Position Wanted
Sales

San Francisco Bay Area - Able to work remotely

An experienced sales professional with 11 years total sales experience, 7 of which are in the equipment finance and working capital space. Experience in training, mentoring, and leading team of sales reps. Consistently a leader in origination volume, gross margin, and deal profitability.  Knowledge of credit and funding processes will allow me to hit the ground running and drive revenue immediately. Available for immediate hire.

jbp243@gmail.com 
925-698-9327

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Leasing News Top Stories
April 16 - April 18

(Stories most opened by readers)

(1) Semi-Confirmed: Amur Equipment Finance
        Acquired by PIMCO’s Private Equity Group
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2019/04_16.htm#amur

(2) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
        and Related Industries
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2019/04_18.htm#hires

(3) So You Want to Start a Leasing Company?
     By Mr. Terry Winders, CLFP (now retired)
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2019/04_18.htm#start

(4) March 2019: The List
      The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2019/04_18.htm#list_march

(5) The ELFA National Funding Conference Report
        By Hugh Swandel, The Alta Group
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2019/04_16.htm#elfa

(6) What Tom McCurnin Learned from 40 Years
        in Banking and Leasing  - Final Segment: Part 6
  Understand the Regulations - Appoint a Compliance Officer
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2019/04_18.htm#6

(7) Sales Make it Happen --by Christopher Menkin
         Relationship Business
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2019/04_16.htm#relationship

(8) FTC sues Chicago online lender Avant
     "Last year, it originated $1.1 billion in loans"
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/finance-banking/ftc-sues-chicago-online-lender-avant

(9) Want to live at the top of the South Loop?
        This view will cost you $25K a month.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/commercial-real-estate/want-live-top-south-loop-view-will-cost-you-25k-month

(10) Worried a recession is coming, U.S. online lenders reduce risk
  Alternate Finance Winding Back?
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-online-lenders-focus/worried-a-recession-is-coming-u-s-online-lenders-reduce-risk-idUSKCN1RR0B

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Report Misleads More Businesses Applied for MCA
than Leasing: 2018 Federal Reserve Survey Report

Looks correct, “More Businesses Applied for Merchant Cash Advance than Leasing” in 2018 Federal Reserve Survey Reports. (Evidently, most on line.)

But report also shows more Leases were granted than Merchant Cash Advance transactions.

In addition, it appears many “Capital Leases” were classified as “Loans.” “Equipment Lease Agreements,” are very popular.

The choices of categories and sources chosen need to be considered.

The Small Business Credit Survey is an annual survey of firms with fewer than 500 employees.

“Small business respondents recounted a strong end to 2018. A majority of small businesses (57%) reported that their firms had experienced revenue growth in 2018 and more than one-third added employees to their payrolls.”

“A larger share of firms reported revenue growth (net 35%, up from 28%) and employment growth (net 23%, up from 19%) in 2018 compared to 2017, and 72% of firms expressed optimism for revenue growth in 2019—the same share as in the prior year.

“Applications to online lenders continued to trend upward: 32% of applicants turned to online lenders in 2018, up from 24% in 2017, and 19% in 2016. The growth occurred despite lower applicant satisfaction with online lenders compared to satisfaction levels with large and small banks.”

Full Small Business Credit Survey by Federal Reserve Banks
Atlanta • Boston • Chicago • Cleveland • Dallas • Kansas City • Minneapolis New York • Philadelphia • Richmond • St. Louis • San Francisco 

Full Federal Reserve Report
(32 pages) http://leasingnews.org/PDF/sbsc2019.pdf

 

Leaders Who Say Confidence is UP Contrary to
ELFF April Report: Confidence Drop of 1.7

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation released the April 2019 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI) today. They reported confidence in the equipment finance market decreased in April after two consecutive months’ increases to 58.3, down from the March index of 60.4. Despite this, many are not only confident, but report business is very good…

Shari L. Lipski, CLFP, Principal, ECS Financial Services commented. “ELFF’s report shows a definite optimism and sound personal and professional outlook for our industry and economy. It’s always interesting reviewing the data and performance of our clients and the industry as a whole. Over the last two years, we’ve seen consistent revenue growth, increased hiring, additional expenditures in R&D/marketing, and overall portfolio performance from all our clients covering every industry where equipment finance plays a vital role.

“The opportunities from additional capital sources that have entered our marketplace and exciting new developments in technology have provided greater resources to expand and sustain margins and overall performance.

“Personally, I’ve never seen our industry as strong as it is today. Association membership and attendance at conferences has definitively rebounded from where we were not too long ago and the discussions and liveliness of the industry shows we’re not slowing down anytime soon.”

David C. Lee, Chairman and CEO, North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC, said, “We have seen record numbers of applications and origination volume and that trend is accelerating.  Nearly all of our origination broker partners are experiencing similar volume growth.  The economic environment for transportation and construction equipment purchases is at or above all-time highs.  The only meaningful negative I am seeing right now is a surge of new entrants for transportation assets with marginal credit quality given the shortage of drivers which will eventually lead to an oversupply condition.”

