Success Stories During Covid-19

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

There is no doubt that these are challenging times for the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry. However, there is still business being funded and new opportunities being created. Top originators are moving forward and I want to share two success stories:

1. A seasoned originator spent the first few weeks assuring his current clients that he was available, if needed, during the crisis. However, he quickly realized that this strategy was not enough. He needed additional clients and strong clients to propel his business forward. He decided that in tougher times he needed to go upstream, not down. He started calling on larger prospects in his very specific niche. In the past, he knew that the larger companies usually paid cash for their smaller acquisitions and funded their larger acquisitions with institutional players. However in the current economic environment, cash is precious at every level and smaller emergency acquisitions cannot be put on hold. His calling efforts focused on explaining how he could fund these smaller acquisitions (under $250.0K) quickly and efficiently, allowing companies to retain their cash. 

Not every prospect call is a success. However, a few are and he is in the process of funding several transactions for larger companies. These larger and stronger companies are being well received by his credit department and he is anticipating funding multiple schedules over the coming months for several of these new clients. These new clients are impressed with the convenience and ease of his services and pleased with his ability to meet their immediate needs. Their previous financing partners offered lower yields but were not willing to fund transactions under $1.0M, nor were they capable of reacting quickly enough to emergency needs.

2: An originator discovered that one of her major competitors had exited her primary niche. Over the past two years, this competitor had been buying deep into the niche, offering extremely low yields, and unrealistic structures. This savvy originator had been tracking the competitor's activity over the past two years. Therefore, upon hearing of the competitor's withdrawal from the niche, she immediately did a query of her CRM, identifying vendors and end-users that had been using this competitor. Within a few days, she established an email and calling campaign to inform old clients (that had left her over the past two years) and new prospects of her commitment to the niche. Many of her calls included explaining her reasonable criteria and pricing, and that her portfolio is performing well, allowing her to continue to prudently service the industry. Within less than two weeks, she was already generating new activity. This strong originator is excited about participating in the recovery.

Survive - Thrive - Lead

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

 

 

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A Crisis in Sales Management

By Steve Chriest

When I first became a sales consultant, and began working with clients, I was surprised at the lack of basic sales skills and business knowledge of most of the sales groups we encountered. Whether we consulted with multi-billion dollar corporations or middle market businesses, the story was always the same: the salespeople lacked basic skills and knowledge, and the overall skill level and knowledge of sales management was worse.

As I thought about why this appeared to be the case, I encountered a woman who recruited senior sales managers during the last twenty-five years. I told her what I had observed and asked her two questions: First, were my observations valid?  Second, if they were valid, how did this happen?

Without hesitation, she told me that during most of the 1990's, business was generally good and getting better each month. Salespeople in a great many industries had only to make sure they answered the telephone to take orders from customers anxious to buy. Selling skills and business knowledge weren't needed to meet and exceed sales quotas. Sales managers, again in many industries, had little managing to do as their teams met and exceeded expectations.

That all changed, of course, as the economy began to slow in 2000. All of a sudden, things changed for salespeople and for sales managers. The phone stopped ringing off the hook and salespeople and managers found themselves competing in a cruel world against increasingly more desperate competitors.

According to the sales recruiter, many experienced salespeople lost their selling skills and those new to selling never acquired even basic sales skills. The same things happened to experienced sales managers and those new to management during this good economy.

When times get tough and companies begin to lose customers and market share, senior managers want quick fixes. They often ask, “How can we gain more of our customer's mindshare? How can we differentiate ourselves from our competitors? How can we sell value and avoid caving into customer demands for more service and lower prices? How can we upgrade our selling skills? How can we motivate our sales teams?”

As they turn to sales managers for answers, many senior managers discover that the sales managers cannot deliver comprehensive solutions, let alone quick fixes. The executives come face to face with the crisis in sales management.

In the next issue, we'll take a look and what I think senior managers and sales managers must do to end the crisis in sales management.

Steve Chriest is the CEO of Open Advance and author of “Selling to the E-Suite, The Proven System for Reaching and Selling Senior Executives and Business Acumen 101.” He recently re-named his company from Selling-Up. He is also the author of Selling "The E-Suite, The Proven System for Reaching and "Selling Senior Executives" and "Profits and Cash – The Game of Business." He is the past president and founder of a major leasing company. He produces video and radio blogs, as well as continuing as a columnist for Leasing News since 2005. He is getting close to announcing a major project he will be raising funds to bring to fruition.

www.openadvance.com/contact/
925-263-2702
www.openadvance.com

 

Classes to Become Lease & Finance Professional
Update: 3 Classes Scheduled Online-the New Normal

(actual classroom classes may be outdated)

The Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals (ALFP) is a three-day event designed to fully prepare an individual to sit for the CLFP exam assuming the attendee has read and studied The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals’ Handbook prior to attending.

