SHOW DESCRIPTION

Imagine a lunch conversation sparking a sports legacy across Mississippi. Andrea Patterson, executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, shares how this institution celebrates 30 years of storytelling and innovation. Discover the incredible tales of homegrown heroes and the museum's $4 million renovation, featuring high-tech exhibits and new cultural partnerships. Perfect for sports fans and history buffs, this episode is your front-row seat to a Mississippi legend in the making.

TRANSCRIPT

Note: Soul Sessions is produced as a podcast first and designed to be listened to. If you are able, we strongly encourage you to listen to the audio, which includes the emotion and inflection meant to be conveyed by human voice. Our transcripts are created using AI and human transcribers, but may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.

Introduction: Andrea Patterson and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

PAUL:

So it turns out a lunch conversation can change the city. The right one anyway, the kind that ends with someone saying we should build something. Hey, it's Paul Wolf with a front row seat to conversations on culture from Jackson, Mississippi. We call our podcast soul sessions. It's the people, places and events that make the City With Soul shine.

On today's show, we're talking with Andrea Patterson, Executive Director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum about 30 years of preserving Mississippi's greatest sports legacy, a $4 million renovation that's redefining what the museum can be and why the stories told inside those walls still stop people cold.

How Andrea Patterson Found Her Way to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

PAUL:

Andrea, you've described yourself as a lifelong sports fan who really didn't play sports growing up. So how in the world did you end up at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame leading the institution? And I guess what did you think of the museum?

ANDREA:

The first time you walked through the doors. first time I walked in, I thought, wow, this is incredible. I remember coming. So when I graduated from college, I came home and this is home for me, Jackson's home, and I said, I'm gonna find a job. I don't know what it's gonna be, but I know I wanna have something to do with sports. I am passionate about sports, about the way it impacts our communities, the way it impacts our state, how Mississippi is recognized as one of the top sports states in the entire country. And so at that time, I knew that Rick Cleveland had just taken over as executive director here.

And I just walked in and asked him for a few minutes of his time. And I sat down and I said, you know, my cousin is in this hall of fame and that's Corky Palmer. And so I said, I just believe in the coaching tree legacy that is Hill Denson to Corky Palmer to Scott Barry. And I just am passionate about sports, every sport, every school. And I think that this would be a great place for me to learn. And he fortunately hired me as an intern that summer. And it's been a 13 year journey from there to where I stepped into the executive director position last summer.

PAUL:

Yeah. And how has that gone for you so far?

ANDREA:

It's been wonderful. It's such an exciting time for the museum and to get to be a part of that and lead the charge on that is just an honor. I mean, we are celebrating 30 years since these doors opened in 1996 and it's hard to believe, but also so exciting because it comes on the heels of a $4 million building renovation. So I got to be a part of that. I got to sit at the table while we brainstormed, while we planned, while we looked for ways to improve the visitor experience for our museum so that we can continue to tell these stories for the next 30 years and beyond. We're definitely going to talk about that amazing renovation, but I got to go back a little ways all the way back to 1991.

The Origin Story of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

PAUL:

So, I've heard this story that the museum came out of a lunch conversation in 1991 and then open 4th of July, 1996. And there is something so very Mississippi about that origin story. So big ideas born over a meal. How do you talk about the museum's mission to somebody who's never been, especially somebody who may say, I'm not really a sports fan.

ANDREA:

Yeah, you're absolutely right. And that lunch bowl of lunch was the red beans and rice at Hal & Mal’s. It does not get more Mississippi than that. So perfect. It's perfect. And I've gotten to hear Rick Cleveland and many others who were at that table talk about the dream that they had for this museum. So in 91, Rick was at the Mississippi Coliseum watching the basketball, high school basketball championship. And he looks around the Coliseum and he sees the plaques for the Hall of Fame.

So the Hall of Fame has been an institution since the 60s and there are plaques representing who was in the Hall of Fame. And they're just kind of dusty and they just have a name and maybe a year on it. And he goes back to his desk and he writes a column about how this is just such a sad representation of something that Mississippi does so well.

And the next day he gets a call from, and he picks up the line and it's a cheery little voice. She says, can you please hold for the commissioner? And Rick thinks, ‘Which commission have I made mad? Is it the FTC? Is it SWAC? What did I write about? Who is it?’ And the next scrabbly voice he hears is the Ag Commissioner, Jim Buck Ross. And he says, ‘I read your column and I like that idea and I'm gonna make it happen.’ And he did, he did. He positioned us uniquely right next to his museum, next door to the Ag Museum. And to hear the conversations, I was recently watching some old archival footage.

And it was Michael Rubenstein, the museum's first director, and he's recording an interview with Boo Ferris. And it's the off-camera interview. So it's just the backtrack to right before they got started talking. And he says to Boo, he says, ‘We're doing this with every one of our Hall of Famers so that you're the one that tells your story. And they're going to be in the museum to live on forever.’ And that just, it got me because I got to hear in the early nineties, what the mission was and how it's still the same today.

I mean, we truly have some of the most unique stories in Mississippi sports. think about Ruthie Bolton. If you've never heard this name, you need to do a little bit of research about Ruthie Bolton. She was born in Tiny McLean, Mississippi, the 16th of 20 kids to a Baptist preacher. And he also was a farmer because if you had 20 kids, you also had to feed them. And so he's a Baptist preacher on the weekends. He's a farmer during the week. And Ruthie goes on to become one of the stars of the original WNBA and is on the Olympic basketball team for the United States winning gold medals. And she says, to this day, she credits her hard work to being that 16 of 20 kids. She said, if you wanted that chicken tender, you had to fight for it.