Dave B. Fate, President and CEO, Stonebriar Commercial Finance, said, “I’m optimistic because the economy is still doing well, the Fed has taken a long pause on interest rates and unemployment is at its lowest ever. Regulatory and tax reforms have had a positive impact on businesses and the U.S. economy.”

David Normandin, CLFP, President and CEO, Wintrust Specialty Finance commented, “Origination volume has continued to grow for Wintrust Specialty Finance and credit and portfolio quality remain high. Widening political divide is cause for concern both in perceptions that lead to confidence levels as well as potential regulatory changes.”

Full Report:
https://www.leasefoundation.org/industry-resources/monthly-confidence-index/

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According to preliminary figures published by the University of Michigan on Friday, consumer confidence in the United States cooled down slightly in April as the positive impact of recent tax cuts faded away. While consumers remain very positive about current economic conditions, they look ahead slightly more worried than a month ago, resulting in a 3.4 percent drop in the Index of Consumer Expectations, the forward-looking element of the Index of Consumer Sentiment.

Despite the small setback, confidence remains high overall, as the following chart, dating back to January 2000, shows. After a brief worsening of consumer sentiment due to the shutdown in January, confidence was promptly restored thanks to rising incomes, low inflation, plentiful jobs and low unemployment.

The importance of consumer optimism and confidence is widely recognized, as high confidence typically boosts private consumption, a key driver of economic growth. As the University of Michigan explains:

"Economic optimism promotes consumer confidence and a willingness to make large expenditures and debt commitments, while economic uncertainty breeds pessimism and a desire to curtail expenditures and rebuild financial reserves. When many people change from an optimistic to a pessimistic view of economic prospects at the same time, it has been repeatedly found that a widespread shift toward postponement of expenditures follows. It is in this manner that the economic optimism and confidence of individual families exert their influence on the course of the aggregate economy."

Report by Felix Richer, Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/16736/index-of-consumer-sentiment/

 

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Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

On the Verge

I have always been fascinated by the commercial equipment finance and leasing industry's ability to adapt and innovate as economic needs and conditions change. I recently spoke with a young originator who shared the following:

"I have only been in the business for a few years. I know I still have a lot to learn and experience. However, I believe the industry is on the verge of something really big. I can feel change occurring right in front of me every day. The industry is exciting and ready to expand."

I asked what specifically he has seen which allows him to make such a bold statement. Below are just a few of his observations:

• He has seen tremendous technological advancements being embraced by his company and its clients in the last few years. Looking back just three short years ago, he wonders how he conducted business without the tools he currently has at his fingertips.
• Innovation is being created from the bottom up. He explained how younger originators in his company have suggested new marketing techniques that have worked and are now being implemented throughout his company.
• Competition is fierce. But, he has learned from the competition. His company has adopted several new product offerings, because they saw their competition offer new products and decided to follow the trend.
• In just three short years this originator has seen the needs and wants of his vendors and end-users change. (They want a better buying experience.) As an originator, he has built his network through value, rather than through a commodity-based approach.

This originator believes the industry was been limited by some old thought processes. ("We have always done it this way.") However, he believes the old guard is quickly being replaced by a new and exciting generation of professionals. The next generation is learning the  fundamentals of risk and reward; and are willing to innovate, adapt, and create new processes, products, and services to serve the needs of the next generation of commercial equipment vendors and end-users. 

Young, aggressive, and knowledgeable professionals in the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry are leading the change and quickly becoming industry leaders.

Truly Exciting Times

 

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com 

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

Map: The Salary Needed to Buy a Home
in 50 U.S. Metro Areas
Visualcapitalist.com

Full Story:  10 Most Expensive/10 Cheapest Metro Areas
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/3d-map-salary-buy-home-50-u-s-metro-areas/

 

 

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Sudhir Amembal, CLFP, in Sydney, Australia
Bringing More CLFP's Down Under Up

Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers Association in Australia Limited (CAFBA) President David Gandolfo and CEO David Gill enjoying a coffee with Sudhir Amembal, CLFP, Amembal & Halladay.  They are discussing CAFBA's efforts toward bringing the Certified Leasing and Finance Professional program to Australia.  CAFBA is the Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers Association.  Gandolfo says it is the peak professional body of commercial and equipment finance professionals in Australia.

May 2018 Trip to Australia

Left to Right: Reid Raykovich, CLFP, Executive Director CLFP Foundation; David Gandolfo, Director, Quantum Business Finance, Current President CAFB; David Gill, Chief Executive Officer at Commercial & Asset Finance[ Nathan Gibbons, CLFP, Chief Operating Officer at Innovation Finance USA

 

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### Press Release ###############################

CLFP Foundation Releases Seventh Edition Handbook
Revised by Deb Reuben, CLFP

(For use if you take the CLFP Exam in 2020)

The Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation’s Executive Director and Board of Directors are pleased to announce that the seventh edition of The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals’ Handbook is now available for purchase. The digital version will be available via Amazon soon.

