2744 and more Fantastic, Fascinating, Freaky, Famed, Favorite, Foremost, Fateful, Fabulous, Forgotten, Funny, & Phenomenal FEATS & FACTS ABOUT THE FINE FOLKS OF DUBLIN AND LAURENS COUNTY, GEORGIA By: Scott B. Thompson, Sr. @ 2021 THIS IS A COMPILATION OF THE OUTSTANDING ACTS OF NATIVE, SHORT TERM, AND LONG TERM RESIDENTS OF DUBLIN AND LAURENS COUNTY, GEORGIA. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS COMPENDIUM, ONLY ACTS OF STATEWIDE, SOUTHEASTERN, NATIONAL, AND WORLD ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE LISTED. VOLUME 2 WILL CONTAIN MORE FEATS ON A LOCAL LEVEL. THERE ARE HUNDREDS, PERHAPS THOUSANDS MORE ACTS WHILE NOTEWORTHY, DO NOT MEET THE CRITERIA SET OUT ABOVE. IF YOU HAVE MORE EXAMPLES OF FANTASTIC FEATS, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT SCOTTBTHOMPSONSR@YAHOO.COM THE LIST WILL BE POSTED ON THE INTERNET AND WILL BE UPDATED ON A REGULAR BASIS.

 65. In his early years in the ministry, Rev. Silas Johnson served as the minister of Methodist churches in Cadwell, Buckhorn, and Dexter, Georgia.  In his latter years, Rev. Johnson served a ten year term of Macon’s Wesleyan Collage, the first college in the world to grant degrees to women. 

 

66. Steve Fuller, Jr., who graduated from Dublin High School and attended Georgia Tech, joined his friend, Jack Patterson, and in 1969 founded Underground Atlanta, an  entertainment mecca  and National Historic Place.  Harrison founded several prominent Atlanta restaurants, including the Chalet, Harrison's on Peachtree, and O. Henry's Saloon, along with Church Street Station in downtown Orlando.  s 

 

67. Dr. Reece C. Coleman, Jr. was named the Valedictorian of the 1932 Senior Class of the University of Georgia.  Dr. Coleman was one of trio of physicians to develop the world’s first  color camera to film the interior of a living human body. (68)

69. Rev. Peter S. Twitty, Sr., minister of the First Methodist Church of Dublin at the turn of the 20th Century, was elected President of Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga. in 1892.  

 

70. English professor and author Melissa Graves Walker was born in Dublin, Georgia, in 1941.  She taught at the University of New Orleans and at Mercer University in Atlanta, where she served as chair of the English department. In 1990 she became a fellow in the Institute of Women’s Studies at Emory.  In 1991, Yale University Press published her book Down from the Mountaintop: Black Women’s Novels in the Wake of the Civil Rights Movement. Her popular textbook, Writing Research Papers: A Norton Guide, came out in four editions, the most recent in 1997. Walker served  on the national board of Wilderness Watch as well as president of the Georgia chapter.

71. During the first decade of the 20th Century, Preston Books Rice was a member o the Georgia Tech Cheerleader time, making him the county’s first male cheerleader.  By the football team was led by a coach of some note, John Heisman, the namesake of the Heisman Trophy. 

72. Bryant Meeks, originally of Macon and a resident of Laurens County, was an All American center for the South Carolina Gamecocks during and just after World War II.   Meeks, from 1949 to 1954,  played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. (73) Meeks was honored by being named as a member of the University of South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (74) , the University of South Carolina All Century Football Team. (75)

 

76. Hugh Radcliffe, a native of Dexter, Georgia, transferred to R.E. Lee High School in Thomaston, Georgia.  Radcliffe was a fine country pitcher.  One day in 1948, Radcliffe faced the always tough Lanier Poets out of Macon.  When it was all over, Radcliffe pitched extremely well, but his all out effort was not quite perfect.  You see, Radcliffe may have set an organized baseball world record when he struck out 28 Poet batters in a nine-inning game.  You ask 28?  One of the miraculous strikeout total came when the Rebel catcher dropped yet another strike three pitch, ruining Radcliffe’s perfect game, but preserving his no hitter.  While there is no available record to show the most strikeouts in a 9-inning game from the high school level to the major leagues, it was a miraculous feat.  Radcliffe went on to a brief career in the farm systems of the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies (76A.)  Radcliffe was all state in baseball and considered one of the best kickers in Georgia (76B, C.) 

 

77. Tech Sergeant Thurman Wyatt, of Laurens County,  was awarded a Silver Star, the nation’s third highest award for heroism,  for gallantry in action while serving with the 80th Infantry Division in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States on 26 November 1944 in France. On that date, near St. Avold, France, Technical Sergeant Wyatt assumed command of his platoon when the platoon leader was evacuated as a casualty, and courageously led his men to the objective through severe mortar, artillery, and small arms fire. Having attained and consolidated his position Technical Sergeant Wyatt at great personal risk returned to the battalion to receive future plans and report the situation to the commander. On returning to the platoon he found one squad isolated by the enemy, but by bold and skillful maneuvering, he relieved that squad and drove the enemy back. The bravery, leadership, and constant devotion to duty displayed by Technical Sergeant Wyatt were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.