Forever MAROON William Earnest “Bill” Allen Jr. (B.S. risk management, insurance, financial planning; ’62) 81, Greenville – He began a career with the Social Security Administration in Tupelo following his graduation. After working in other offices in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, he was promoted to district manager for the offices of Greenville, Clarksdale and Cleveland. He retired after 48 years. He was an active member of the Bulldog Club, which he served as president, and the Washington County Alumni Association. In 2001, the Alumni Association presented him with a Distinguished Service Award. He was part of the Greenville Rotary Club, which he served as president; the United Way of Washington County, including its board of directors; Boy Scouts of America; Exchange Club and the YMCA. In 2010, he was honored by the Greenville Junior Auxiliary as King of the Ball for his civic work and community involvement. — June 28, 2021 Dr. Craig Bradford (B.S. biology, ’77) 65, Natchez – After earning a Doctor of Dentistry from the University of Mississippi, he completed a residency in pediatric dentistry at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a longtime member of the Natchez Rotary Club, the Mississippi and American Dental Associations, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and was a Fellow Diplomate of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He provided dental care to the children of Natchez and the surrounding communities for 37 years. — June 19, 2021 Wythel E. “W.E.” Boggs (B.S., M.S. education administration, ’59, ’63) 84, Saltillo – He was a basketball standout at Northeast Community College and a veteran of the national guard. He served as principal at high schools across north Mississippi before joining the staff of Itawamba Community College where he held positions as professor, administrator, dean of instruction, dean of students, vice president and interim president before retiring after 40 years. During his career, he earned numerous awards including the 2001 Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award from Phi Theta Kappa, a fraternity of community college scholars. He was a member of the Itawamba County Development Council; founder and co-leader of Leadership Itawamba; and past member of the Citivan Club and the Kiwanis Club. — May 30, 2021
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Jack M. Carlisle (B.S. history, ’54) 91, New Albany – Following his graduation from State, he earned a master’s in education leadership from Mississippi College. He spent more than 61 years as a teacher and football coach, accumulating a high school record of 262 wins, 70 losses and 17 ties. He coached at Ethel, Lula Rich and Nettleton, Murrah High School, Jackson Preparatory Academy, Ole Miss, East Tennessee State University, Madison Ridgeland Academy and Louisiana College. He is a member of seven halls of fame including the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and those of the Mississippi Association of Coaches, Jackson Prep, Mississippi Community College, MAIS, MRA and the North Mississippi Coaches Association. Nettleton High School’s football stadium was dedicated to his honor in 2010. — July 27, 2021 James W. Chiles (B.S. entomology, ’57) 94, Tupelo – He was a U.S. Navy serviceman in WWII before graduating from Mississippi State. He was an entomology consultant and pecan grower. He also developed a cotton seed treatment and researched new varieties of pecan. He was owner of Chiles Entomological Service and president of the Mississippi Delta Pecan Co. He was also a member of the American Legion, Delta Council, Masonic Lodge and a deacon in the Baptist church. He served as director of the Mississippi Entomological Association and was a member of the Entomological Society of America, Southeastern Pecan Growers Association and the National Cotton Council. He was appointed to colonel on the staff for Gov. John Bell Williams and served as chairman of the state welfare board. — July 25, 2021 Boyett Graves (retired staff ) 83, Starkville – After earning a master’s from Louisiana State University, he moved to Virginia to work at the Virginia Truck and Experimental Station where he spent 16 years working on potato varieties. He moved to Beaumont in 1981 to work for Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Prior to his retirement in 2001, he worked at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs. He spent his free time working with Boy Scout Troop 140 in Richton where he served as an assistant troop leader. He also served on the Eagle Scout committee for the Pine Burr Area Council. — June 6, 2021
Jerry Speed Lee (B.S. accounting, ’68) 74, Madison – A national guard veteran, he spent 28 years as a certified public accountant with KPMG Peat Marwick in Jackson where he oversaw the tax practice. He then served as CEO of Southern Lumber Company until his retirement. He served as chairman of the deacons at First Baptist Church Jackson, president of the Rotary Club, delegate to Leadership Mississippi, chairman of the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy, president of the Estate Planning Council of Mississippi and chairman of the Mississippi Tax Institute. An Eagle Scout, he was a board member of the Andrew Jackson Council of the Boy Scouts of America and those of Community Bancshares of Mississippi, Mississippi Children’s Home Society, Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association and Southern Forest Products Association. — June 20, 2021 Dr. Robert “Bob” Myers (B.S. general science, ’75) 69, Ridgeland – He earned a medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1978. He practiced with the Mississippi Urology Clinic for 30 years and served as chief of staff at Baptist Medical Center. — June 13. 2021 Ted W. Norris (B.S. entomology, ’66) 77, Marks – He retired from the U.S. Postal Service as a rural mail carrier, having previously been a farmer and entomologist. He was a past president of the Quitman County chapter of the MSU Alumni Association and a past president of the Mississippi Beta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He was a member of Marks First Baptist Church where he was a deacon and Sunday school teacher. — Sept. 5, 2020 Henry Randle (B.S. business information systems, ’09) 50, Aberdeen – A native of Aberdeen, he attended Mary Holmes College in West Point, earning an associates degree before attending Mississippi State. He joined the Aberdeen Police Department in 1997 and the Army National Guard in 2001, reaching the rank of Sergeant First Class. He was elected chief of police in 2008 and served in the position until his death. — May 16, 2021