On the first two days, all of the required sections of the CLFP exam are covered in-depth. On the third day, the exam is offered, but not mandatory. http://www.clfpfoundation.org/alfp.php

New this year is the next three academy will be online:

U.S. Bank Public ALFP (online)
May 13 – 15, 2020

Arvest and LTi Technology Solutions (Online)
ALFP (Public) (Overland Park, KS)
When
Jun 4 – 6, 2020
Where
7401 W. 135th St. Overland Park, KS 66223 (2nd Floor) (map)

DLL (Online) ALFP (Private)
When
Jun 15 – 17, 2020
Where
1111 Old Eagle School Rd., Wayne, PA 19087 (map)

Aug 20 – 22, 2020
Where
301 E. 4th Street, Floor 23, Conference Room 1, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (map)

North Mill Equipment Finance LLC (Public ALFP) Norwalk, CT
When
Sep 17 – 19, 2020
Where
301 Conference Center, 301 Merritt 7, Norwalk, CT 06851 (map)

Costs & Fees
The cost to attend the class is $750 and the cost of the exam is $695. When purchased together, the total is discounted to $1400. Current CLFPs are offered a discounted price of $395 and class attendance satisfies the Recertification requirement. All currently scheduled ALFP dates may be found under the calendar tab.

If you are interested in attending, please contact us:.

About Academy
https://clfpfoundation.org/academy-for-lease-and-finance-professionals/

Application:
https://clfpfoundation.org/how-to-become-a-clfp/#Examination

 

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Online Equipment Auction List
Thriving in the "New Normal"

assetiqllc.com	Recovery & Remarketing Solutions Asset IQ is designed to provide valuation, risk assessment, research, inspection, recovery, remarketing and advisory services for the leasing and finance industries. Our core business is to recover and remarket assets for our clients through a variety of solutions providing the highest return possible. Asset IQ has a broad range of experience in a variety of asset types in numerous industries. Contact us at media@assetiqllc.com today to learn more. We utilize traditional sales auctions, and hybrid techniques to maximize returns.  View our online auctions and bid at your convenience.
auctioneerexpress.com	Tractor, Mower, Dump Truck, Mower, Cutter, 13 Tire Roller
www.auctiontime.com	“Free listing of items, which also connects to other site. Powered by MachineryTrader.com, TractorHouse.com, and TruckPaper.com, AuctionTime.com brings together buyers and sellers to move equipment at auction values. Bidders pay no buyers fees whatsoever.,,“Unlike conventional auctions, bidders can discuss specifics about the auction pieces with the actual seller, or go see the actual machine themselves. Auctions come to an end each Wednesday with live bidding open every Monday at 5 pm CST and proxy bidding open 7 days prior to auction end time.”
HeavyEQ.govdeals.com	Heavy Equipment, Truck and Machinery Industry Online Gov't Surplus Auctions - Over 1,000 Government Clients
inplaceauction.com	Caters to lessors, lenders, and bankruptcy trustees, conducting both virtual and live auctions of all types of assets including:  Agricultural, Medical, Industrial, Transportation, Trucks, Construction, Real Estate, etc.  Appraisals - on site and desktop.
ironplanet.com	Cranes, Trailers, Equipment Trucks
motleys.com	Construction Equipment & Trucks
municibid.com	Municibid is an online government auctions website designed specifically for the sale of surplus and forfeited/seized goods directly by the government publicsurplus.com
salvex.com	Salvaged equipment for both re-seller and end user.
tractorhouse.com	Mostly farm equipment
usgovbid.com	Government Online Auctions - Servicing Government Agencies for over a Decade

List of many auction sites for consumer and vehicle:
http://www.100auctionsites.com/

Online auction Top Ten Most Popular Sites
(Primarily for consumers or consumer merchandise)
http://online-auction-sites.toptenreviews.com/

Auction Zip
--primarily consumer
(find auctions anywhere)
http://www.auctionzip.com/

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The bad news regarding the spread of COVID-19 keeps flowing and its hard not to feel disheartened, depressed, disgruntled or just downright weary. Even in the early weeks of the pandemic, people all over the world latched onto whatever positives they could, whether it was the return of wildlife to eerily empty cities or the courage and tenacity of the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic. One key trend that has emerged and remained largely overlooked is the massive, swift and efficient transition most office workers made to continue doing their jobs from home. That has to remain one important change society keeps and indeed embraces when the world recovers and there are several reasons why.

As this infographic shows, there are a number of key reasons U.S. workers did their jobs away from the office in 2019. The data comes from the 2019 State of Remote Work Report from Owl Labs which found that better work life balance was the top reason, cited by 91 percent of respondents. 79 percent of those polled in the report said they have increased productivity or have better focus while 78 percent had a desire to avoid commuting. Saving money/financial reasons was also high up among the respondents and that could turn into a crucial factor when the world recovers from the coronavirus.

Of course, it has to be said that remote working is a luxury that isn't available to all workers but for those who can,, the option could solve an array of serious and obvious problems in the coming years. Why would an employee working in an office in San Francisco or New York fork over the bulk of their paycheck in rent when they can also do the job perfectly well from a different location where living costs are lower? Of course, some people choose to live in such cities for personal reasons but many others have home ownership dreams that are impossible to realize.

Millennials have now been devastated by not just one but two "once in a lifetime" crises - the 2008 Financial Crisis and COVID-19. Increased trust in the workforce and an allowance to work from anywhere could lead to people moving out of the pricey cities and purchasing their own property in areas where they can actually afford it. Forget saving up for that $500,000 studio in the Bay Area and go rural where you can by a house for a fraction of the price (if your job allows it, that is).

