OTMJ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL u OTMJ.COM
SOCIAL
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022
SPORTS
BACK TO SCHOOL Michael Gross, Homewood High School’s first principal, in front of the recently renovated school building last week. Inset, Gross is shown in a newspaper article about the newly opened facility in 1973.
Shaia’s founder S.G. Shaia, right, and son Alex pose for a photo inside the family-owned business when it was a Homewood general merchandise store.
Four Generations and Counting
Shaia’s Celebrates Its 100 Years Serving Birmingham Area; Co-Owner Given Lifetime Award
O
ne of the area’s most well-known, family-owned retail businesses is celebrating its 100th anniversary in downtown Homewood. As Shaia’s menswear store marks its centennial, third-generation co-owner J.L. Shaia of Vestavia Hills was honored in New York with a Lifetime Achievement Award by MR Magazine, considered the “bible” of the men’s apparel business. “I’m very excited. It’s a thrill that all my family will be there for the awards dinner,” held on July 17, Shaia said, adding that his granddaughter, Zanie
‘I am humbled and proud of the designation, but it really is all about the store. It’s an award for the whole family.’ J.L. SHAIA
Love Shaia of Homewood, presented the award to her grandfather. “I am humbled and proud of the designation, but it really is all about the store. It’s an award for the whole family.” The award is prestigious and honors top menswear merchants in the industry. A news release from MR Magazine notes the theme of this year’s celebration is Resilience and Reinvention and says Shaia’s “truly epitomizes the aspirational goals” of that theme. It also credited J.L. Shaia’s leadership during his tenure, as the store won numerous
See SHAIA’S, page 6
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY Homewood High Was Built From Scratch 50 Years Ago
PARENTS WERE THE INITIAL DRIVING FORCE to break away
from the Jefferson County School System and form the Homewood School System. “A lot of parents felt they were paying more than their fair share (for) education. Parents were paying a lot of money in taxes,” Michael Gross, Homewood’s first principal said. When he started teaching at Homewood Junior High in
1964-65, there were 40 students in a class and none of the classrooms had air conditioning, Gross said. So a group of parents approached then-Mayor Bob Waldrop, who was on board with the idea. Waldrop, Gross and noted educator Mamie Foster, who was from Homewood’s Rosedale community, met and strategized what it would take to form a school system. See story page 18.
Journal photo by Jordan Wald; Newspaper clipping courtesy
By Anne Ruisi