Deb Reuben, CLFP; President of Reuben Creative, was hired to update the previous edition with a focused effort on incorporating CECL and ASC 842.

 Ms. Reuben consulted with nine different Subject Matter Experts and stated, “It was a pleasure collaborating with Reid Raykovich, CLFP and so many brilliant colleagues to revise and launch this new edition of the book.”

With research and cross-functional implications to consider, the newly added appendix covering CECL went through a total of 18 drafts before finalizing. The Accounting chapter also had major revisions to bring it up to date for the ASC 842 standard. Overall seven of nine chapters were revised for this edition to accommodate the updated Body of Knowledge. Lastly, the appendix for financial statement review practice now includes exercises to illustrate the impact of ASC 842 from a credit perspective.

The Handbook is available for purchase through the Foundation’s website and also through Amazon.  The 2019 CLFP Exam will continue to be based on the Sixth Edition of the Handbook, and in 2020, the Exam will be updated to reflect the new content.

The CLFP designation is the only certification for the Equipment Finance Industry and there are currently 703 active Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates in the United States, Canada and Australia. For more information visit http://www.CLFPFoundation.org

(Please note the Seventh edition is for use for the exam in 2020. The Sixth edition is available, for use if you take the exam in 2019.)

### Press Release ###########################

German Shepherd Mix
Plano, Texas Adopt a Dog

Coco
A158908
Female
Eight Years Old
Vaccinations up to date
Spayed
Good in a home
with other dogs
Prefers a home without
children

“Coco is a friendly and playful dog who is a beauty! She is calm but can be energetic too and is very smart. She knows the commands sit, stay and go to your crate. Coco is about 8 years of age and is good with other dogs. She will be best in a home without young children. Coco was given up by her owner and loves to play catch and getting petted! She is heartworm positive but her treatment has been sponsored for her new family. Adopted animals are not able to go to their new home until spay and neuter surgery has been done. When inquiring about an animal, please be sure to use the animal identification number that starts with A."

Plano Animal Shelter
4028 West Plano Parkway
Plano, Texas 95093
debbien@plano.gov
(972) 769-4360

Animal Shelter Hours
ANIMAL VISITS END
15 MINUTES
BEFORE CLOSING
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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Local Business Owners/Real Estate Investors
Invited to NACLB October 4th Las Vegas Broker Conference

Kris Roglieri Co-founder of the National Alliance of Commercial Loan Brokers, told Leasing News, "In the continuous effort to build the most profitable and beneficial conference in the country for both lenders and brokers, the NACLB is adding a special event that has never been done before at other conferences. This is a special event that is only open to our valued exhibitors and sponsors. Introducing the NACLB Direct - Connect event.

"On October 4th (Friday) from 1pm to 3pm the NACLB is inviting local business owners and real estate investors to our exhibit hall to network with exhibitors. The NACLB has teamed up and formed partnerships with local chambers of commerce and real estate networking groups throughout Nevada to invite them to a meet and greet with our exhibitors should they have capital needs. It's a way for exhibitors to get more value out of our conference and at the same time serve the local communities in the state that's hosting our conference. We expect 100 to 300 business owners and real estate investors who are seeking funding to attend this two-hour event.
 
"Again, only NACLB exhibitors can attend this event and all booths will need to be set up by 12 Noon on Friday, October 4th. We strongly encourage all exhibitors to arrive Thursday night and allow for time for setting up starting 7:30am Friday morning."
 

Among the speakers is Ken Greene, Esq., well-known Leasing News Advisor and Contributing Writer, speaking on Broker Licensing.

Register Now
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/naclb-2019-registration-53866142081

The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa 
Our Discounted room rate is $199.
This discounted rate will end October 2019
https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1549659194861&key=GRP&app=resvlink
Full Information:
https://www.naclb.org/

News Briefs----

Trump's Plan to Reduce Trade Deficit Falters
   as it Hits an All-Time High Instead
http://fortune.com/2019/03/06/us-trade-deficit-record-high/

The Real Reasons Why New Yorkers Are Fleeing the City
  Net Loss of 39,523 in 2018
https://nypost.com/2019/04/20/the-real-reasons-why-new-yorkers-are-fleeing-the-city/  

U.S. existing home sales fall more than expected in March
   "declined 5.4 percent from a year ago"
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-housing/u-s-existing-home-sales-fall-more-than-expected-in-march-idUSKCN1RY117 

Diesel prices continue to rise across the U.S.
  Rocky Mountain 6.1 cents/ California 5.7cents per gallon
http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=74105#.XL5EEKR7ljU

Don’t Break Up Big Tech Firms: Former Antitrust Regulator
  “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.”
http://www.cfo.com/regulation/2019/04/dont-break-up-big-tech-firms-former-antitrust-regulator/

Trump’s Washing Machine Tariffs Stung Consumers
   While Lifting Corporate Profits
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/business/trump-tariffs-washing-machines.html

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You May Have Missed---

Why MacKenzie Bezos is a true hero for our age
https://nypost.com/2019/04/20/why-mackenzie-bezos-is-a-true-hero-for-our-age/

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My April Love is always in my heart
My April Love from me will ne'er depart.
She always brings the 'Joy of Spring' to me, 
My April Love forever mine will be! 

