Mississippi Moments Podcast

In books like North Towards Home and My Dog Skip, Willie Morris drew upon memories of growing up in Yazoo City for inspiration. He recalls his family’s long history in Mississippi and how summertime boredom often led to mischief. Morris reflects on the education he received in the Yazoo City Public School system.  He remembers the influence one teacher had on his decision to become a writer. Please enjoy this extended version of the original radio broadcast.

During WWII, items needed for the war effort created shortages of consumer goods. Parnell McKay of Pass Christian recalls a scarcity of paper, fuel, and apartments. Fearing attack by the Germans or Japanese, civilian observation posts were set up along the Gulf Coast.  As a high school student, McKay volunteered as a spotter. He remembers the day he spotted a U-boat. McKay also reveals how liquor laws were ignored to “service” the servicemen.

On June 6th, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.  Cmdr. Rip Bounds of Hattiesburg piloted his Utility Landing Ship onto Utah Beach carrying 25 tons of ammunition.   Bounds remembers endless days of ferrying men and equipment to the beach and carrying the wounded away. He gets emotional when he recounts the efforts of the Red Cross Ladies to give comfort to the wounded warriors.   In this extended version, we hear many more details including his meeting Churchill, Montgomery and Patton.    

Dr. Dollye Robinson has had a distinguished career as a Professor of Music Education at Jackson State.  So it was only natural that she would join the Mississippi Arts Commission.   Robinson details the efforts of the Arts Commission to find funding for various programs statewide and presents an eloquent defense for the continued support of the Arts and Humanities in our schools.

In 1947, a Mississippi association of African-American teachers decided to pool their resources and sue the state for pay and benefits equal to that of their white counterparts. After Gladys Noel Bates agreed to be named the plaintiff, her contract was not renewed and she and her husband were unable to find work as teachers anywhere in the South. In this extended version of last week's radio broadcast, hear details of how the group was able to keep news of the pending suit secret and how she was isolated from her peers after it made national headlines. Mrs. Bates passed away on Oct. 15th, 2010 in Denver, Colorado where she enjoyed a long and successful career in public education.

Here is a favorite of ours from June 2009, featuring Southern Miss coach and first full-time Athletic Director, Reed Green.

On November 9th, 1965 a power outage plunged New York City into darkness during rush hour.  Clarksdale native, George Falls was in a helicopter with Holiday Inn founder, Kemmons Wilson when the lights went out.  He recalls the  ride back to New York City in total darkness and the way people made the best of a bad situation. This extended cut gives many more details than the original radio version.

In August of 1954, the first franchised Holiday Inn opened for business in Clarksdale, MS. George Falls, then a senior in high school, recalls the excitment and feelings of pride shared by the entire town. After college, Falls went to work for the fledgling company. As a member of the Franchise Department, he witnessed Holiday Inns' metamorphosis from a small southern chain into an industry giant. Please enjoy the bonus material in this extended cut.

Margaret Loesch, of Pass Christian, earned her degree from The University of Southern Mississippi in political science, but it was in children's television that she made her career. Starting as a typing clerk at ABC in 1971, Loesch quickly rose through the ranks to become head of children's programmnig at NBC. She developed many classic kid's shows including The Smurfs, GI Joe, Transformers, Power Rangers, and Muppet Babies. This is the first MS Mo podcast episode that has been extended from the original broadcast length of 4 1/2 minutes. We hope you enjoy the bonus material!

Jimmy Havard played football for Southern Miss from 1958 to 1962. He recalls making the freshman cut in the summer of ’58.  In 1961, Havard set a record for the longest punt return in Southern Miss history. He remembers that play and Roman Gabriel, the famous North Carolina State quarterback who tried to stop him. Years later as the coach for Petal High School, Havard kept a pre-game superstition he got from Coach Vann.  

