Audubon Park in Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The Beginning
Photographed by Steve Masler
1. The Beginning Marker
Inscription.
The Beginning. . Larry O. Finch, the pride of Memphis'Orange Mound community, was born February 16, 1951. The oldest child of Maple and James Finch, Larry honed his basketball skills on neighborhood playgrounds and quickly earned the nickname "Dirty Red," because of his superior ability. After his father, a Navy veteran, died, Larry realized basketball would be his ticket to college. He became a starting guard for Melrose High School, where he met his future wife, Vickie Stephens, captain of the cheerleading squad. In Larry's senior year, Melrose finished third in the 1969 state tournament. And he emerged as a top-tier college recruit.
Larry O. Finch, the pride of Memphis'Orange Mound community, was born February 16, 1951. The oldest child of Maple and James Finch, Larry honed his basketball skills on neighborhood playgrounds and quickly earned the nickname "Dirty Red," because of his superior ability. After his father, a Navy veteran, died, Larry realized basketball would
be his ticket to college. He became a starting guard for Melrose High School, where he met his future wife, Vickie Stephens, captain of the cheerleading squad. In Larry's senior year, Melrose finished third in the 1969 state tournament. And he emerged as a top-tier college recruit.
Erected 2019 by The University of Memphis.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is February 16, 1951.
Location. 35° 6.307′ N, 89° 55.802′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Audubon Park. It is on North Park Loop 0.4 miles south of Park Avenue and Getwell Road, on the left when traveling north. On the grounds of the University of Memphis South Campus. The area was renamed Larry Finch Plaza in 2019. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4055 N Park Loop, Memphis TN 38111, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Upper South, in the Mississippi Delta, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 19, 2023, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 314 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 19, 2023, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