The Winter months have gone - they all are past
The memory of cold cold Winter's blast.
But April's here - the breath of waking Spring, 
That cheers my heart and makes me dance and sing! 

May - she may come and June a blushing Bride
July so shy and summery by my side.
August - and come she must beside
And I remember calm and beautiful September! 

The Summer's gone and autumn hastens on
October through December - how my year has flown! 
January's so so cold and February's such a groan
March marches on - then April takes the throne! 

My April Angel is a pure delight
Throughout the day - and in each dreamy night! 
Of all the Girls that flit throughout the year
May - June - July - cannot with thee compare! 

The dawning of the Spring - awakening of my heart
There's nothing that can keep our pledge of love apart.
My April Love - My April Love - now you and I are one
You give me strength and hope to carry on! 

My April Love - My April Love - so pure and so divine
My April Love - My April Love - please let me call you mine! 
And when all the Angels ask me to recall
The lovely things you've said - and perfect things you do
To tell them of the thrill - the memory of it all
I'll tell them - April Angel - yes I'll tell them 'l REMEMBER YOU! ' 

John Knight

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Sports Briefs---

NFL mock draft 2019: QB surprises for Giants
  others in first round?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2019/04/22/nfl-mock-draft-2019-daniel-jones-kyler-murray/3533257002/

Ranking the 10 Best NFL Draft Hauls of the Past Decade
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2832117-ranking-the-10-best-nfl-draft-hauls-of-the-past-decade#slide0

Warriors take 3-1 series lead home to Oracle
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/warriors/9521172-181/warriors-take-3-1-series-lead

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California Nuts Briefs---

SF treasure ‘Beach Blanket Babylon’ to close after 45 years
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/sf-treasure-beach-blanket-babylon-to-close-after-45-years
           
12 reasons people gave for moving to Arizona from Sonoma County
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/9508524-181/12-reasons-people-gave-for?sba=AAS

Gov. Gavin Newsom hits back at Trump in new fight
   over who controls California water
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article229484604.html

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“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Where to Go Wine Tasting in Napa Valley
  Without a Reservation
https://thepress.sfchronicle.com/trip/napa-no-reservation/

Are You Selling Enough Wine Online?
   Status of Digital Marketing Strategies of U.S. Wineries
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=212529

Wente Vineyards Announces 2019 Sustainability Report Card
   Ahead of Earth Day
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wente-vineyards-announces-2019-sustainability-report-card-ahead-of-earth-day-300835343.html

Barolo and Barbaresco Set to Shine
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/04/barolo-and-barbaresco-set-to-shine

