Research Account set-up and use instructions can be found at: http://libguides.uky.edu/SCRCaccount, Wyatt, John C.Lexington Leader (Lexington, Ky. : Daily)Lexington Herald-LeaderLexington Herald (Firm). You get a job out there you would have made $50 more a month. Facebook gives people the power. Don Siegelman moved in 2000 to have Bryant considered for the board, some legislators protested, saying the vacant seat had been promised to be filled by an alumnus of the UA system's Birmingham campus, UAB. Bryant realizes his business career got off to a quick start, and that his family ties were an asset. Growing up, everyone called Bear Jr. "Papa," except for Hilburn, who called Papa's daddy "Papa" while everyone else called him "Grandpapa." omething remarkable happens when Billy figures out where the den is located -- at first, he stood in the living room confused while Susie called his name over and over -- and inches down the hall, through the kitchen where Coach sat one time for supper, into a room decorated with photographs of Bear Bryant. They wanted husky ones.' That's been scrubbed for posterity. "Billy had a stroke in 1996," she says, "right after he retired. Alabama-Air view of cemetery at "Bear" Bryant's funeral. #RollTide pic.twitter.com/C5wakg73d7. The daughter of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, Mae Martin Bryant Tyson, left, and son Paul Bryant Jr., right, attend a memorial service on the campus at Tuscaloosa, Ala., Jan. 27,. Bryant Jr.,today, is perhaps as close as we get to someone who seemingly fits the meaning of Churchill's quote: something or someone that is immensely puzzling to figure out or extraordinarily complex to fully understand, often relying on hyperbole and occasionally sarcasm to describe. Other Members of the class of 2016 2016 Robert Witt 2016 Beverly Phifer 2016 He drove him to Birmingham one year before Christmas because Bryant got a letter from a sick girl and he wanted to surprise her. Stewart. One person who has known Bryant for years, but didn't want to be named here, said that Bryant is a man who guards his family's privacy. I always thought about that. Billy saw him weak and insecure. They married right out of high school. Coach Bear Bryant at the 1982 Liberty Bowl football game in Memphis, Tennessee. [3], Bryant founded the People's Bank in the late 1960s,[1] and later sold it. Today his memories seem to orbit around the idea of protecting Bryant from some unseen enemy. He remembers his mother,. "The white hat. It's a cult. he 1982 Liberty Bowl was to be the last game of Bryant's career, and when the college football media arrived in Memphis, Tenn., Billy became, for a brief moment, a reflected celebrity. Bear Bryant looks down from four or five different places. Collection is open for research by appointment only. Associations, institutions, etc. -- Kentucky -- Lexington. ", These are the stories she can tell. He died on Jan. 26, 1983, only a few weeks after his final game on the sideline, the '82 Liberty Bowl. To Bryant's right are his daughters Stella Gray and Anna Laurie. Twenty-four? Members of the 1982 football team carry the casket of Alabama football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from the Tuscaloosa First Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Friday, Jan. 29, 1983. Mr. Bryant was Chairman of the Crimson Tide Tradition Fund, the organization that preceded the Crimson Tide Foundation. 1; a guy who for years has been hostile to Blazer football out of fear it might one day challenge the thing his iconic father, Paul "Bear" Bryant, raised to the pinnacle of success. City & town life -- Kentucky -- Lexington. While Bryant won't talk about it, it is believed he has given millions more to UA for non-athletic needs. Billy's voice drops back down, and the words press together, a slurry of confusion and rearranged thoughts, part truth, part fiction. ear Bryant surrounded himself with people he could trust, and he trusted nobody more than Billy Varner, a tough, barrel-chested African-American. "Then," he added, "I'll do the same with Paul.". The extended family includes about a. Despite his famous name, business success and longtime influential role at the University of Alabama, Paul Bryant Jr. has stayed out of the spotlight. 1983 Press Photo Alabama-Air view of Coach "Bear" Bryant's funeral procession, Alabama-Air view of Coach "Bear" Bryant's funeral procession The Birmingham News, Mae Martin Bryant Tyson, Stella Gray, Anna Laurie, The daughter of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, Mae Martin Bryant Tyson, left, and son Paul Bryant Jr., right, attend a memorial service on the campus at Tuscaloosa, Ala., Jan. 27, 1983. But it appeared they had leaned toward quickness instead -- only two of the pallbearers weighed over 200 pounds, although all were remarkably muscular. He said he had to rest. Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, The Turnover Luck Index: Rating every 2022 team, from USC to Rutgers, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? Paul Bryant's dedicated service and leadership have been invaluable to the board of trustees and to the University of Alabama System, Witt said. All his memories are still in there, somewhere, only much of the time he can't translate them into words. nyttksemme sinulle kohdennettuja mainoksia ja sislt kiinnostusprofiileiden perusteella, mitataksemme kohdennettujen mainosten ja sisltjen tehokkuutta. ", There were also no Sabans at the reunion. Lexington (Ky.) -- Social life and customs. Paul Bryant has stepped up for this project like he . Some wore Alabama caps and others were . Gov. On the worst, Billy, who is 76, doesn't recognize Susie. 1983 Press Photo Alabama-Fans watching T.V. Kobe Bryant Announces Fourth Daughter on the Way with Wife Vanessa In January, the retired basketball star, 40, rung in the new year with a special announcement featuring a gold, sparkling . They sat in the kitchen down the hall and ate and laughed. Wilson's father added his own nod of approval, replying loudly, though muffled by a bite of hot dog, "Rollf Tfide! From 2000 to 2015, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama System. Fans stand and cheer. Tietosuojakytnnstmme ja evstekytnnstmme voit lukea lis siit, miten kytmme henkiltietojasi. It's difficult to understand if you're not from here, but when football isn't doing well it kind of hurts, the whole state is kind of in a funk. S To shoot him, they had to get me first.". (Fie Photo/ The Huntsville Times) The Huntsville Times, Former Governor George Walalce attends the funeral of Alabama coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant at the First Methodist Church of Tuscaloosa on Friday Jan. 28, 1983. He focuses on the shot from the Liberty Bowl. Hundreds of others gathered silently outside the Methodist church to wave goodbye when Bryant's body was loaded into a hearse for the trip to Elmwood Cemetery. He was born in Birmingham while his father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. "Oh, it goes so much deeper than that," Hilburn said, rolling her eyes and grinning. "It's exactly like that," Hilburn added. He'd get out. Your account has an invalid email address. Selected for Beta Gamma Sigma, he received the Financial Executives Institute of America Award for the outstanding student in commerce and business administration as well as the Alabama Bankers Association Award for the outstanding student in banking and finance. The collection also contains associated newspaper clippings, job sheets, and hand-written photographers' notes. His voice might be what affects her most. 1983 Press Photo Alabama-Air view of cemetery at "Bear" Bryant's funeral. Most afternoons, Bryant would slip into the bar and play cards with friends. Everyone gifted with some version of Coach's moniker wears a nametag, so as to keep them all straight. Lexington (Ky.) -- Politics and government. Another large circulating newspaper during this time was the Kentucky Leader (formed by a group of Fayette County Republicans in 1888) which eventually became known as the Lexington Leader in 1901. The university sells houndstooth beach balls and houndstooth pool floats, which you can enjoy with an adult beverage kept cold by a houndstooth huggie. I looked at him like, 'What the hell you think I'm here for?'". Neither his wealth nor his legacy as the son of the man who retired as college football's all-time winningest coach, however, has inclined him to lead a public life. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He said he asked Esquire for a retraction, but William M. Adler, the freelance writer of the article, said he stood by the story. "You was at the hospital when he died," she says. He's following me. Bryant bought seafood dinners for everyone there, and Billy cracked later, "It was like you were handing out loaves and fishes." mitataksemme sivustojemme ja sovellustemme kyttsi. Bryant got the name right; "Susie" was scrawled on the outside. The Huntsville Times, Press Photo Joe Namath At Gravesite For Bear Bryant Funeral, Joe Namath at gravesite. A number of people wore T-shirts that said 'It Took a Giant to Replace the Bear,' referring to former New York Giants Coach Ray Perkins, whom Bryant selected to succeed him at Alabama last month. Sanders Memorial at The University of Alabama honoring alumni who served the Confederacy. There is, always, a disconnect between the few people who miss Paul and the legion who worship The