Archivist Marvin Whiting remembered for making Birmingham's history accessible

Published: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 7:02 PM ??? Updated: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 7:04 PM

It wasn't unusual to find Marvin Whiting digging through the trash at downtown Birmingham businesses looking for scraps of the city's history before they were lost forever, friends said today.

Mr. Whiting, who served as director of Birmingham Public Library's archives department from 1976 to 1996 and was curator of the Birmingham-Jefferson History Museum, died Friday. He was 76.

"He was kind of an evangelist of archives and history," said Robert G. Corley, director of the Global and Community Leadership Honors Program at UAB, who once worked for Mr. Whiting.

In fact, Mr. Whiting began his professional career as a Methodist minister. He had a master of divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, a doctorate degree in American religious history from Columbia University, a master's degree in history from Emory University, and a degree in library science and archives from Emory University.

After serving as chaplain and assistant professor at Jacksonville University in Florida the Georgia native came to Birmingham to direct the library's archives department.

Marjorie White, director of the Birmingham Historical Society, credited Mr. Whiting with developing the first major program for collecting and preserving the city's records and opening them to the public. "For the life of a city, that is very important to have access to records to tell your story," she said.

Mr. Whiting sought out records anywhere they could be found, developing contacts at long-time area companies to get them to turn over their records before they were lost. He even was known to go through the trash of some older businesses that were moving out, friends said.

Among the records added to the city's archives during Mr. Whiting's tenure were records from the Elyton Land Co., which founded the city of Birmingham, and Jemison & Co., another development company that developed Mountain Brook, Fairfield, and a number of commercial buildings and hotels in Birmingham, including the Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham.

"He (Mr. Whiting) was driven to collect things," White said.

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Birmingham businessman, golfer Elbert S. Jemison Jr., remembered as 'great servant'

Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 10:38 PM ??? Updated: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 10:39 PM

Elbert S. Jemison Jr., a Birmingham businessman whose championship golfing earned him a place in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, died Monday at the age of 90.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Cathedral Church of the Advent. The family will receive friends at 10 a.m. at the church in Klingman Commons.

Jemison's life took him from the European Theatre in World War II to winning more than 50 tournaments to mingling with presidents.

"He was a great servant in many capacities," said Scott Myers, executive director of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. "Even in his retirement, he was always around, had great ideas, and was always thinking of new ways to get people involved."

Jemison was born into a family steeped in Birmingham lore. His grandfather Robert Jemison Sr. created Glen Iris Park. His uncle Robert Jr. developed Mountain Brook Estates in the 1920s, and later the town of Fairfield.

He learned the game of golf as a boy hitting hickory nuts with his grandfather's clubs, and later won junior tournaments while at Ramsay High School. With the outbreak of war, Jemison served as an aide to Gen. Edmund B. Sebree and met Gen. George S. Patton.

Jemison carried his 8-iron to war in his bedroll to work on his swing, prompting "Old Blood and Guts" to tell him, "By God, if you can kill Germans with it, use it!" As a result of his wartime service, Jemison was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge and Bronze Star.

After finishing college and becoming an insurance salesman, he won back-to-back state amateur golf titles and served as president of the Southern Golf Association. In the 1970s, he served on the U.S. Golf Association's Executive Committee, and initiated the USGA membership program. This allowed the association to reach out to individual golfers playing on public courses.

He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and was a memorable presence there, said Reeves Sims, a volunteer at the hall.

"He was just a joy to talk to," Sims said. "He was always positive, always real upbeat, and he talked about anything. He just loved life and was a great guy. He was really humble, but he enjoyed being a part of this hall."

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Good Samaritan who died trying to help the sur-65 trucker remembered as "of real assistance" lifetime

Published: Friday, October 29, 2010, 5 H.

Monica not at all surprised Mitchell Wednesday evening she watched her husband on a median Interstate safe to try to help a driver of truck in distress.

After all, this is the way which 42 years Brent Mitchell lived his life.

"It still was just a real assistance," said his wife, Monica Mitchell. "If something was wrong, he wanted to solve the problem.

But, while they sit in their cars and watch while it rushing through six lanes of Interstate 65, she and their daughter, age 11, Chloe, never dream it would be the last time that he would go to the rescue of someone else.

"Donning a share of the guardrail and both legs," she says."I thought it would have affected land and cross."

Instead of this, say members of the police and the family administrator of systems integrated Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama dégringolé 60 to 80 feet until his death.

"The police told me," said his wife, "that it is a special place for people like him."

The Mitchell and their daughter Chloe, a sixth - grader at Berry Middle School, had spent the evening together as a family. They were going to pick up costumes Halloween de Chloé and then d?né winged suite.Chloe chattered film that she and her grandmother had seen the end of the previous week.

"We had a great dinner," said Monica Mitchell. "It was a great evening.?

Returning Riverchase family is mired in the circulation.Comme they dug forward, they saw a truck set fire on the north side of him interstate Cahaba River Bridge.

Mitchell, towards South, fired.They saw a man standing near the fire truck, but could say that it was not the camionneur.Personne else was on the scene.

"Brent yelled out the window ' is the driver OK?At said Monica Mitchell. "The guy shrugged his type of as he knew. ?

Mitchell is out of the car and has décollé.Après a short while his wife and daughter began to perceive something amiss.

"I realized that I could see him more, but I not getting account just not he never left the other side,"said his wife.""Chloe started to get upset. ?

"I'd said type that it has disappeared," said Chloe.

Police and firefighters arrive bient?t.Monica Mitchell saw the man who was first on the scene speak to the authorities, and then he was reviewed and stressed car Mitchell.

"At this time, I am out of the car," she says.

They later learned the trucker, Ohio, had already walked away safe.

It due to searchers and shined a light on the ground below .more lights came into search Mitchell as authorities closed of interstate it.

His wife and daughter have been taken to a hotel near to wait for the official word.

"I guess I knew that when they told me what was the drop," said Monica Mitchell. "But still you may think, maybe he just broke his leg or something.?

Mitchell Madison, was a carpenter who joined the business world to allow his wife to 13 years old to stay at home with Chloe.

"He just took care of us," said his wife.

He took a job with the Basel Committee, 10 years and was responsible for the configuration of workstation and comprehensive technical support company.

"He was a loyal and dedicated team of the Croix-blue that touched the lives of many of our associates member", the company said in a statement issued Thursday. "We will all miss him as a colleague and a friend who was always ready to help.?

Friends and family describes her funny and jovial, someone who would give the shirt on his back.

A few days before his death, Chloe grandmother told him how his father had helped people during a storm. ""He helped people over three days," said Chloe.

It is reminiscent of another time, when his father bought someone a soda in a convenience store, because the boy had not enough changement.Il has countless other stories.

"I thought it was really good," said Chloe, but sometimes it would take some time and I would be, "Daddy, come."?

His wife said he will miss her us.

"Since the time we met, I called him my hero," she says. "He was always there for me.?

To join the conversation by comment below or send Robinson to crobinson@bhamnews.com.

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