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

This Day in History

    1635 - The first public secondary school in America opened, the Boston Latin School with a classical curriculum derived from English schools. The first schoolmaster was a Dutchman, Adam Roelantsen, who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1633 and set up the first school in America as part of the Dutch Reformed Church. By 1720, five public schools were maintained in Boston and were so well-regarded, they enrolled students from as far away as the West Indies. The Boston Latin School is still in existence.
    1637 – 200 Pequot warriors attacked a settlement in southeastern Connecticut, killing 9 men and women, while stealing 2 girls.
    1662 - Connecticut was chartered as an English colony.  The first major settlements were established in the 1630s by English proprietors. Thomas Hooker led a band of followers overland from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded what became the Connecticut Colony; other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and the New Haven Colony. The Connecticut and New Haven Colonies established documents of Fundamental Orders, considered the first constitutions in North America. In 1662, the three colonies were merged under a royal charter, making Connecticut a crown. This colony was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the Revolutionary War.
    1750 - The first colonial settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains other than military forts and outposts was established by the Loyal Land Company of Virginia. On March 6, a group of six men in the employ of the company, led by Dr. Thomas Walker, a physician, started out from Charlottesville, VA. They searched the future site of Barbourville, KY and, on April 23, and built a house that was completed on April 30.
    1789 - President-elect Washington and his wife moved into the first executive mansion, the Franklin House, in New York. George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall and lived at 3 Cherry Street in New York City. In 1790, with construction on the new federal capital underway, the government was moved temporarily to Philadelphia, where Washington served out his two terms. He is the only president who never resided in the White House.
    1778 – John Paul Jones launched a surprise attack on Whitehaven, England. This was the only US raid of the Revolutionary War on England’s homeland.
    1791 - The birthday of James Buchanan (d. 1868), Cove Gap, PA.  15th president who served from 1857 to 1861; the only president who never married. After 10 years in the House, he served as Minister to Russia, Senator for nearly nine years, then Minister to the UK before accepting the Democratic nomination for President for the 1856 election.  Shortly after his election, Buchanan lobbied the Supreme Court to issue a broad ruling in the Dred Scott decision which he fully endorsed as president. He allied with the South in attempting to gain the admission of Kansas to the Union as a slave state. In the process, he alienated both Republican abolitionists and Northern Democrats, most of whom supported the principle of popular sovereignty in determining a new state's slaveholding status.  His inability to address the sharply divided pro-slavery and anti-slavery partisans with a unifying principle on the brink of the Civil War has led to his consistent ranking by historians as one of the worst presidents in American history. Historians who participated in a 2006 survey voted his failure to deal with secession the worst presidential mistake ever made
    1813 - Birthday of Stephen A. Douglas (d. 1861), Brandon, VT.  U.S. Congressman, Senator and presidential candidate who ran against Abraham Lincoln after losing as a running mate or President Franklin Pierce to James Buchanan. He was in favor of the new territory and states being allowed to choose whether they wanted to be “slave” or “anti-slave states.” He is also very well known for the series of “Lincoln-Douglas” debates. 
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr23.html 
    1856 -  Granville T. Woods (d. 1910) was born at Columbus, OH. Known as the “black Thomas Edison,” he invented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph which allowed communication between dispatchers and trains while the trains were in motion, thereby decreasing the number of train accidents. In addition, Woods is credited with a number of other electrical inventions and historians continue to compare him favorably to Thomas Edison. 
    1865 – Confederate President Jefferson Davis wrote to his wife, “Panic has seized the country!” After the surrender of the Confederacy by Gen. Lee, Davis kept moving his government south in order to re-establish rule over the fallen ‘nation.’ He was captured two weeks later by Union troops in northern Georgia, was charged with treason, but was never tried.
    1872 - Charlotte E. Ray became the first African-American woman attorney admitted to the Washington Bar, to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. History also records her as the first African-American woman to receive a law degree, receiving her LLB. degree from the Howard University School of Law, Washington, DC, on February 27, 1872. She opened a law practice, but both racial and gender prejudice forced her to close the office. She then joined the Women's Suffrage Movement.
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/womenenc/ray.htm 
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_ray_charlotte.htm 
    1879 - Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome.
    1885 - The city of Denver, CO was in the midst of a storm which produced 23 inches of snow in 24 hours, and at Idaho Springs, CO, produced 32 inches of snow.
    1896 - The first movie was shown at Koster and Bials Music Hall in New York City. Up until this time, people saw films individually by looking into a Kinescope, a box-like "peep show." This is the first time an audience sat together and watched a movie together. What they saw was a series of short scenes, including a ballet scene, a burlesque boxing match, surf breaking on the shore, and a comic allegory entitled," The Monroe Doctrine." Thomas Alva Edison was present for his Vitascope and the audience called for Edison, but he did not appear and refused to take a bow. 
    1898 – President William McKinley asked for 125,000 volunteers to fight Spain following Congress’ demand that Spain withdraw from Cuba.