Bear. He says something else, his voice deep, the sentences trailing off. Four loud slaps. He took care of business, and he kept everything to himself, even after Bryant died. I didn't do either of those. Trustees blocked the hiring of good coaches, limited spending on facilities and opposed a new on-campus stadium for the football team, critics contend. He was appointed to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees in 2000 . That's nothing. Voit muokata valintojasi milloin tahansa napsauttamalla tietosuojan hallintapaneelin linkki sivustoissamme ja sovelluksissamme. he man Billy Varner is remembering has very little in common with the Bryant who is beloved by so many Alabama fans. Billy Varner has been married to Susie for 57 years, and as her life was once spent waiting on him to get home from a job that didn't know hours or days off, now it's spent managing his dementia. When Alabama football is winning, it's just better. 1983 Press Photo Alabama-Man mourns at Coach "Bear" Bryant's funeral site. The pictures on the wall hold him. Paul Bryant was the 11th of 12 children who were born to William Monroe and Ida Kilgore Bryant in Fordyce, Arkansas. "Paul Bryant Jr: His famous father casts a long shadow, one seemingly comfortable to the son", "Paul Bryant Jr.'s bank is tie that binds UA trustees", "Alabama Booster Paul Bryant Jr. Has Ties to Insurance Fraud Scheme", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_W._Bryant_Jr.&oldid=1127610045, This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 18:09. Billy shuffles into the room wearing gray pajamas and black slippers. He not only participated in the creation of this visual resource but he was also responsible for the organization and intellectual control of the collection. "His life is as concealed as Coach Bryant's life. "Paul 'Bear' Bryant was my great-grandfather," the eighth-grader said with pride as he sat in his great-grandfather's museum, in a conference room decorated with oil paintings, bronze busts and even a marionette of the man behind his name. He's out having lunch and out doing business, so (to say he is a) recluse is maybe a little too strong, but he has certainly guarded his private life as well as anyone could with that name and with the things he has done.. "Don't tell me he's dead.". It was a hand-me-down. All he has to show for two decades of service are his memories, and even those often hang just out of reach. Paul started reading a devotional in the final two years of his life that said, in part, "When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it.". He is a founder of the Civil War Trust in Washington D.C. and personally underwrote the merger with the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites that created the modern Civil War Trust. He has also commissioned two books by Delbert Teed honoring Alabama alumni who served in World War II: When Winning Was Everything: Alabama Football Players in World War II and All of Us Fought the War. Early life and family background [ edit] Paul William Bryant Jr. was born circa 1945. Paul W. Bryant, Jr. is the son of the late Paul W. Bryant and Mary Harmon Black Bryant. Bryant announced last week that he was retiring after this game, which marks his 323rd victory. They have three daughters: Stella Gray Bryant Sykes, Mae Martin Bryant Murray, and Anna Laurie Bryant McKibbens, all graduates of The University of Alabama, and three grandchildren. Today he can. He spends a long minute staring at the remote control, trying to figure out how to turn up the volume. "What is?" She sits down and tells the story her husband can no longer tell. After services in Tuscaloosa, Bryant was brought to Elmwood Cemetery for interment. Kentucky football coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant poses with his family, Paul Jr. at center with their pet dachshund, and his wife Mary, right, at their home in Lexington, Kent., Feb. 5, 1954. 'We give thanks to God for his personal strength in leading men and the tenderness with which he could touch a child,' the Rev. It's been a good experience and I've made a lot of very close friends on the board, he said. Inside she found $500 and a note. A crowd of 5,000 -- many dressed as though for an Alabama football game -- watched in eerie silence as the grim-faced young pallbearers carried Bryant's flower-blanketed casket to the grave. 