During WWII, Mississippi Southern College (Southern Miss) discontinued its football program. After the war, Coach Thad “Pie” Vann combed the South looking for new players.   Vann recalls the decision to leave the Gulf States Conference and how an undefeated season in 1958 led to national recognition.    Vann served as head football for Southern Miss from 1947 to 1968.  He notes how the growth of the program matched the growth of the school.    Pie Vann was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.  He passed away in September 1982.  

Growing up in Greenville, Deloris Franklin developed a love of the Blues at an early age.   After college, Franklin would often go see live music. She reminisces about the best venues in Greenville and of sitting next to a young singer named Tina Turner.   Working with the Mississippi Action for Community Education, or MACE, allowed Franklin to put her love of the Blues to good use. She remembers one project called the Blues Mobile.

   Patty Carr Black began designing exhibits for the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson in 1970.  She recalls the decision to focus on Mississippi’s cultural heritage.    In 1974, the Smithsonian Institute asked Mississippi to be the featured state for that year’s Folk Life Festival. Black explains how that experience brought positive national attention to the state and a new pair of friends for her.    Black details some of the Folk Life exhibits and events that have been produced by the museum and why they are important to all of us.

As a college student in North Carolina, Ann Abadie grew to love the writings of William Faulkner.  She discusses her decision to move to Faulkner’s home town of Oxford. Visitors to Oxford frequently requested tours of Faulkner’s home and other sites of interest.  Abadie explains how this led to the first William Faulkner Conference in 1974. That first conference was planned as an intimate gathering of a few Faulkner faithful.  Abadie says that no one expected such a huge response or that it would become an annual event.

   Lt. General Mickey Walker of Jackson was awarded a Silver Star during WWII and later served in the Far East Command during the Korean War. He recalls rising through the ranks to become chief of the National Guard Bureau during the Reagan administration.    After retiring, Walker became president of the Camp Shelby Military Museum. He explains how the museum got its start.    Mickey Walker passed away in 2007, at the age of 83.  

General Emmet H. "Mickey" Walker of Jackson served as a platoon leader with the 95th Infantry Division during the battle for the French city of Metz as well as several other major battles in the European Theater during WWII. He received Bronze and Silver Stars and went on to serve with distinction as Chief of the National Guard Bureau under President Reagan. He recalls the Battle for Metz and a young man from McComb who played the piano. Happy Fourth of July from your friends at MPB and the Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage!

   From the beginning, seafood fueled the growth of the Gulf Coast economy. Retired fisherman Walter Ross discusses the early days of the seafood industry.    Oyster processing plants in Biloxi used steam to make shucking the oysters easier.  Ross recalls fondly the smell of the steam coming from the many large factories.    When he was thirteen, Ross began working part time in the factory where his mother worked.  He remembers being much too slow to keep up with the women.

   William Thiroux (pronounced T-rue), of Ocean Springs, has been catching crabs for over thirty years.  He recalls a thriving industry and a plentiful supply.    In an effort to protect the crab population, Mississippi made it illegal to catch female sponge crabs, a move Thiroux says has decimated the state’s crab industry. He feels that by allowing the harvest of only male crabs, the law has had a negative impact on the crab population. 

    In 1967, Chris Ethridge, of Meridian, was twenty years old and working as a bass guitar player in Los Angeles.  He recalls how a mutual friend put him in contact with country rock legend, Gram Parsons. Ethridge and Parsons, together with Chris Hillman of The Byrds, went on to found country rock band, The Flying Burrito Brothers.        Four years later, in 1973, Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California. Ethridge explains how the final wishes of Parsons led to one of the most bizarre incidents in the history of Rock-n-Roll. Ethridge discusses the legacy of the Burrito Brothers and the legend of Gram Parsons.    Chris Ethridge passed away on April 23rd, 2012, at the age of 65.  

Prior to the advent of the modern supermarket, people had their produce delivered by local grocers and street vendors. Helen Rayne of Natchez recalls how her grandmother would shop for food. Rayne details how her grandmother would buy whole milk and use it to make other dairy products. She also remembers the fun her grandparents had on wine bottling day.