Senate Resolution 7

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE OF WELL-KNOWN PORTERS CHAPEL ACADEMY HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, GERALD CRAWFORD "BUBBA" MIMS, JR., AND EXPRESSING THE SYMPATHY OF THE SENATE.

WHEREAS, Gerald Crawford "Bubba" Mims, Jr., Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Porters Chapel Academy (PCA), died Sunday, May 16, 2004, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, at the age of 46. His funeral was among the largest in the history of Vicksburg; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mims was a Vicksburg native, the second of five children of the late Crawford and Betty "Boop" Nosser Mims, and a 1974 graduate of Vicksburg High School; and

WHEREAS, he was a star baseball and football player for Vicksburg High School, and helped the Gators to the 1973 Big Eight Football Championship, the equivalent of a state title today. He went on to play football at Ole Miss, where he lettered for one season; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mims, who only stood about 5-foot-8, often used his experiences as an undersized linebacker for the Ole Miss Rebels to inspire his players or remind them that all it took was a little hard work to succeed; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Ole Miss in 1979, Mr. Mims began working in his father's chain of convenience stores and eventually became manager and owner. He continued working there until September 2000, when he filled the coaching void at PCA four games into the season; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mims, who had a son on the junior high team and knew most of the players from a summer baseball team he coached, initially agreed to filling in at the private K-12 school for the rest of the season. He was hired as the permanent Coach and Athletic Director the following spring. Mr. Mims had coached a summer baseball team, the Culkin Critters, for several years before taking over at PCA. Being a full-time coach brought him even greater joy and seemed to fill a void in his life, Johnny Mims said; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Mims posted a 20-21 record in three-plus seasons as PCA's Coach, but he also left his mark as the school's Athletic Director. In that post, Mr. Mims helped the athletic program grow to new heights. PCA started new programs in track, golf - which Mr. Mims coached - and powerlifting, and also made the transition from slow-pitch softball to fast-pitch. Capital improvements were also made to the school's gym, baseball field and football field. Long-term projects to build a new fieldhouse and football stadium were also started; and

WHEREAS, he is survived by his wife, Karen; sons Gerald and Judd; daughters Claire, Paige and Jessica, all of Vicksburg, Mississippi; brothers Peter and Johnny (of Vicksburg) and Paul, of West Monroe, Louisiana; and sister Renee Boyce of West Monroe, Louisiana; and

WHEREAS, this untimely death was a loss for the Mims family, the Porters Chapel Academy, the City of Vicksburg and the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the life of well-known Porters Chapel Academy Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, Gerald Crawford "Bubba" Mims, Jr., and express to his wife and surviving family the sympathy of the Senate on his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Coach Mims and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.