    1903 – Winning their first game after moving from Baltimore, the New York Highlanders defeated the Washington Senators, 7-2.
    1906 - Most of the fires resulting from the April 18 earthquake in San Francisco were extinguished, allowing the rebuilding to finally begin. Estimates placed the loss of lives at 3000 and 30,000 structures destroyed.
    1907 - The steam laundries of San Francisco and vicinity, with the exception of a few, remain on strike after more than four weeks. Soiled linen is becoming a serious problem in many households. The few laundries that are in operation were unable to call for or deliver washing. Patrons who took their wash to the laundries returned with the dirty linen.
    1907 - Jack London, on board his yacht, the Snark, pulled out into the harbor from the Franklin Street wharf at 12:30 today amid the cheers of his friends and admirers. He stood on deck with his wife and small crew.
    1910 - The temperature at the Civic Center in Los Angeles, CA, hit 100 degrees to establish an April record for the city.
    1914 – Wrigley Field opened, then known as Weeghman Park, as the home of the Federal League Chicago Whales.  After the league folded in December, 2015, Charles Weeghman bought the Cubs and moved them to the park for the opener of the 1916 season.  From 1922, after extensive renovations until 1927, it was known as Cubs Park at which time it was named Wrigley Field after the chewing gum tycoon who had become the team’s owner.
    1915 - Birthday of pianist-arranger Joe Lippman (d. 2007), Boston, MA. 
    1920 - Canadian string instrument builder Francois ‘Frank’ Gay was born in Marcelin, Saskatchewan. In 1953, Gay established a studio in Edmonton, building guitars for such famous country stars as Johnny Cash, Don Gibson and Hank Snow. Three of Gay's guitars - those owned by Johnny Horton, Webb Pierce and Faron Young - have been placed in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
    1921 - Birthday of baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Edward Spahn (d. 2003), Buffalo, NY. Spahn remains the winningest left-hander in Major League history with 363. He also is the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter. At the age of 42, he chalked up a 23-7 record.  Spahn enlisted in the US Army after finishing the 1942 season in the minors. He served with distinction and was awarded a Purple Heart.  He saw action in the Battle of the Bulge as a combat engineer and was awarded a battlefield commission.  Spahn returned to the Majors in 1946 at the age of 25, having missed three full seasons. Had he played those seasons, it is possible that Spahn would have finished his career behind only Walter Johnson and Cy Young in all-time wins.   
    1928 - Birthday of Shirley Temple (d. 2014), Santa Monica, CA.   Child movie star who was Hollywood's greatest box-office attraction by the age of seven. She danced, sang, acted, and beguiled in one escapist musical hit after hit during the darkest days of the Depression. She received a special Juvenile Academy Award in February 1935 for her outstanding contribution as a juvenile performer in motion pictures during 1934. By age 12, her appeal dropped and after a series of flops, she retired. In later years, she became the darling of the Republican Party and was appointed to political and/or ambassadorial posts by three Republican presidents, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George H. Bush, but surprisingly not by Hollywood's own Ronald Reagan. She was appointed a U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and chief of protocol under President Gerald Ford and then Ambassador to Czechoslovakia 1989 to 1992 by Bush I.  Temple was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She is 18th on the AFI list of the greatest female American screen legends of Classic Hollywood cinema. 
    1932 - Bing Crosby records “Sweet Georgia Brown” with Isham Jones Band. 
    1934 – Public Enemy #1, John Dillinger is killed by the FBI in Chicago.
    1936 - Pioneer rock singer Roy Orbison (d. 1988) was born in Vernon, Texas. His writing and performing in the 1950's helped create a mass market for rock music, including his own recording of "Ooby Dooby," which was a moderate hit in 1956. In 1958, Orbison wrote "Claudette," named for his wife, which became a million-seller for the Everly Brothers. Roy Orbison's sound mellowed somewhat in the following decade and he began his string of million-sellers in 1960 with "Only the Lonely." His other hits included "Running Scared," "Crying" and "Oh, Pretty Woman," a number-one record in 1964. Orbison suffered two personal tragedies in the '60s. In 1966, his wife was killed in a motorcycle accident. Three years later, two of his three children died in a fire at his home near Nashville. Orbison's career took an upswing in 1988 when his collaboration with Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Tom Petty under the name “The Traveling Wilburys.”  His honors include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in the same year, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on their list of the "Greatest Artists of All Time" and number 13 on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time.'  In 2002, Billboard magazine listed Orbison at number 74 in the Top 600 recording artists. 
http://www.orbison.com/
http://www.hotshotdigital.com/OldRock/RoyOrbisonDisco.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_orbison
    1939 – Actor Lee Majors, “The Six Million Dollar Man,” was born Harvey Lee Yeary, Wyandotte, MI.
    1939 – Early rock and roller Ray Peterson (d. 2005) was born in Denton, TX.  He had two top 10 hits in 1960, “Tell Laura I Love Her” and “Corrina, Corrina.” 
    1941 - Birthday of Allen Cohen (d. 2004), Brooklyn.  Poet, editor of San Francisco Oracle, visionary, champion for peace and justice who inspired his generation. The memory of Allen Cohen will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him and all whose lives he touched with his poetry and his promotion of peace and love.
    1942 - Birthday of “Gidget,” Sandra Dee, born Alexandra Zuck (d. 2005), Bayonne, NJ.   Singer/actress/heart throb to a generation.  A highly publicized marriage to Bobby Darin (1960–1967) ended in divorce.
    1943 - The Earl "Fatha" Hines Band, featuring then-unknowns Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and a vocalist named Sarah Vaughan, begins a series of engagements at the Apollo in Harlem.