Along with prompting people to move to smaller towns and villages, embracing the current remote working dynamic would allow for a more even distribution of wealth. The emergence of online meeting tools such as Zoom would still allow those remote workers to interact with managers and colleagues while they could also result in less business travel, yielding environmental benefits. Those benefits would be seen in cities especially where a considerable swathe of the morning rush hour would disappear, reducing pollution and relieving pressure on infrastructure. As serious as the current crisis is, a possible solution to several others might be right in front of us.

By Niall McCarthy, Statista
https://www.statista.com/chart/21563/top-reasons-for-remote-working/

 

Labrador Retriever Mix
Birmingham, Alabama  Adopt a Dog

Cosmo

ID 228470
Male
1 year, 2 weeks
60 lbs.

Greater Birmingham Humane Society
300 Snow Drive
Birmingham, AL 35309
205-942-1211
http://www.gbhs.org/adoptable-pets

Adoption Fee: $50
NOTE: A fee of $10 for the Microchip (including free registration and services for the first year) is included in the adoption fee for Dogs

 

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30 Minute Free Webinar  Wednesday 3pm EST
Update from North Mill Equipment Finance

The webinar is designed for both current North Mill brokers as well as those referral agents who are interested in learning basic information on the type of customer and deal that best fits North Mill’s credit window.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020   3:00 pm - 3:45 pm EST
https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/7598343735643064075

Don Cosenza, Chief Marketing Officer, CLFP, North Mill, will host the presentation.  He will be joined by the company’s Chairman and CEO, David Lee, who will answer questions and share his insight.

David Lee, Chairman and CEO, North Mill, said, “North Mill takes its pledge to provide steady, open dialogue between our firm and the many referral agents with whom we work very seriously.

“There has been no better time to demonstrate our commitment to transparency than right now, during this most challenging period in our industry. We want our partners to know that we’re here and ready to help.”

The webinar, aptly titled, “An Update from North Mill,” is scheduled for thirty minutes with additional time allotted to answer attendees’ questions.  The presentation will cover:

• North Mill’s current state, financially sound and ready to lend
• Policy enhancements and procedural modifications
• Details on closing deals during COVID-19
• Ways to follow up and connect with a North Mill representative

News Briefs----

Dr. Anthony Fauci says no 'scientific evidence’ coronavirus
   made in Chinese lab
https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/dr-anthony-fauci-says-no-scientific-evidence-coronavirus-made-in-chinese-lab.html

Pence confirms coronavirus task force winding down
  — but they forgot to tell Fauci
https://nypost.com/2020/05/05/mike-pence-confirms-coronavirus-task-force-will-wrap-up-this-month/

Coronavirus deaths projected to hit 3,000 per day
  by June, internal Trump administration analysis says
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/coronavirus-trump-administration-projects-3000-deaths-per-day-by-june.html

Texas back in business?
  Barely, y'all, as malls, restaurants empty
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-texas/texas-back-in-business-barely-yall-as-malls-restaurants-empty-idUSKBN22H19K

Trump wants coronavirus-hit companies
    to ‘work it out’ with creditors, not use fed aid
https://nypost.com/2020/05/05/trump-wants-coronavirus-hit-companies-to-work-it-out-with-creditors/

Airbnb to cut almost 1,900 jobs
  due to the ‘most harrowing crisis’
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/05/coronavirus-airbnb-to-cut-almost-1900-jobs-due-to-the-most-harrowing-crisis/

United Airlines to cut 30% of management in October
  and braces pilots for changes as well
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/05/united-airlines-to-cut-30percent-of-management-in-october-and-braces-pilots-for-changes-as-well.html

General Electric planning to cut
  13,000 jobs in aviation unit
https://nypost.com/2020/05/04/general-electric-aviation-axing-13000-jobs/

Disney earnings plummet more than 90%
  as coronavirus wipes out more than $1 billion
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-earnings-plummet-more-than-90-as-coronavirus-wipes-out-1-billion-in-theme-park-sales-2020-05-05

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You May Have Missed---

The price of reopening the economy:
  tens of thousands of American lives
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-economy-models/index.html

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I SIT AND LOOK OUT.

I SIT and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all
oppression and shame,
I hear secret convulsive sobs from young men at anguish with
themselves, remorseful after deeds done,
I see in low life the mother misused by her children, dying,
neglected, gaunt, desperate,
I see the wife misused by her husband, I see the treacherous
seducer of young women,
I mark the ranklings of jealousy and unrequited love attempted to
be hid, I see these sights on the earth,
I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny, I see martyrs and
prisoners,
I observe a famine at sea, I observe the sailors casting lots who
shall be kill'd to preserve the lives of the rest,

 

Walt Whitman

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Sports Briefs---

Frank Gore signing with Jets in Adam Gase reunion
https://nypost.com/2020/05/05/frank-gore-signing-with-jets-in-adam-gase-reunion/

Why George Kittle is primed for a historic contract with the 49ers
https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article242493581.html#storylink=topdigest_latest

NFL nixes International Series games in 2020 regular season
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/05/04/nfl-schedule-2020-international-series-games-nixed/3077149001/

Former 49ers QB Alex Smith shares his trauma
   and recovery in ESPN documentary
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/annkillion/article/Former-49er-Alex-Smith-shares-his-trauma-and-15238420.php

