The last 50 years of the millennium brought changes no oracle could have foreseen. In 1950, most families did not own a television set, many did not own a car, and most women did not drive. Segregation was practiced throughout the country, while Americans lived in the shadows of the cold war and nuclear proliferation. Bowling Green in 1950 was a microcosm of America at large. Ladies wore hats and gloves; men wore hats and ties. Businesses prospered and failed, schools were built and students were graduated, political issues were debated, and churches were erected. Bowling Green was Our Town, U.S.A.