Mississippi Stories

About the Book

I have lived in Mississippi all my life - 68 years. Even during the 25 or more years that I taught school in Rockland County, New York, I returned to Hattiesburg to spend the summers. I have spent every Christmas in Mississippi except two: once when I was a soldier in Fort Huachuca, Arizona and they would not grant me a leave to come home and the other I spent with Tony, Tony, Marie, Patricia, and Ann in Austria and Germany. That’s when I learned what “Happy Sylvester” meant. All the while I thought Sylvester was the nigger who sat next to me in grade school who slobbered at the mouth like he had mad cow’s disease!

I have known a lot of Mississippi people. I have heard a lot of Mississippi stories. Sometimes my mind invents like I’m crazy or something. Here are four stories I would like to share with you. I would also like to share two of my favorite songs that I sing constantly: “My Imagination” and “It Was Just My Imagination Running Away With Me.”

S. Earl (Boyyer) Wilson, III

About the Author

S. Earl Wilson, III son of Samuel with his niece Arlynnette Hamm grandaughter of his father. Born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi where he completed high school at Springfield Consolidated High School in 1950. Graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1955. Was the first Black person or African-American to get a Master’s degree in science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1970. He has taught science both in Mississippi and Rockland County, New York for a combined total of forty years. An ex-athlete himself, he captained both his high school’s football and basketball teams. He then earned four letters in football at Morehouse College and played one year of semi-professional football with the Fort Huachuca Arizona Raiders while in the military. During his forty years of teaching science, he has also coached the following sports: baseball (2 years), football (10 years), basketball (32 years), tennis (15 years), girls fast pitch softball (15 years), wrestling (1 year), track (5 years), soccer (2 years), and volleyball (1 year). Has won numerous championships and honors such as “Coach of the Year” more than once. He has also been associated with hockey and lacrosse. He has sixty hours above the Master’s degree earned at the University of Southern Mississippi, Tuskegee University, Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, Cannius College, The College of Saint Rose, North Carolina Central University, and the University of Wyoming. In 2001 he was called out of retirement to coach the Collins High School boys’ basketball team of Collins, Mississippi to a 15-10 record, and one first place tournament trophy. He attributes these tireless working habits as “taking after his daddy.”