And that's, isn't that Mississippi, right? We have that grit and that determination that is instilled in us. And it goes on to impact a national and international level. I love that there are so many stories that come out of the museum.

Mississippi's Greatest Athletes: Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, and More

PAUL:

We've talked before and you said one of your favorite things to tell people is that at one time the NFL's leading quarterback, leading running back and leading receiver all came from small town Mississippi. So when you tell people something like that and you see that expression on their face, which I'm sure you've seen that expression many times. What does that moment feel like when you're standing there educating and sharing those stories and continuing that legacy?

ANDREA:

I do. I see it. It's like a light bulb goes off for them. They think, wow. hadn't, you know, I've heard Brett Favre, I've heard Jerry Rice, I've heard Walter Payton. But when you talk about how those, those powerhouses in the NFL all came from small town Mississippi, it's, it just truly, I see the pride. And that's what makes me so happy to continue to educate is I'm empowering other people to take pride in our state and to go on and to share that story, whether it's at their family table the next day, or maybe they go off and they visit another state and they can go and take some piece of pride with them and say, you know, actually, I'm proud to be from Mississippi. I'm proud of the stories that we have here.

Inside the $4 Million Renovation of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

PAUL:

Let's talk about now the renovation. $4 million is a significant investment for a nonprofit institution. So what was the vision going in and is there one specific thing in the new renovation that you just couldn't wait for people to experience when you first opened the doors?

ANDREA:

Yes. And it's actually the opening the front doors to the lobby was what I was most excited about. So our original museum had a beautiful design and it's designed to really feel like you're stepping into an arena. The main museum itself has got a green kind of turf feel on the main floor. You've got a giant goalpost. But part of that included a giant red wall when you walked into the museum. And it just has always felt like a barrier to me. You open the door, the first thing you see is a red wall. And you think, stop, where do I go? And so the big piece of this renovation was to pull down that wall and really modernize our lobby. So that's our ticket booth.

Our entryway, our displays that you see when you first walk in, and the gift shop as well. And I can say it's just truly the most transformative piece of this is to see the bright, airy lobby that we now have. We have a display that has all of our Hall of Famers that are going into the Hall of Fame. So every year we update that and it'll have like right now it's got our class of 2025 who went in last summer. In June we'll trade out that exhibit.

And there's a technology piece to it where you can actually see the recordings from those Hall of Famers, from their induction videos and hear their story right when you walk in the door. There's also a new modern gift shop, which we were one of the only museums in the entire country where you didn't have to exit through the gift shop. And so this is actually opened up where you see the gift shop when you're checking in and checking out.

PAUL:

A very Disney concept, right?

ANDREA;

Yes.

We do. want people to take a piece with them to go. It's something to remember their visit.

Celebrating 30 Years: Inside the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Anniversary Event

PAUL:

So, Andrea, the 30th anniversary celebration that happened this week, it brought together Hall of Fame inductee supporters in the community. Take us inside the evening. What was the energy like? Tell me about some of your special guests.

ANDREA:

It was a wonderful evening. I mean, we truly got to celebrate. was, it was amazing to see all of these guests come back through our doors and see this new renovated lobby and just their eyes were wide. I mean, we had almost 30 Hall of Famers come and visit and it's their stories. This is their museum. And to see them interact with all of our supporters and all of our visitors was just truly special to see them have those conversations and to hear them talk about what the museum means to them. And we had so much support from dignitaries, from everyone who could be there and who couldn't that just truly has, seeing the profound impact that this museum has brought to our state and will continue to bring for many years. It was certainly a night of celebration.

The Next 30 Years: What's Ahead for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

PAUL:

Andrea, you said you believe the museum's best days are still ahead. So what does the next chapter look like and what's the story you most want to be telling say 10 years from now?

ANDREA:

Well, what I think is really unique is where we are. So we are situated right here on Lakeland Drive next to the Ag Museum across the street from the Children's and the Science Museum. And I believe that that partnership has strengthened each of our museums in a way that we never saw coming, even 10 years ago when we first started having these conversations. And now here we are this year on the cusp of breaking ground for a pedestrian bridge to connect us all. We've been dreaming of this day. And so when I think about 10 years from now, I see this interconnected trails and bridge that really transforms this area of Jackson into a cultural hub. I see visitors coming from all over to experience sports, literacy, education, agriculture, science, all in this one area and that we're playing a vital role in that.

PAUL:

That's Andrea Patterson, executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, whose work is about the particular responsibility of keeping a legend alive long enough for the next generation to find it. She'll tell you the museum's best argument for itself is the one that always surprises people. That at one time the NFL's leading quarterback, running back and receiver all came from small town Mississippi. For 30 years, this museum has been making sure that story doesn't fade.

And if you want to be a part of what keeps it going, mark your calendar for July 4th. The Farm Bureau Watermelon Classic brings a competitive 5K run, a 5K walk and a one mile fun run to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame starting at 730 AM. And this year it's carrying a double meaning, celebrating the museum's 30th anniversary and America's 250th birthday all at once. It's one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the museum and every registration helps preserve, protect and promote Mississippi sports heritage for generations to come.

We'll have links to the museums and race registration in the show notes at visitjackson.com/soulsessions. This podcast is produced by Visit Jackson, the destination organization from Mississippi's capital city. Our executive producers are Jonathan Pettus and Dr. Ricky Thigpen and I'm our managing editor. There's always something great going on in Jackson and we keep up with it at visitjackson.com.

I'm Paul Wolf and you've been listening to Soul Sessions.

Listen to previous episodes of Soul Sessions