    1943 – “Tattoo,” Herve Villechaize (d. 1993) was born in Paris, France. The co-star with Ricardo Montalban on television’s “Fantasy Island,” he burst onto the screen as Bond villain Nick Nack in “The Man With the Golden Gun.”  
    1944 – Birthday of Anthony James “Tony” Esposito, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.  Hockey Hall of Fame goalie: NHL: Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks. Won Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL's outstanding rookie in 1969-1970; All-star, 1970, 1972, 1980. Shared Vezina Trophy for best goaltender [1972, 1974]; played 886 games in NHL, winning 423, losing 307, earning draw in 151; 76 shutouts with a 2.92 goals-against-average; in 99 playoff games, Tony won 45, lost 53 with a 3.07 average; shared goaltending duties with Ken Dryden in 1972 when Team Canada played the Soviet Nationals in famed Series of the Century in which Canada edged Soviets, four games to three and one tie. Brother of Hockey Hall Fame player, Phil Esposito. 
http://www.legendsofhockey.com
    1944 – Birthday of Marty Fleckman, Port Arthur, TX.  Pro golfer, Univ. of Houston: 3 NCAA championship teams/individual title in 1965 with a two-day total of 135. All-American, 1965; medalist honors at Western Amateur, 1966; Walker Cup team, 1967. Pro: Cajun Classic champ, 1967; Golf teacher: Meyer Park Golf Course, Houston.
    1945 – President Harry Truman angrily confronted Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov, accusing the Soviets of breaking the Yalta agreements reached among FDR, Churchill, and Stalin just weeks before FDR died on April 12, 1945.
    1948 - Johnny Longden became the first jockey to ride 3,000 career winners as he set the mark at Bay Meadows in San Mateo, CA.
    1952 – New York Giants knuckleballer and Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm homered in his first Major League at bat and followed with a triple next time up.  Over the next 21 years, covering 1070 more games, he never hit another of either.
    1953 - Top Hits
“Doggie in the Window” - Patti Page
“Pretend” - Nat King Cole
“I Believe” - Frankie Laine
“Your Cheatin’ Heart” - Hank Williams 
    1954 - Henry Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first home run of his Major League career. It came against Vic Raschi of the St. Louis Cardinals in the Braves' 7-5 victory. Not only did he raise the bar for home runs, but he also established 12 other Major League career records, including most games, at-bats, total bases and RBI's. Aaron won three Gold Glove awards, earned National League MVP honors in 1957, and appeared in a record 24 All-Star Games. Aaron went onto hit 755 homers, more than any other player who did not take PEDs.
    1954 - The NBA approved a proposal by Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone to adopt a 24-second clock. The rule stated that “a team in control of the ball must make an attempt to score within 24 seconds after gaining possession of the ball.” Biasone promoted the rule to boost the league's offensive output. He decided on 24 seconds by dividing the total number of shots taken in an average game into 48 minutes, the time played in regulation game. 
    1956 - High on his recent successes, and at the insistence of Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley begins a disastrous concert stint at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas where he opens for comedian Shecky Greene. Despite having "Heartbreak Hotel" at the top of the charts, the middle-aged audience, miles removed from Elvis' teen fan base, are completely indifferent to him and his contract is soon torn up after only one week of a two-week engagement. However, while there, Presley witnesses a band called Freddie Bell and the Bellboys doing a wild rave-up version of Big Mama Thornton's blues hit "Hound Dog." He soon works it into the live act. Presley wouldn't play Las Vegas again for almost 13 years.
    1960 - Herman's Hermits released a song called "My Sentimental Friend," which would become a major European hit, reaching number two on the UK pop chart. In the US however, the band was now hopelessly out of style and one of the best songs they ever recorded was ignored completely.
    1961 - Birthday of George Lopez, Mission Hills, California; comedian/actor.
    1962 – The expansion New York Metropolitans won their first Major League game, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-1, behind Jay Hook’s 5-hitter.  The Mets started the season by losing their first 9 games, prompting manager Casey Stengel to ask whimsically, “can’t anybody here play this game?”
    1963 - High school student Neil Young and his band, the Squires, enter a Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada studio to record their first single, a surf instrumental called "The Sultan."
    1961 - Top Hits
“Blue Moon” - The Marcels
“Runaway” - Del Shannon
“Mother-In-Law” - Ernie K-Doe
“Don’t Worry” - Marty Robbins
    1963 - Jan and Dean record "Surf City" 
    1963 - Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds got his first hit in the Major Leagues. It was a booming triple off the Pirates' Bob Friend. ‘Charlie Hustle' went on to break Ty Cobb's all-time hitting record more than 20 years later, playing for the Reds, the Phillies and the Expos. He was later banished from baseball for illegal betting on baseball games. 
    1964 - Ken Johnson of the Houston Astros will certainly never forget this day. Johnson tossed the first no-hit game -- for a loss -- in baseball history. Cincinnati's Reds beat Johnson's no hitter by a score of 1-0. The Reds capitalized on two costly Houston errors.
    1966 - Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" hits #1
    1966 - Frank Sinatra's “Strangers in the Night” LP hits #1
    1966 - Roger Miller's "You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd" enters the charts
    1966 - President Lyndon Johnson publicly appeals for more nations to come to the aid of South Vietnam.
    1968 - NYPD rushed occupied buildings on the Columbia University campus to break up a student protest of a decision to build a gymnasium on public land in Harlem.
    1968 – Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh (d. 2001) was born in Lockport, NY.  Domestic terrorist was convicted  and executed for the detonation of a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995.  The attack killed 168 people and injured over 600.  It was the deadliest act of terrorism within the United States prior to the September 11 attacks and remains the most significant act of domestic terrorism in United States history.