PGA boss ‘fully prepared’ to play PGA Championship
     without fans in SF
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/golf/article/PGA-boss-fully-prepared-to-play-PGA-15200702.php

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California Nuts Briefs---

Sara Cody on testing, overreacting
   and when the county will reopen
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/04/coronavirus-qa-santa-clara-county-health-officer-sara-cody-not-going-to-squander-the-sacrifices/

Judge rejects Lodi church’s bid to resume in-person services,
   says California order legal
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article242512621.html#storylink=mainstage_card6

Coronavirus: Newsom slams Northern California counties as
 “making a big mistake” for opening restaurants, gyms salons and spas
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/05/05/coronavirus-newsom-slams-northern-california-counties-as-making-a-big-mistake-for-opening-restaurants-gyms-salons-and-spas/

California sues Uber and Lyft,
   seeking millions for drivers in test of new labor law
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article242512456.html#storylink=mainstage_card4

 

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Wine E-Commerce Boon May Bring More Flash Sales
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=230319

Wente Vineyards offers First Ever Voice App Wine Tasting
  Experience Launches on Amazon Alexa and Google Home Today
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=230362

Why Drink White Rhône Blends? It’s a Matter of Percentages
https://openingabottle.com/why-drink-white-rhone-blends-its-a-matter-of-percentages/

