Download - AUTOBIOGRAPHY Harvey R. Sims - Haynes School Alumni ... · AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Harvey R. Sims Harvey R. Sims, a native of Galveston, Texas was bom march 20, 1920. A graduate of Central

Transcript
Page 1: AUTOBIOGRAPHY Harvey R. Sims - Haynes School Alumni ... · AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Harvey R. Sims Harvey R. Sims, a native of Galveston, Texas was bom march 20, 1920. A graduate of Central

A U T O B I O G R A P H Y o f

H a r v e y R . S i m s H a r v e y R . S i m s , a n a t i v e o f G a l v e s t o n , T e x a s w a s b o m m a r c h 2 0 , 1920. A graduate o f C e n t r a l H i g h S c h o o l , he at tended W i l e y C o l l e g e , W i l e y , T e x a s . H e rece ived h i s B . S . Degree f r o m A & I stte U n i v e r s i t y ( today k n o w n as Tennessee State U n i v e r s i t y ) N a s h v i l l e , T N a n d h i s M . S . Degree f r o m C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y , N Y .

-mmmmma^ wmmaam • C o a c h S i m s began h i s t each ing career at H a y n e s S c h o o l i n N a s h v i l l e , T N ^ i ^ ^ ^ M a J t each ing S o c i a l S tudies , H i s t o r y and P h y s i c a l E d u c a t i o n . H e ho lds the

d i s t i n c t i o n o f be ing the f i r s t P h y s i c a l E d u c a t i o n Teache r h i r e d b y the D a v i d s o n C o u n t y S c h o o l S y s t e m ( today k n o w n at M e t r o p o l i t a n P u b l i c S c h o o l S y s t e m ) . H i s i l l u s t r i o u s coach ing career began at H a y n e s H i g h S c h o o l w i t h t w e n t y ou t s t and ing years as f o o t b a l l , basebal l and baske tba l l coach. H i s f o o t b a l l charges posted a respectable 6-4 r ecord i n 1947 , and i m p r o v e d d r a m a t i c a l l y t o 8-2 i n 1948. I n 1949 , C o a c h S i m s ' sy s t em emerged t r i u m p h a n t as H a y n e s H i g h S c h o o l ' s baske tba l l t e a m vanqu i shed m a n y s t a lwar t opponents enroute t o an a s ton i sh ing 3 0 - 0 record w i t h three losses c o m i n g at the hands o f a rch­r i v a l P e a r l H i g h S c h o o l . I n 1959 under h i s i n sp i r ed guidance, the H a y n e s f o o t b a l l squad los t one game and i n 1960 en joyed a n i m p r e s s i v e undefea ted season; the t e a m w a s h o n o r e d t o p l a y i n the B l u e B o w l i n b o t h these l a n d m a r k years .

W i t h the b r i l l i a n t coach ing and f i r m bu t f a i r d i s c ip l i ne C o a c h S i m s ca tapul ted H a y n e s H i g h S c h o o l t o three championsh ip , f o r f o u r years , l ed b o t h the boys and g i r l s baske tba l l teams t o the f ina l s .

C o a c h S i m s a g e n t l e m a n o f great courage and c o n v i c t i o n , has neve r a l l o w e d adve r s i ty t o s tand i n the w a y o f reach ing h is g o a l ; before H a y n e s had a g y m n a s i u m he w o u l d t ake h i s p layers t o o the r f ac i l i t i e s t o pract ice at n igh t , u s i n g h i s o w n a u t o m o b i l e f o r t r anspor t a t ion . D u r i n g the course o f h i s r e m a r k a b l e t w e n t y - y e a r tenure , he has m o l d e d an i n d e l i b l e legacy w h i c h encompasses the v i r t u e s o f ha rd w o r k , per­severance, se l f -d i sc ip l ine and n u m e r o u s o the r qua l i t i e s t h i s decent m a n has e x e m p l i f i e d i n h i s d a i l y l i f e . Because o f h i s o u t g o i n g c o m m i t m e n t t o l ead ing the e x a m i n e d l i f e w i t h l i b e r a l i t y and courage. H e earned the l o v e and respect and a d m i r a t i o n o f h is s tudents, f e l l o w f acu l ty m e m b e r s , parents a n d the c o m m u n i t y as a w h o l e .

A u g u s t 5, 1 9 9 5 — J i m m y N a i f e h , Speaker o f the H o u s e o f Represen ta t ives o f the n i n e t y - n i n t h G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y o f the State o f Tennessee , at the request o f and i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h Represen ta t ive M a r y P r u i t t o f N a s h v i l l e , p r o c l a i m e d tha t C o a c h H a r v e y S i m s be spec ia l ly h o n o r e d a n d r ecogn ized fo r h i s t w e n t y years o f d i s t ingu i shed service t o the students and f a c u l t y o f H a y n e s H i g h S c h o o l . H e w a s sa lu ted fo r h i s ou t s tand ing record as a f o o t b a l l and baske tba l l coach, a n d h i s e v e n m o r e ou t s t and ing record as a n i n s p i ­r a t i o n a l leader and compass ionate counse lo r t o y o u n g m e n and w o m e n .

C o a c h S i m s was f o r m e r l y m a r r i e d t o M a r g a r e t M . A i m s , f r o m tha t u n i o n one daughter , A t t o r n e y J o y M . S i m s .

