Mayor surprises Montgomery city employee on eve of 50th anniversary
Updated: Aug. 15, 2018 at 9:37 AM CDT
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - A Montgomery city employee was surprised by the mayor Wednesday morning on the eve of his 50th year serving the city.
Dallas Mitchell, the first and still active city of Montgomery employee to reach the 50-year tenure mark was surprised by Mayor Todd Strange during breakfast at the Farmers Market Café.
Mitchell's face lit up as he stood to greet and shake hands with the mayor.
According to the city, Mitchell was initially hired in 1968 as an electrical inspector and later became Chief Electrical Inspector. Today he serves as supervisor electrical service.
When Mitchell was hired:
- A postage stamp cost five cents; gasoline was 34 cents/gallon; a new home cost $26,600 and McDonald's sold its first Big Mac for 49 cents.
- George Wallace was running for president; Apollo astronauts had not set foot on the moon; American troops were fighting in the Vietnam War.
- “Bonanza”, “Gunsmoke” and “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” were network television hits. “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “The Yellow Submarine” were in movie theaters.
- “Hey Jude” by the Beatles; “Jumping Jack Flash” by the Rolling Stones and “Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding were the top songs.
- O.J. Simpson won the Heisman Trophy and the champions of Super Bowl two were the Green Bay Packers, led by Super Bowl MVP, Montgomery native and Lanier High School alum Bart Starr.
The mayor said Wednesday represented Mitchell's 18,261st day working for the city.
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