It is always a pleasure for me to hold in my hands any book published by the University Press of Mississippi,but the publication of William F. Winter and the New Mississippi: A Biography by Charles C. Bolton gives me particular satisfaction.
In 1993 I wrote to Governor Winter saying that I thought that it was important that he write his memoir and that
I wanted the press to publish it. He said that he too had been thinking about this and was gathering material in preparation. Periodically, I would remind Governor Winter that he really did need to focus on telling his life story. He would agree–and that would be that.
In the early 2000’s in a conversation with Chuck Bolton, who at the time headed the University of Southern Mississippi’s fine Oral History program, I mentioned my interest in the Winter project. Chuck said that he had interviewed the governor in 1979 and had done a follow-up in 2001. Concerned that Governor Winter’s innate modesty would keep his memoir from being completed, I suggested to Chuck that he conduct one more interview with the governor, weave it into as coherent
a narrative as possible with the previous two, and write a contextual introduction. Chuck thought he could make this work, and Governor Winter was amenable. The plan was stymied by the difficulties of scheduling the interview. And the governor was still working on his memoir.
By spring 2006 Governor Winter seemed to realize the need for help and asked Chuck Bolton if he would assist him in writing his autobiography. Chuck said he would be pleased to do so. A year later, Chuck Bolton became Governor William Winter’s biographer, and the rest is truly history.
Seetha Srinivasan, Director Emerita
University Press of Mississippi
Charles C. Bolton and Governor William Winter will be signing tonight at 5:00 and reading at 6:00.
Comments are closed.