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

     1626 - Dutch colonist Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island from local Indians for 60 guilders worth of trinkets, a few days after landing there.
    1740 - Birthday of John Penn (d. 1788), signer of the Declaration of Independence, born at Caroline County, VA.
http://www.rebelswithavision.com/JohnPenn.com/
http://www.colonialhall.com/penn/penn.asp
    1812 - Birthday of Martin R. Delaney (d. 1885) in Charles Town, VA, now WV.  Ethnologist, Black newspaper publisher, the first African-American to receive a regular army officer commission (Major) and African-American nationalist, he is considered to be the grandfather of Black Nationalism.  He was also one of the first three blacks admitted to Harvard Medical School. Trained as an assistant and a physician, he treated patients during the cholera epidemics of 1833 and 1854 in Pittsburgh, when many doctors and residents fled the city. He worked alongside Frederick Douglass to publish the “North Star.”  His active role in recruiting blacks for the U.S. Colored Troops led to his commission as Major.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASdelaney.htm
http://afgen.com/delaney.html
    1829 - Phebe Ann Coffin (d. 1921) was born Phebe Hanaford in Sciasconset, MA. She is the first woman ordained in New England as a minister. Coffin was a successful author in addition to being a Universalist minister.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/h/a/n/hanaford_pac.htm
    1833 – John Deere made its first steel plough
    1835 – James Gordon Bennett published the first issue of the New York Herald.  The price: 1 cent.
    1851 - Dr. John Gorrie of Apalachicola, FL, was granted a patent for a mechanical freezer, "an improvement in the process for the artificial production of ice."  At a dinner on July 14, 1850, at the Mansion House, Apalachicola, Gorrie produced blocks of ice the size of bricks. He installed his system in the U.W. Marine Hospital in Apalachicola.
    1851 – Linus Yale patented the Yale lock.
    1853 – The first major rail disaster in the US occurred, killing 46 in Norwalk, CT.
    1856 - Birthday of Robert E. Peary (d. 1920) in Cresson, PA.  Peary was thought to be the first to discover the North Pole.  As reported in This Day in American History on May 3, the first airplane flight to the North Pole revealed that he did not discover the "true" North Pole as originally claimed. The plane was piloted by Lieutenant Colonel William Pershing Benedict of San Rafael, CA, and copilot Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Otis Fletcher of Shawnee, OK. In 1997, historian Robert M. Bryce published the results of research indicating that no previous explorer succeeded in reaching the Pole, despite two long standing claims, and that Fletcher was the first human known to set foot on it.  In addition, Dr. Albert Paddock Crary, who was in this party, on February 12, 1961, reached the South Pole by tracked vehicle as part of a scientific expedition.   He became then the only explorer to set foot"
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may06.html.
    1856 - U.S. Army troops from Fort Tejon and Fort Miller prepared to ride out to protect Keyesville, California, from Yokut Indian attack.
    1860 – The first athletic club in the US, The Olympic Club, was formed in San Francisco.
    1861 – Arkansas and Tennessee became the ninth and tenth states to secede.  Jefferson Davis approved a bill declaring War between the US and the Confederacy
    1864 - General Sherman began to advance on Atlanta.
    1877 - Chief Crazy Horse surrenders to US troops, who later murder him.  On Sept 5th, he is bayoneted in the back on orders.  Dakota Sioux Chief Sitting Bull leads 5,000 of his followers into Canada to ask protection from the Queen and petition land for a reserve after defeating Gen. Custer and the US 7th Cavalry at the Little Big Horn. The Canadian government refuses.
    1882 - Congress passes the first Chinese Exclusion Act over the veto of President Garfield, making it unlawful for Chinese laborers to enter the US for the next 10 years and denying naturalized citizenship to the Chinese already here. Chinese immigration is essentially shut off for the next 60+ years, as the act is extended in both 1902 and 1904.  The act was repealed on December 17, 1943.
    1884 - Brokerage firm of Grant & Ward, in which former President Ulysses S. Grant was a silent partner, failed under the weight of $16,725,466 worth of debts. It soon became known that Ward was a swindler who had used Grant's "good" name to perpetuate one fraud after another.
    1890 – The Mormon Church renounced polygamy.
    1895 - Birthday of Rodolpho Alfonzo Rafaello Pietro Filberto Gugliemi Di Valentina D'Antonguolla (d. 1926), whose professional name was Rudolph Valentino, was born at Castellaneta, Italy. Popular silent film star.  For years press reports claimed that "at least one weeping veiled woman in black bought flowers to his tomb" in Hollywood Memorial Park, every year on the anniversary of his death at New York, NY.
    1896 - Samuel Pierpont Langley flew an unpiloted Number 5 aircraft using a catapult launch from a boat on the Potomac River. The aircraft traveled almost 3/4 of a mile - ten times further than any previous heavier-than-air flying machine.
    1899 - Birthday of trombonist Charlie Irvis (d. 1939), New York City.
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/i1/charlie_irvis_b.htm
    1903 – Bernard “Toots” Shor (d. 1977) was born in Philadelphia.  Proprietor of a legendary saloon and restaurant, Toots Shor’s Restaurant in Manhattan, he ran three different establishments under that name, but his first – and most renowned – was located at 51 West 51st Street. He was known as a saloonkeeper, friend, and confidante to some of New York's biggest celebrities during that era…Jackie Gleason, Joe DiMaggio, Ernest Hemingway, Chief Justice Earl Warren among them. 
    1904 - Country music pioneer Cliff Carlisle (d. 1983) was born in Taylorsville, Kentucky. An associate of Jimmie Rodgers, he began his recording career in February, 1930 with Rodgers' "T for Texas." During the next 18 months, Cliff Carlisle recorded more than a dozen of Rodgers' songs, and many other tunes sung in Rodgers' style. Cliff later formed a duo with his brother Bill, and they were popular throughout the '30s and '40s. Cliff Carlisle retired from music in 1947.
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/carlisle.htm
http://www.arhoolie.com/titles/7039.shtml
    1907 – Pro Football Hall of Fame Head Coach Weeb Ewbank was born Wilbur Charles Ewbank (d. 1998) in Richmond, IN.  Part of the deep and broad coaching tree of Paul Brown, Ewbank coached and won two of the most important and famous games in NFL history:  in the 1958 NFL Championship game, the Baltimore Colts’ overtime victory over the New York Giants was the first overtime game in history and the first to be televised nationally; and in 1969, the AFL’s New York Jets upset win over the NFL Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, largely believed to be the impetus to the merger of the two leagues in 1970.  Ewbank was an assistant under the legendary Paul Brown and he developed two of the NFL’s greatest Hall of Fame QBs, Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath. 
