James E Southerland

Sharecropper's Son James E Southerland

From his birth on South Alabama farmland through youth in Columbus, Georgia, and studies at the University of Georgia, the sharecropper's son James E. Southerland set out on a journey of teaching and learning that spanned six decades. Beginning with the naivete of a freshly minted Ph. D. candidate with no teaching experience and ending with the rich perspective of a top academic officer, Southerland grew into the face on history for thousands of Brenau University's students. His classroom at the Gainesville, Georgia, institution became his shared field where he provided fruits of his teaching to the students he served while sustaining his own spirit and intellect with life-long learning. Although the small, off-the-beaten-path institution attracted a range of history-making players from the global stage, the most vital lesson Southerland shares in his compelling memoir is that our own stories - and those of friends and relatives - feed into and interact with the dynamic history of all humankind.