TTA Through the Years

In 2012, Frank Turner penned a series of columns for Tennessee Turfgrass Magazine. He was asked to share a history of the association and some of his own memories of conferences in years past. These are some highlights from his recollections.

Here are a few interesting facts from the first three conferences:

The first conference, as noted earlier, was held at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville in 1967.

The second conference, was held in Nashville at the Andrew Jackson Hotel.

and the third conference was held at the Sheraton Peabody Hotel in Memphis.

One of the topics at the first conference was “Poa annua Control in Bentgrass Greens.” One of the directors elected at that first conference was Mr. Buck Allison, a Sod and Seed Contractor from Kingston Springs, just outside of Nashville. In later years, Mr. Allison would be instrumental in helping the TTA secure legislative funding for Dr. Samples’ position at UT. Two topics at the 1968 conference were “Spring Dead Spot” and “Thatch Control in Bermudas and Zoysias”. It’s interesting how these early topics are still relevant today.

In 1990, a motion was approved at the Annual Meeting, to “give a yearly award to someone with high achievement in the Turfgrass Industry and/or distinguished service to our association and industry.” That award became the Professional of the Year.

The buffet banquet, awards, and entertainment were the highlights of the conference, and to be sure everyone was in the right frame of mind, there was a reception with liquid refreshments prior to the banquet. TTA’s Board of Directors had an entertainment committee whose sole responsibility was to come up with some form of entertainment for the banquet. I can remember a magician, a country/bluegrass band, and a comedian whose act much more x-rated than anyone anticipated! Without a doubt, the most “entertaining” entertainment was the famous Mouse Race.

Dr. Tom Samples was new to our association and had been appointed to chair the entertainment committee. Wanting to come up with something new and different, Tom proposed an entertainment act that no one had heard of before – The Mouse Man! I have no idea where Tom found this guy, but for a set fee, The Mouse Man would bring his mice and a 15–20 ft. oval racetrack, and stage a series of mouse/mice races similar to dog races. The Mouse Man would race four or five mice at a time, staging several heats with the winner of each heat advancing to a final race. The racetrack even had some hurdles and obstacles for the mice to negotiate. TTA members were given monopoly money to wager, and at the end of the races, whoever had won the most, was given a prize.

The biggest obstacle, however, was getting The Mouse Man, his track, and the mice into the hotel and conducting the race without the knowledge of the hotel staff. I’m sure they would not have approved of mice in their hotel! As it turned out, we got the track set up, and everything was ready as soon as the banquet finished. There was only one problem – Tom could not find The Mouse Man. Fortunately, someone found him. He was taking a smoke in the restroom – but he wasn’t smoking tobacco. Somehow, Tom got him to the track, and the race was on! We had a great time, and I think our executive secretary, Donnie Callis, ended up the big winner. I can’t recall any entertainment that ever topped that.

In 1968, when cigarette advertising on television had yet to be prohibited, Phillip Morris introduced a brand of cigarettes marketed to women called Virginia Slims. Its slogan was, “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.” I think the same can be said of the TTA and the turf program at UT – You’ve come a long way, baby!

This was Frank Turner’s President’s message from twenty-five years ago, the August 1987 newsletter:

There was a young man who grew grass

Who said he was having a blast

Then one day the cops

Examined the tops

And threw him in jail on his ____!

“But sirs,” he exclaimed,

“I’m the best

If growing grass is the test.

I went to UT

To earn my degree,

And Callahan taught me the rest.”

“I think if you’ll look a bit closer,

You’ll see that my grass is quite kosher.

The leaves you observed

Were being preserved

To include on my schoolyard

“weed” poster.”

I’ve started this, now I can’t stop

If you think that I’m crazy, I’m not.

It’s just that these words

Go sometimes unheard

So I’ll leave you with just one more thought.

This organization is you

And all the things that you do

Your grass may be greener

But don’t be a weiner

Old dogs can learn tricks that are new.

– By Frank Turner