    1915 - George Herman "Babe" Ruth of the Boston Red Sox hit his first Major League home run in a game against the New York Yankees in New York. It was also his Major League pitching debut, winning 4-3. It is lost among his hitting prowess but Ruth pitched for the Red Sox from 1914-19 to a 93-46 record and an ERA of 2.28.  In 1915-17 he won 65 games, winning 23 and 24 in ’16 and ’17, respectively.  He was regarded then as one of the top lefties in the game and many considered him to be near the Walter Johnsons and Christy Mathewsons. http://www.baberuth.com/
    1915 - Birthday of Orson Welles (d. 1985), actor and director, was born at Kenosha, WI.  “Citizen Kane,” which he directed and in which he played the title role, is one of the most influential films ever made.  Other films in which he had a role include “The Third Man” and “The Magnificent Amersons.”   His radio show in 1938 brought listeners to believe the Earth was invaded from Mars.  http://www.bway.net/~nipper/
    1918 - Canadian composer and teacher Godfrey Ridout (d. 1984) was born in Toronto. During his association with the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music from   1948 until his retirement in 1982, he guided some of Canada's most famous musicians. As a composer, Ridout will be best remembered for his orchestral pieces, including "Music for a Young Prince," commissioned for the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 and composed with Prince Charles in mind.
http://www.musiccentre.ca/CMC/dac_rca/eng/p_/Ridout_Godfrey.html
    1928 - The longest footrace in history began at City Hall in New York City. It concluded on July 24 in San Francisco, 3,415 miles later. 60-year-old Abraham Lincoln Monteverde, a veteran of more than 100 marathons, not only won the race, but he was also the only competitor to finish.
    1931 - Birthday of “The Say Hey Kid,” Willie Howard Mays, Hall of Fame outfielder and one of baseball’s greatest players of all-time, at Westfield, AL. He spent most of his career with the New York/San Francisco Giants.  Mays won two National League MVP awards and shares the record of most All-Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial.   He is remembered, among his many great moments for perhaps the best catch in Major League history during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.  “The Catch,” an over-the-shoulder running grab by Mays in deep center field of the Polo Grounds of a long drive off the bat of Vic Wertz during the eighth inning is considered the iconic image of Mays' playing career and one of baseball's most memorable fielding plays.  The catch and the nearly perfect throw to the infield, prevented two Indian runners from scoring, preserving a tie game. In appreciation of his All-Star record, Ted Williams said "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays."   Mays ended his career with 660 home runs, third at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-time. He also won a record-tying 12 Gold Glove awards beginning in 1957 when the award was introduced.  He is arguably the greatest player in baseball history and is certainly in that conversation, possessed of blinding speed, a great arm, hit and hit with power, a great defensive fielder and a disruptive force for the opposition.  In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News’ "List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players", making him the highest-ranking living player. Later that year, he was also elected to the Major League All-Century Team. Mays is one of five National League players to have had eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons.  He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.  Willie Mays Day was proclaimed by former mayor Willie Brown to be every May 24 in San Francisco.  [As a kid growing up on the Jersey Shore in the 1950s, I went to many Giants, Yankees, and Dodgers games every summer.  The argument about the best ballplayer was always “Mays or Mantle,” with The Duke not far behind, a time gone by that will never be repeated. Ralph Mango.]
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/
hofer_bios/mays_willie.htm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/all_time_stats/players/
m/42662/index.html
    1935 - Executive Order 7034 created the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
    1936 - Birthday of singer Sylvia Robinson was born Sylvia Vanderpool (d. 2011) in Harlem, New York City. Singer/songwriter/producer/label owner. In the mid-'50s, she teamed with Mickey Baker as Mickey & Sylvia. Had million-selling "Love Is Strange" in 1956-57. Married Joe Robinson and founded All Platinum Records which later became Sugar Hill Records, the first major rap label.
http://www.picosearch.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl
    1937 - At 7:20pm, during a thunder and lightning rainstorm, the dirigible Hindenburg exploded as it approached the mooring mast at Lakehurst, NJ, after a trans-Atlantic voyage.  Of its 97 passengers and crew, 36 died in the accident, which ended the dream of mass transportation via dirigible.
http://www.vidicom-tv.com/tohiburg.htm
    1939 - Herbie Cox (d. 2019), lead singer of the '50s and '60s vocal group the Cleftones, was born in Cincinnati.
    1940 - John Steinbeck's “The Grapes of Wrath” wins the Pulitzer Prize as most distinguished novel of 1939. He gets the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.  Banned in 1980 in two Iowa high school sophomore classes after a parent complained the book was "profane, vulgar, and obscene."  The head of the school board defended the action, noting the US was "going pell mell downhill" morally and they were reversing the trend.
http://steinbeck.sjsu.edu/home/
    1941 – Bob Hope performed his first USO Show, at March Field in CA.
    1942 - David Freisen, American jazz bassist, was born in Tacoma, Washington.  He is the younger brother of actress Dyan Cannon. http://www.globalbass.com/archives/may2001/david_friesen.htm
    1944 - The first flight of the Mitsubishi A7M fighter, designed to replace the Zero, takes place. Technical problems and Allied bombing raids prevent mass production.
    1945 – Bob Seger was born in Lincoln Park, MI.  In 1973, he put together the Silver Bullet Band, a group of Detroit-area musicians, with whom he became most successful on the national level with the album “Live Bullet,” recorded live at Cobo Hall in Detroit. In 1976, he achieved a national breakout with the studio album “Night Moves.”  Seger has recorded many hits, including “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Against the Wind,” “Shakedown” (written for “Beverly Hills Cop II).  He also co-wrote the Eagles’ number-one hit "Heartache Tonight." His iconic recording of "Old Time Rock and Roll” was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001.  Seger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
    1948 - KNXT (now KCBS) TV channel 2 in Los Angeles first broadcast
    1951 - Liz Taylor's first divorce, from Conrad Hilton Jr.