'Well, that's my first name!" He was working for Charlie Finley, who was a Birmingham native who had made a gazillion dollars in pharmaceuticals and became quite a character in baseball, said Kirk McNair, who was a sports writer in Birmingham at the time, and who became a longtime Bryant family friend. He's been on the board for 13 years or so. "Uh, uh. Paul Bryant was the 11th of Wilson Monroe and Ida Kilgore Bryant's 12 children born in Moro Bottom, Cleveland County, Arkansas. Place kicker Peter Kim is at top right. ", Overhearing this exchange was yet another teenager, Bryant Denny Turner, whose parents dared to go even a step further and give their son the name of the legendary Alabama football coach and the name of the arena where the Bear did his homework, Denny Stadium. A member of the board since 2000, Bryant has said little publicly about UAB football. They reached the end together, sitting in a 14th-floor suite of the Memphis Holiday Inn. Sitting with Paul Murray was his cousin, Mary Harmon Hilburn, granddaughter of Bear. Knowles cries every time. The trust has over 50,000 members and more than 250,000 supporters throughout the country. They watched the moon landing together, hung out with Bob Hope together. The lights are low, and the house sits in cool darkness. The extended family includes about a dozen hunting dogs, who are kept at Bryant's farm in Greene County. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I didn't want it to be (a fight), but I felt some responsibility, Bryant said. "Well, we don't hardly know the details," he said finally. I had a lot of help starting out.. They found one in Paul Bryant Jr., the son of the legendary Alabama head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. One of Bryant's companies, Alabama Reassurance or "Alabama Re", was implicated in at least nine counts of the Stewart indictment, relating to a "wire fraud scheme to deceive state insurance regulators involving reinsurance." "We hear about people really almost exclusively through word of mouth," explained Ken Gaddy, director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum, located in the heart of the University of Alabama's campus. Paul W. Bryant Jr. was running a minor league baseball team before he was 25 years old. Varner went home to rest, and that's where he was when the phone rang again. A funeral procession three miles long, consisting of more than 300 cars and six buses carrying Bryant's last University of Alabama team and many of his former players, drove the 60 miles to Birmingham behind the white hearse after funeral services in Tuscaloosa. KATIE J. BUSH SUFFOLK -Katie Jane Bush, 74, died. At the request of Bryant's wife, Mary Harmon Bryant, the motorcade passed Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Crimson Tide's home field, and drove within sight of Legion Field in Birmingham, scene of many of his greatest victories. Bryant grew reflective. Standing before the exhibit, she can hear his voice all around her, literally, from the museum's video displays. Miss Bryant, Martin Folmar, Paul Bryant Jr., Mrs. Folmar, Mary Dillard Marr and Mrs. Bryant. Even with names. Billy picked him up in the morning. His voice is deep and trails off when he's unsure. Kobe . Paul Bryant Jr., at this time 38 and an established businessman with concerns in real estate, agriculture and dog racing tracks as well as a new reinsurance company, which insures insurance. That's just Alabama.". For many years, Bryant has been accused of running the Alabama board of trustees like a family business, "holding secret meetings, shrugging off public records requests, ignoring or sidestepping the law. Bryant did play high school basketball in Tuscaloosa, but in interviews he has said he was part of a great team and played only sparingly. Paul W. Bryant is dying for the second time, and one day, in the not-so-distant future, only The Bear will remain. [1] His father, Bear Bryant, was an American football player and coach. Being unable to play football, he said, would have made it impossible for him to have the standing to coach the game. Arrangements by Crocker Funeral Home. "It's really important to the state that we have a successful football program. Bryant is a family man: He has been married to his wife, Cherry, since 1966, and they have three daughters all UA graduates and three grandchildren. He'll dress in the middle of the night and try to leave, his pajamas rolled up in his hand. Nobody ever has a plan. S "I ended up playing football.". T She settles in front of the exhibit of his office, the soft black-and-white couch players hated because they'd sink further and further down, the white telephone, the wide wooden desk. My passion is the dogs, really, he said. "I don't know whether he died or what" is what it sounds like he says. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. There are also a ton of Pauls and Paulas. Paul W. Bryant's income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful American businessman. Bryant's image. But many mourners wore crimson and white, the colors of the Crimson Tide. Often, Coach read the paper aloud. Susie is in and out of the room, doing laundry, listening to gospel music. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The history of it kind of came up with lobbyists who worked for UAB at the time, some other people opposing my being on the board and it got to be kind of, sort of, a fight.. "I met a lot of business people through my parents," Bryant told Bloomberg, acknowledging the obvious connections his famous name brought. It follows the changing urban landscape of Lexington, the agricultural, tobacco and horse racing industries, key national events such as World War II and Vietnam, as well as notable regional and national figures. His moniker came from a carnival promotion where he promised to battle a caged bear when he was 13 years old. They made small talk in the car, nothing about the life's work that had just ended. Yes, Bear died, but He is risen. ", "Bryant " "Bryant " "Bryant " "Bryant ". The price for memories is regret, and somewhere in the middle of all this, Billy considers how he spent his life. When the bar was empty, the two men talked. A few weeks ago, as Linda Knowles took the elevator up to the fourth-floor office where she works for the Alabama faculty senate, a car with a houndstooth paint job drove past her building on Paul W. Bryant Drive, past Bryant-Denny Stadium, past the Paul W. Bryant Museum, which is filled with what can only be called relics, then past the Bryant Conference Center. Paul William Bryant Jr. Born: c. 1945: Alma mater: University of Alabama: Occupation: Banker, investor, philanthropist: Children: 3 daughters: Parent(s) Bear Bryant: See something missing? Try 100. Barra wrote the best biography of Bryant, "The Last Coach," and even in his book, there is a Paul-sized hole at the center of the narrative. The database includes around 700 names, and the museum manages to track most of their whereabouts via both old-school correspondence and newfangled social media. Welcome to the 23rd annual Paul W. Bryant Namesake Reunion, where the only requirement to attend is that you or a member of your immediate family is willingly and lovingly -- sometimes strategically -- named for the coach known as "Bear." Early life and family background. As Billy's memory fades, that knowledge disappears with it, widening the gulf between truth and imagination. T But I got it. Alabama Media Group, University of Alabama head football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant is lifted onto the shoulders of his players after Alabama defeated Illinois 21-15 in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., Wednesday night, Dec. 30, 1982. another $13 mil or so, in fact, which now . He laughs and claps his hands. I had a four- or five- or six-year head start on them. Billy tells Susie that he talks to the coach. [5] He also serves as the President of Green Group, Inc.[6], Bryant invests in "dog and horse racing, the insurance industry, cement making, catfish farming and banking. These ties received national press attention when the board of trustees made the shocking decision to kill UAB football. "What's your name?" Bryant's family and friends fiercely guard his legacy, but this omerta brings with it an accidental cost. To his left, surrounded by the small frames, is a large photograph of Bear Bryant at the 1982 Liberty Bowl, sicker than anyone but Billy and a few others knew, bundled tight against the cold. re: Help me understand the power of Paul Bryant, Jr. Posted on 12/2/14 at 9:47 pm to weagle99. "There was so much going on," he says. Regularly, he refuses to believe that his old boss isn't at home waiting for a ride. Historic buildings -- Kentucky -- Lexington. Tobacco industry -- Kentucky -- Lexington. Edit Now. He took a month off, trying to figure out how Coach Bryant would tell him to deal with his grief. ", "You didn't play no football," she says. Bryant established two dozen operating companies and over 50 real estate ventures and syndicates. She laughs some, with only a little bitterness, about what was gained, what was spent and what remains. "It's crazy. According to the state Department of Insurance, Alabama Re had $240 million in admitted assets, a five person board headed by Bryant, and just two full-time employees. I remember all of them. ", The official records show Varner started working for the university police in February 1976, but he'd been around for a decade or more by then, floating in the shadows. $1 Million - $5 Million. (AP Photo), Press Photo Mel Allen At Bear Bryant Funeral In Birmingham, Mel Allen - Birmingham - Bear Bryant Funeral. He's an honorary assistant coach for the 1975 season. "I know I've made this journey," he told a reporter just before his final season. There's the framed photograph of Bryant on a football field for the final time, with a "Thanks for the Memories" sign in the background. There are actions that tell of unseen turmoil and doubt, but Bryant is never revealed. "My favorite part is meeting all the folks and hearing all the different name combinations they come up with," explained Curtis Paul Parker of Anniston. "He could eat pheasant under glass with the president," he said, "or he could eat cheese and crackers with the boys out by the caddie shack, and he'd enjoy it all just the same. Bryant has been married for 50 years to UA classmate Cherry Handley Hicks Bryant. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Bryant. You want a window into Bear Bryant's power in the state of Alabama? During these years, he served three successive terms as President Pro Tempore. I think that's one reason, McNair said, that he has put so much money (in the form of donations) into museums at the university., In 2005, Bryant founded Bryant Bank, which he calls my winding-down project.. He never talked about the private things he'd seen. They have three daughters: Stella Gray Bryant Sykes, Mae Martin Bryant Murray, and Anna Laurie Bryant McKibbens, all graduates of The University of Alabama, and three grandchildren. When he came back, he was a regular campus policeman. [13] Stewart was found guilty on all 135 counts of fraud. Because this is my wife and it's her middle name! Bryant asked whether there might be enough for him. He poured a drink and chatted with guests. That's where he met Alabama's new football coach, and when Varner took the same job at the Indian Hills Country Club, where Bryant lived off the third fairway, they became close. George Wallace and former Washington Redskins Coach George Allen, representing President Reagan, were among the 400 dignataries, family members and friends who packed the church for the rites. 19572 posts. Not unlike the lawn outside at the reunion, where the Pauls and Paulas and Bryants ate crimson-colored snow cones and craned their necks to read each other's nametags. Paul, who rode in a mule-drawn cart from Moro Bottom, Ark., and in the back of Billy Varner's crimson Buick LeSabre, struggled, season after season. Paul William Bryant Jr. was born circa 1945. A few days before the game, as a television crew interviewed him, Bryant walked by and cracked, "Don't rush yourself, Billy, I'll bring the car around. A lot of them we've got don't hunt because they're older. Alabama-"Bear" Paul Bryant funeral. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I didn't use it but one time. But while the younger Bryant never coached, he has used his personal fortune to support UA to the tune of millions of dollars in donations -- $20 million to the UA football program alone during his time as a trustee. I have evidence to the contrary, from @bryantmuseum today. It is the most extensive, single collection of still photographic images documenting Lexington's 20th Century history in existence. They put him on night traffic, and that first winter, he caught pneumonia. "That's him up there," he says. "This is Alabama football. [1][2], Bryant graduated from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with a degree in Commerce in 1966. ", They'd known each other for more than 20 years by then. "He's young all the time here," Billy says. It's certainly not too serious of a process by any stretch, but we really want to know people's stories and give them a chance to share those stories.". They were traveling, and Billy said he needed to get home for supper. Varner never felt comfortable enough to strike up conversations with Bryant, but he could poke at the Legend of The Bear. In addition, he chaired the committee that hired Dr. Robert Witt, past President of The University of Alabama and retired Chancellor of The University of Alabama System. Any William needs to be prepared to really make his or her case to be included, but many have successfully done so. The coach visited this house once. We probably don't pump that as much as we should, Bryant said, but we're real proud of that. They greet one another by saying "Doctor " "Doctor " "Doctor " "Doctor " in a round-robin introduction that ends up with the title being used 24 times. 2/28/2023 6:52 PM PT. Miss Mae Martin Bryant, daughter of Couch and Mrs. Paul Bryant, gives holiday tea. just to see how many people would turn around. The 69-year-old Bryant died Wednesday of a heart attack. While his portfolio seems diverse, Bryant sees a common thread in some of his most successful undertakings: banking, gaming and reinsurance (basically insurance for insurance companies) are all highly regulated.
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