S ince r e t i r emen t , C o a c h S i m s has scouted fo r the H o u s t o n O i l e r s , served as a M e t r o C o u n c i l m a n , w o r k e d at N a s h v i l l e E l e c t r i c S e r v i c e and s e r v i n g as l a n d l o r d t o h i s tenants . H e has a lso v o l u n t e e r e d i n P i o n e e r / W i l d c a t 2006 P a g e 72

Page 2: AUTOBIOGRAPHY Harvey R. Sims - Haynes School Alumni ... · AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Harvey R. Sims Harvey R. Sims, a native of Galveston, Texas was bom march 20, 1920. A graduate of Central

C o a c h S i m s e n j o y s k e e p i n g u p w i t h t he Tennes see S ta te U n i v e r s i t y f o o t b a l l a n d b a s k e t b a l l games a n d b e i n g an a v i d sports f a n , t r a v e l s t o m o s t a l l r o a d games . H e a l w a y s l o o k s f o r w a r d t o h e a r i n g f r o m h i s f e l l o w classmates .

A m a n o f m a n y ta len t s a n d a great a m o u n t o f pa t i ence , c h o o s i n g o n e w o r d t o descr ibe h i m , i t w o u l d be t he w o r d " G R E A T . "

S u b m i t t e d b y

D o r o t h y D u n n , P re s iden t H a y n e s S c h o o l A l u m n i A s s o c i a t i o n

P i o n e e r / W i l d c a t 2 0 0 6 P a g e 73

Page 3: AUTOBIOGRAPHY Harvey R. Sims - Haynes School Alumni ... · AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Harvey R. Sims Harvey R. Sims, a native of Galveston, Texas was bom march 20, 1920. A graduate of Central

H A Y N E S H I G H S C H O O L

H a y n e s H i # i S c h o o l

C o l o r s — R e d a m i G r a y Hickrmmm — W i l d c a t s

L a o g b e f o r e H a r v e y S i m s b e -c a m e a c i t y e o u n c i i m a n , h e p r o -d t i N : ^ p o w e r h o u s e f o o t b a l l t e a t n ^ a t IIayf5« H i g h S c h o o l , k x r a t e d i o

H a y n e s w a s t!»e < m l y b i a d k €««i ty h i g f e s c t o o L to t l i < 3 s e c l a y s

N a s h v i l l e w a s r u n fey d u a l ff^S mmd c c m i i t y ) g o v e m m a n i a .

fa t t e l a t e ^ S t e , tte W l l < f c a ^ w o n 4 0 s t r a i g h t gam«^- T h € ^ p l a y e d m t w o B l u e s B o w l s m MeiB|»Mst. T h e Bl.ii« B o w l i n v l i a d t l i e top t w o b l a c k s c h o o l s l a Ifcia s t a t e o n a y t a a r l y h a s ^ . :

Ttm^ w e r e g o o d , a ^ d k n e w i t , •" c o u l d " p l a y a g a i n s t b o d y / * ^ d R i c h a r d O w e t i s , ^ n m -B i n g b a c k o n t h e t e a m / * * W 0 w e r e n ' t a l l o w e d t o p l a y a g a t a f t t h e w h i t e s e l i o o l s , » w e w o u M p l a y P e a r l , C a m e r o n , M e i g i ^ a m i t h a n C l a r t e m l l e Eiirt» M i i r f e e e i ^ b 0 r o \, Sprljngfl€sM" '̂°„ a l l t j t e b l a c k s c h o o l s f r o m t J t e t l | e a r e a . ' ' :

* * W e w e r e g o o d . W e w o i t i 4 * % ^ i b c ^ t e o a n y f o c N l y , mcl«dkig ^ . . f l ^ w h i t e s c h o o l s / *

I j m t ^ M e a a i J D p l a j ^ e d I l l s f i r s ^ t w o s e a s o m o f h i g h s c h o o l f o € > i h a U a t H a y n e s . b e f o r e i i n i ^ i t ^ a t A a -t i o c h , M c C l a i B w o u l d g o <m t o ^ e a m a v a r a i t y l e t t e r m 1 9 6 ^ a s . t h e U n i -¥ € ^ i t y o f T e n n e s s e e ' s f i r s t b l a c k f o o t h a i l p l a y e r ,

**L«tar w a s n ' t a tellp-layer nm-t i l h e g o t h i s t w o f r o n t t e e t h k n o c k e d o a t , " Sixrm s a i d . * * H a d i d i x * t p l a y mi»<:h l u n t i l h i s j i m i i ^ y e a r a n d • h i s " l a s t y e a r a t H e y , w e m a d e L e s t e r a p l a y e r a t H a y B e s , "

• , & n d b d a y a f t e r p r a c r t i e a S i * i » h a d t o d r i v e 1 2 6 m i t e t o e a r r y p l a y e r s t o teeir h o n n M ^ i n s t a r -r o u n d i n g c o u t n t i e s . B t i t t h e y mea^ t r i p s w e l l w o r t h m a k i n g .

" O t i r p e o p l e s t a y e d w i t h us^** h e s a i d . * * P e o p l e i n t h e c o a n . t t e s w e r e g o o d f o l t o - H i e y w e r e b t i y l n g ; homm air>d w m i c i n g t o r a i « t h e i r k i d s t h e r t g j i t w a y . Th«*y w a o t e d

• s o m e t M i i ^ l a h e p r o i ^ of..** • -

B a n n e r . 2 5 J a n 1 9 9 0 , C - 1 , € - 6 •