Dr. Melvin Pender, Jr. is a bona fide American hero: An Olympic gold medalist (4 x 100 relay in the 1968 Mexico City Games at 31 years of age); a Bronze Star recipient with two tours of duty in Viet Nam, retiring as a captain after having joined the Army at 17; a college graduate; a member of 11 Halls of Fame, a coach, an author, a motivational speaker, a cancer survivor and a … [Read more...] about February 29, 2017: A Salute to An Olympic Champion and His Pursuit of Excellence
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December 17, 2012: I Wish I Could Have Been There In Bethlehem
This column was a favorite of my friend, Otis Brumby, Jr., publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal and Neighbor Newspapers, who passed away earlier this year. It is dedicated to his memory. I wish I could have been there. In Bethlehem. I wish I could have witnessed the birth of the baby Jesus in that humble setting of a lowly manger. Was it really as cold that night as it … [Read more...] about December 17, 2012: I Wish I Could Have Been There In Bethlehem
November 28, 2011: Reflections on a Life Well-Lived
Today, I ask for a moment of personal privilege. It was two years ago this week that I wrote about the Three Wise Men that have so greatly influenced my life: Roy Hodnett, a real estate magnate on Saint Simons Island; Dr. Raymond Cook, my college professor, now residing in Valdosta and John W. Jacobs, Jr., a broadcast pioneer and philanthropist from Gainesville. All three … [Read more...] about November 28, 2011: Reflections on a Life Well-Lived