http://www.bestofcolumbus.com/fussichen/otde.htm
http://www.who2.com/conradhilton.html
    1953 - Alva "Bobo" Holloman of the St. Louis Browns pitched a no-hitter in his first Major League start, defeating the Philadelphia Athletics, 6-0.  He is one of two pitchers to throw a no-hitter in his first Major League start.  His early appearances with them, all in relief, yielded an ERA close to 9.00. Undaunted, the confident Holloman pestered manager Marty Marion to give him a chance as a starter. He took the mound in that capacity for the first time on a rainy night before a hometown crowd of 2,473 and threw the no-hitter. The 29-year-old rookie embellished his performance with three RBI and his only two hits in the Majors.   He went down to the minors in 1954 and retired thereafter.
http://www.pubdim.net/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/H/Holloman_Bobo.stm
http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hollobo01.shtml
http://www.pubdim.net/baseballlibrary/sabr/tbi/H/Holloman_Bobo.tbi.stm
    1954 - Running for the British Amateur Athletic association in a meet at Oxford University, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier with a time of 3:59:4.  Four minutes for a mile at the time was considered not only a physical barrier but also a psychological one. In this epic race, Bannister relied on two teammates to pace him. Chris Brasher helped Bannister for the first two laps with times of 57.5 and 1:58.2.  Chris Chataway sprang to the lead for the third quarter (3.00:5). Bannister followed Chataway around the curve and started his kick on the backstretch.  He sprinted past Chataway and, as he broke the tape, into track history.  But his record lasted little more than a month, until John Landy of Australia ran 3:58.0 on June
21.
    1957 - Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy of Massachusetts was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his book "Profiles in Courage."  A volume of short biographies describing acts of bravery and integrity by eight US Senators, the book focuses intensely on mid-19th-century antebellum America and the efforts of senators to delay the American Civil War. Profiles was widely celebrated and became a bestseller.  In 1990, Kennedy's family created the Profile in Courage Award to honor individuals who have acted with courage in the same vein as those profiled in the book.  In his 2008 autobiography, Kennedy speechwriter  Ted Sorenson, who was presumed as early as 1958 to be the book's ghostwriter, acknowledged that he actually wrote most of the book.
http://www.johnfkennedy.org/
    1957 - Eugene O'Neill became the first writer to win a Pulitzer Prize four times for drama for his play, "Long Day's Journey Into Night." His other awards were in 1920 for "Beyond the Horizon," in 1922 for "Anna Christie," and in 1928 for "Strange Interlude."
http://www.almaz.com/nobel/literature/1936a.html
http://www.eoneill.com/
    1958 - Top Hits
“Tequila” - The Champs
“The Witch Doctor” - David Seville
“Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” - Elvis Presley
“Oh Lonesome Me” - Don Gibson
    1959 - The Pablo Picasso painting of a Dutch girl was sold for $154,000 in London. It was the highest price paid to that time for a painting by a living artist.
    1963 - William Faulkner wins a posthumous one for “The Reivers.”  Samuel Barber wins for his "Piano Concerto No. 1."
    1964 - The first election in the District of Columbia was the primary election, when the Reverend Edward Franklin Jackson, a Methodist minister who was African-American, defeated Frank Daniel Reeves for the office of Democratic committee-man.
    1965 - In their Clearwater, Florida hotel room, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards work out the opening guitar riff of "Satisfaction," following Richard's purchase of a Gibson fuzz-box earlier that day.
    1965 - James Brown reworks a song called "I Found You" by Yvonne Fair and comes up with "I Got You" (I Feel Good). It will become the biggest hit of his career, reaching #3 in the US.
    1966 - Top Hits
“Good Lovin'” - The Young Rascals
“Monday Monday” - The Mamas & The Papas
“Sloop John B” - The Beach Boys
“I Want to Go with You” - Eddy Arnold
    1967 - Two weeks after being pushed out of the top spot on the Cashbox Best Sellers list by The Monkees' "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You," Nancy and Frank Sinatra return to the top spot with "Something Stupid."
    1968 - PATTERSON, ROBERT MARTIN, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 2d Squadron. 17th Cavalry. Place and date: Near La Chu, Republic of Vietnam, 6 May 1968. Entered service at: Raleigh, N.C. Born: 16 April 1948, Durham, N.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Patterson (then Sp4c.) distinguished himself while serving as a fire team leader of the 3d Platoon, Troop B, during an assault against a North Vietnamese Army battalion which was entrenched in a heavily fortified position. When the leading squad of the 3d Platoon was pinned down by heavy interlocking automatic weapon and rocket propelled grenade fire from 2 enemy bunkers, Sgt. Patterson and the 2 other members of his assault team moved forward under a hail of enemy fire to destroy the bunkers with grenade and machinegun fire. Observing that his comrades were being fired on from a third enemy bunker covered by enemy gunners in l-man spider holes, Sgt. Patterson, with complete disregard for his safety and ignoring the warning of his comrades that he was moving into a bunker complex, assaulted and destroyed the position. Although exposed to intensive small arm and grenade fire from the bunkers and their mutually supporting emplacements. Sgt. Patterson continued his assault upon the bunkers which were impeding the advance of his unit. Sgt. Patterson single-handedly destroyed by rifle and grenade fire 5 enemy bunkers, killed 8 enemy soldiers and captured 7 weapons. His dauntless courage and heroism inspired his platoon to resume the attack and to penetrate the enemy defensive position. Sgt. Patterson's action at the risk of his life has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1970 – The Peace Movement becomes more violent following the May 4 Kent State Massacre. The next twelve days student strikes disrupt 448 colleges, involving possibly as many as 4 million students. The movement grows to 750+ campuses of 2500 nationwide with demonstrations against sending troops to Cambodia. Even Stanford University experiences "worst riots in its history.” 75 campuses stayed closed through the rest of the school year.
http://world.std.com/obi/Emi.Anthology/tears.html
    1972 - Elton John's "Rocket Man" is released in the US, where it will reach #6.
    1973 - The New England Whalers won the first championship of the World Hockey Association. They defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 9-6, to win the final series, four games to one. Both teams later moved into the National Hockey League.
    1973 - Paul Simon began his first solo tour in Boston, three years after splitting up with Art Garfunkel. Some of the shows were recorded and selections released on the following year's "Live Rhymin'" album.
