Garland Smith came to PRC from McNeill, via the military in 1955.

He graduated from high school in 1951 and enlisted in the Air Force.

"I spent four years in the service," said Smith. "I was 23 when I got out and came back to school. I was knocking around with all these young scholarship guys, playing root hog or die. They would say, no sir or yes sir to me and I would tell them I am not that old.

"Jack Gallagher was the coach at the time. He was only two or three years older than me. He watched me play, thought I had some potential, so he gave me a scholarship."

Smith wound up being the starting center for two years, standing 6-foot-5. He was one of the team's leading scorers and received honorable mention JUCO Little All-American as a sophomore.

The Wildcats finished fourth in the state tournament each year.

"Coach Gallagher was a good coach. He was pretty tough on us in practice," said Smith. "I lived on campus at the time. Pearl River was a big part of my family. My dad worked as a security guard on campus for about 20 years back in the 1940s and 50s. My mom and dad had seven kids and five of us attended Pearl River."

After graduating from PRC, Smith went to McNeese State in Lake Charles, La., and played basketball for one year.

He returned home to Poplarville to work in a garment factory before deciding to return to school at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He played one more year of basketball. He graduated from UAM in 1962 with a degree in forestry.

He spent 30 years working for the United States Forest Service before retiring to McCrory, Arkansas, with his wife, Marilyn.