a dip in the pool at the Doubletree Inn. The documentary, Pumping Iron, had yet to be released and his future had yet to be defined. However, in an interview with a reporter from the Tucson Citizen, he expressed the desire to find the kind of success in the movies that he had achieved in the world of body-building.
Arizona Daily Star newsroom
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The staff of the Arizona Daily Star on March 30, 1977. Michael Pulitzer is on the bottom right.
1977 Science Fiction exposition in Tucson
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Bob Asprin head of security at the 1977 Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy World Exposition on June 2, 1977.
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Business titan Fletcher McCusker, radio personality Bobby Rich and broadcast veteran Jim Arnold join forces to target 45 to 65 demographic.
