Alumni Association Working Towards Permanent Home
Tuesday
night the Alumni Officers and board member Tom Rogers spoke before the
Board of Alderman to request the use of the old YMCA building at the
corner of 4th and Washington to use as office space and to host reunions
and other CHS alumni related events. We ask for your support on this
effort as it will benefit the entire CHS community by offering permanent
offices and a place to host reunions for all classes. Thanks in advance
for your support. Please contact us with any ideas you might have.
2010 renewal notices have been sent out. If you have not renewed your
membership please do so as the Alumni Association operates entirely
on donations from our members. You can learn more about membership levels
by clicking here.
Distinguished Faculty/Staff Nominations Now Being Accepted
We are now accepting nominations from its' members for the 2nd Annual
"Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award." The deadline to submit
a nomination is March 1, 2010. Nomination forms and criteria can be
viewed and downloaded on the site. Forms can be filled out and mailed
back to: CHS Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1275, Corinth, Ms. 38835 or
filled out and e-mailed to: calumni@yahoo.com. Also, any questions can
be e-mailed to this same e-mail address. The committee of former graduates
and alumni members will then meet to choose the 2010 recipient. A reception
will be held at a later time and date TBA.
CHSAA
Scholarship Applications Being Accepted
2010
scholarship applications are now being accepted. Application will be
available in printed for at Corinth High School. Deadline for applications
is April 15, 2010. Applications can be filled out and mailed back to:
CHS Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1275, Corinth, Ms. 38835 or filled
out and e-mailed to: calumni@yahoo.com. Applications may also
be downloaded below.
Note: All three of these documents must be submitted with the application.
CHS Alums Honor Palmer
Published Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009
By L.A. Story
Staff Writer
The Corinth High School Alumni Committee has chosen
a former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal as the recipient of their 2009
CHS Distinguished Alumni Award.
Currently a resident of Jackson, John N. Palmer is a 1952 graduate of
Corinth High School and a former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal as well
as an entrepreneur, telecommunications pioneer, community leader and
venture capitalist.
Nominations for the Distinguished Alumni Award are solicited through
the CHS Alumni Committee members, and the recipient is chosen by a committee
comprised of CHS graduates. This is only the second award given. The
first recipient was local attorney James E. “Jimmy” Price
Jr. Palmer’s reaction to being chosen for the special award from
his alma mater was one of humility. “I think Corinth has a rich
history and many extraordinary people have come out of Corinth. I am
surprised and flattered and this is very meaningful to me,” said
Palmer. “... to follow Jimmy Price ... he is one of my heroes ...
just to follow him is an honor ... there are others I feel should have
been elected ahead of me but [the award] gives me a great feeling.”
Palmer began his career in telecommunications in 1965 with the purchase
of a local Mississippi radio common carrier. By 1973, he had developed
more than nine regional paging companies throughout the South and formed
MCCA (Mobile Communications Corporation of America).
During his 16-year tenure as chairman and president, MCCA grew to become
a significant force in the cellular phone business.
With all his success in business, Palmer said his education at CHS had
a big influence on him. One teacher, Emma Street, picked up on his fondness
and aptitude for mathematics and pushed him to higher math classes.
However, perhaps the biggest influence and favorite teacher was Corinth
High School Basketball Coach Chick Reece. “What Chick Reece did
was teach us to hustle and work hard. I was not all that good of a shot
but he taught me that, if I could out-hustle my opponent, I could win.
That stuck with me ... it’s been my theme in business,” said
Palmer.
In business, Palmer has certainly seen a lot of success. He admits he
has had a passion for the business world and he followed it.
“I am pleased with the success I’ve had ... in fact, any success
I have had might have surprised a lot of people in Corinth,” said
Palmer, with a laugh. “I was founder and chairman of the board
of two companies that grew and became publicly traded. Both were sold
with a market value in excess of a billion dollars. I think we had really
good success in building up two good companies in Mississippi ... which
was part of my drive. Mississippi can do more than people think. “One
business was sold to BellSouth and later formed SkyTel which was sold
to WorldCom ... I had a passion for the business world and that’s
what I wanted to do. So, I put a lot of hustle in it.”
Palmer was named Ambassador to Portugal for three years from 2001 2004.
He has served on the President’s Export Council as a private sector
advisor to the secretary of commerce; and as a private sector trade
advisor to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
He was a member of the boards of three New York Stock Exchange companies
— AmSouth Bancorporation, EastGroup and Entergy Corporation.
The ambassador’s civic leadership efforts have included several
board memberships: Chairman of the National Trustees of the National
Symphony Orchestra; the Institute for Technology Development; Foundation
for the Mid-South; Trustee of Millsaps College; and president and director
of The University of Mississippi Foundation. While his achievements
in business are among the items Palmer listed as sources of personal
pride, he also named being made chairman of the National Trustees of
the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as serving as ambassador as
being among the things he is most proud of. Palmer holds BA and MBA
degrees from the University of Mississippi and an honorary doctor of
laws degree from Millsaps College. He and his wife, Clementine Palmer,
have four grown children.
When asked if he had a message to convey to the young people coming
up through the high schools today, Palmer said, “Pursue your passion
and your style ... you’ll go to heights you’ll never dream
of. Go after your passion in your profession, whether it’s being
a pianist, a scientist, a doctor, a lawyer or a business person ...
go for it.”
Palmer will be presented the Distinguished Alumni Award during the half
time portion of the CHS Homecoming game on Oct. 16.