    1974 - Top Hits
“The Loco-Motion” - Grand Funk
“Dancing Machine” - The Jackson 5
“The Streak” - Ray Stevens
“Things Aren't Funny Anymore” - Merle Haggard
    1977 - Ten weeks after entering the Billboard singles chart, The Eagles' masterpiece, "Hotel California" became the band's fourth US #1 hit.
    1980 - NBC came to terms with its superstar, Johnny Carson. Johnny signed a new three-year contract for approximately $5 million a year. Carson also reduced his "Tonight Show" to one hour from ninety minutes and cut his work week to four nights. Plus, he got billing in the show's title, as it became "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson."
http://www.johnnycarson.com/carson/indexflash.jsp
    1981 - A jury of architects and sculptors unanimously selected Maya Ying Lin’s design for the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial from 1,421 other entries.  The memorial sits on 3 acres in Washington, DC and was competed in 1982, and receives over 3 million visitors annually.
    1982 - Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners became the 15th pitcher in the Majors to win 300 career victories. Perry, known for his spitball as well as a variety of other pitches, led the Mariners past the New York Yankees 7-3. He was long suspected of doctoring the baseball with his saliva.  Perry pitched for eight different teams over 22 years and won 314 games.  He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/perryga01.shtml1982
    1982 - Top Hits
“I Love Rock 'N Roll” - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“Chariots of Fire” - Titles - Vangelis
“Ebony and Ivory” - Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder
“Mountain Music” - Alabama
    1984 - Tina Turner's comeback hit, "What's Love Got to Do With It," was released. The song went to number one, won Grammys for record and song of the year, and established Turner as a major solo star.         
    1986 - The Rev. Donald E. Pelotte, 41, was ordained in Gallup, New Mexico, becoming the first Native American to be made a Roman Catholic Bishop in the U.S.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/drexel/news/1005bishop.htm
http://www.dioceseofgallup.org/
    1986 - From the “What an Ungrateful Thing to Do, Joan” file: Comedienne Joan Rivers put her foot in her mouth by announcing to the world that she was leaving "The Tonight Show" as permanent guest host to begin her own late-night gabfest on the new FOX TV Network.  She was immediately banned from appearing on “The Tonight Show” by Johnny Carson, even after her show folded.  She made her first appearance on that show when invited by host Jimmy Fallon in the premiere of “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” in 2014. http://www.joanrivers.com/
    1988 - "Have another doughnut, you fat pig!"  After a 6-1 loss to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, New Jersey Devils Coach Jim Schoenfeld confronted referee Don Koharski as the officials left the ice.  In a scuffle, Koharski either fell, or was pushed, causing Schoenfeld to mock him with the insult.  The league suspended Schoenfeld without a hearing, but a judge granted the Devils request for an injunction.  In response, regular officials chose not to work the next Devils-Bruins game. Instead, an amateur referee handled the game assisted by two off-ice officials acting as linesmen. The Devils won, 3-1.
    1990 - Top Hits
“Nothing Compares 2 U” - Sinead O'Connor
“I Wanna Be Rich” - Calloway
“How Can We Be Lovers” - Michael Bolton
“Love on Arrival” - Dan Seals
    1992 - Bruce Springsteen unveiled his new band at a surprise show at the Bottom Line in New York. The only holdover from the E Street Band was keyboardist Roy Bittan. The four-piece group backed Springsteen on "Saturday Night Live" three nights later. "The Boss" opened his world tour in Stockholm nine days after his New York appearance.
    1994 - Former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed a lawsuit against President Bill Clinton, alleging that he had sexually harassed her in 1991.  The Paula Jones case precipitated Clinton's impeachment. Charges of perjury and obstruction of justice were brought against Clinton based on statements he made during the depositions for the Jones lawsuit.  The case went through the courts, eventually reaching the Supreme Court on January 13, 1997. On May 27, the Supreme Court allowed the lawsuit to proceed.  Clinton dismissed Jones's story and agreed to move on with the lawsuit.  Clinton entered into an out-of-court settlement, agreeing to pay Jones and her attorneys a total of $850,000, before the lawsuit was dismissed pre-trial on the grounds that Jones failed to demonstrate damages.  In April 1999, Judge Wright found Clinton in civil contempt of court for misleading testimony in the Jones case. She ordered Clinton to pay $1,202 to the court and an additional $90,000 to Jones's lawyers for expenses incurred, far less than the $496,000 that the lawyers originally requested. Wright then referred Clinton's conduct to the Arkansas Bar for disciplinary action, and on January 19, 2001, the day before Clinton left office, he entered into an agreement with the Arkansas Bar under which Clinton was stripped of his license to practice law in Arkansas for a period of five years. His fine was paid from a fund raised for his legal expenses. 
    1997 - Michael Jackson and Bee Gees inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
    1998 - Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher Kerry Wood set the National League record and tied the Major League record for most strikeouts in a 9-innning game when he fanned 20 Houston Astros in a 2-0 Chicago win. Roger Clemens set the Major League record in 1986 and tied it in 1996. The former modern National League Mark, 19, was held by three pitchers, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver and David Cone.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/14836/index.html
    2004 - The series finale of “Friends” aired on NBC, after owning Thursday night The finale attracts 52.46 million viewers, sixth most watched overall series finale in U.S. television history, behind the finales of “M*A*S*H*,” “Roots,” “Cheers,” “The Fugitive,” and “Seinfeld” which were watched by 125, 100, 92.5, 78 and 76.3 million viewers, respectively.   
    2006 - Nancy Sinatra unveiled her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as she celebrated forty years in music since the debut of her 1966 hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin’."
    2013 - Wal-Mart revenue exceeds that of Exxon Mobil, becoming the largest company by revenue on the Fortune 500 list.
    2014 - Bayer strengthens its position in consumer healthcare after winning Merck's consumer-focused business unit at auction for $14.2 billion.
    2014 - Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce company, filed plans for a U.S. IPO. At closing time on the date of its IPO on September 19, 2014, Alibaba's market value was US$231 billion. The pricing of the IPO initially raised US$21.8 billion, which later increased to US$25 billion, making it the largest IPO in history.