A Look Back, Feb. 23

50 Years Ago

■William P. Nagle Jr., Ward 4 councilor, said he will request the police and traffic committee to investigate the possibility of employing student help in the police department. Nagle, newly appointed member of the committee, said the city could make use of students from surrounding colleges who are studying police science.

■Amtrak, the national railroad passenger corporation, has sent a letter assuring the city that its trains will stop in Northampton on its Montreal-Washington run. In addition, the corporation will begin planning a stop here for its New Haven-Springfield run when it receives assurances from the state of two-thirds deficit costs.

25 Years Ago

■Citing a need for new career opportunities for women, Smith College plans to create a full-fledged engineering program — the first women’s college to do so, and one of only a small number of liberal arts colleges offering an engineering degree.

■After 16 years as City Auditor, Michael J. Lyons is getting ready to retire. Lyons said today he will retire after serving out a three-year appointment expected to be made by the City Council next week. Lyons, 59, a city native, said he wants to retire at the age of 62 and enjoy what life has to offer.

10 Years Ago

■Broadside Bookshop in Northampton and The Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley are among 54 businesses across the country that received grants from James Patterson this week as part of the suspense author’s pledge to distribute $1 million to independent bookstores.

■There was “Havoc” on the floor, but madness in the stands as the University of Massachusetts men’s basketball team played Virginia Commonwealth on Friday at the Mullins Center. The Minutemen have developed a rivalry with VCU, and many fans circled this game on the schedule. It didn’t disappoint, as UMass won 80-75.