    1969 - Top Hits
“Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In” - The 5th Dimension
“You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” - Blood, Sweat & Tears
“It’s Your Thing” - The Isley Brothers
“Galveston” - Glen Campbell 
    1969 – Sirhan Sirhan received the death penalty for the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles. In 1972, that sentence was commuted when the State of California abolished the death penalty. I covered the afternoon as news producer ABC-TV News, Burbank, California.
    1970 - Show: Joe Cocker (Mad Dogs and Englishmen), Van Morrison, The Stoneman, Metro Toll, Fairport Convention, Salt 'N Pepper, Clouds, Dry Paint, Brotherhood of Light, Little Princess #109 perform at the San Francisco Fillmore West Artist: David Singer.
http://images.wolfgangsvault.com/images/catalog/thumb/BG229-231-PC.jpg
    1970 - Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" is awarded a Gold record. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the US and number one in the UK. 
    1977 - Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way" hits #1
    1977 - Top Hits
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” - Thelma Houston
“Southern Nights” - Glen Campbell
‘Hotel California’ - Eagles
‘She’s Got You’ - Loretta Lynn 
    1985 - The Coca-Cola Company told the world in a barrage of advertisements that it was changing its 99-year-old secret formula. New Coke was called “the most significant soft drink development” in the company's history. The public did not like it. Fans of the original Coke were instrumental in bringing Classic Coke back. The Coca-Cola did keep the “new” diet Coca-Cola. This year they started introducing cherry coke, lemon coke, and this summer, vanilla. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colahome.html 
http://www.coca-cola.com/ 
    1985 - Top Hits
“We are the World” - USA for Africa
“Crazy for You” - Madonna
“Nightshift” - Commodores
“I Need More of You” - Bellamy Brothers 
    1987 - "Business Week" magazine announced its list of the highest paid executives in the U.S. Lee Iacocca of Chrysler Corporation topped the list, followed by Paul Fireman of Reebok International. The computer revolution did not begin until the 90's, knocking most automobile executives way off the charts. 
    1988 - The smoking ban on airplane flights went into effect. In compliance with rules issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, airlines banned smoking on domestic passenger flights lasting less than two hours, with the exception of chartered flights and travel club flights. Northwest Airlines voluntarily banned smoking on domestic passenger flights of all durations. The first commercial domestic air service that was entirely smoke-free, including the cockpit, was inaugurated by Delta Air Lines of Atlanta, GA, which banned smoking on all flights beginning January, 1995. Other airlines adopted this policy in the following year.
    1988 - An intense winter-like storm brought thunderstorms to southern California, and produced snow in some of the higher elevations. Nine girls at Tustin, CA were injured when lightning struck the tree under which their softball team had taken shelter from the rain. 
    1989 - Salina, KS was the hot spot in the nation with a high of 105 degrees. The high of 105 degrees established an April record for the state of Kansas. A total of eighteen cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date.
    1989 - "Baywatch" premiered on television. Set on a California beach, this program starred David Hasselhoff and a changing cast of nubile young men and women as lifeguards. Later the program was moved to Hawaii; the last episode was made in 2001. The most widely viewed TV series in the world, the program aired in 142 countries with an estimated weekly audience of 1.1 billion.
    1994 - Discovery of the top “quark.” Physicists at the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory found evidence for the existence of the subatomic particle called the top quark, the last undiscovered quark of the six predicted to exist by current scientific theory. The discovery provides strong support for the quark theory of the structure of matter. Quarks are subatomic particles that make up protons and neutrons found in the nuclei of atoms. The five other quark types that had already been proven to exist are the up quark, down quark, strange quark, charm quark and bottom quark. Further experimentation over many months confirmed the discovery and it was publicly announced Mar 2, 1995. 
    1999 - Fernando Tatis becomes the first player in Major League history to hit two grand slams in one inning. The Cardinal third baseman hits both off Dodger starter Chan Ho Park in an 11-run third inning, setting the mark. His eight RBIs in one inning also breaks the old record of six.
    2000 - In a 10-7 victory over Toronto, the Yankees’ Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada became the first teammates to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in the same game.
    2005 - The first-ever YouTube video, titled "Me at the Zoo," was published by user "jawed."
    2013 – Glen Campbell’s (d. 2017) publicist told members of the press that his client is no longer capable of performing on stage due to advancing Alzheimer's disease. Sandy Brokaw went on to say that the 77-year-old Campbell planned on recording one final album called "See You There," which would feature new renditions of old songs. In April, 2014, he was admitted to a nursing home that specialized in Alzheimer’s disease.
    2014 – Google is partnering with solar manufacturer SunPower to form a financing program to help families afford solar power for their homes. 
    2014 – Facebook announced first quarter profits of $642 million, nearly 300% year-over-year.
    2015 – A pending merger between Comcast and Time-Warner cable was canceled after regulators expressed concerns regarding the reduction of competition and other public interest issues.  TWC was acquired for $78.7 billion by Charter Communications in 2016, prior to which it was the nation’s second-largest cable provider behind Comcast.  Charter also acquired Bright House in a separate transaction.

 
Stanley Cup Champions:
    1950 - Detroit Red Wings