There have been five principals here at South Side High School. James Walker was the first. (Photo by Bree Houston)

You just graduated from high school, and a local college wants to pay your way through school. What do you do? While the obvious answer for the average teenager would be enrolling next fall, that wasn’t the case for James Walker.

“After coming home from the war, I just didn’t want to play basketball.”

Walker came back home and went to Union University after World War II. Union wanted Walker to play basketball for them in 1946, but he saw things differently after coming from the war.

There have been five principals here at South Side High School. Walker was the first. Walker, a native of Mississippi, has made a lot of accomplishments in life. Walker was not just a principal, but he was also a superintendent for 27 years and in the Navy for 40 years, where he reached the rank of captain (1942-1982).

Walker’s career in education started at Huntersville Elementary in 1950; there he had numerous roles. Walker taught a combined class of 7th and 8th graders all in one room. After saying no to basketball as a player, Walker said yes to the sport as a coach. He coached the girls and boys basketball teams.

“Sometimes I would have to drive the school bus if the bus driver didn’t show up,” said Walker.

From there Walker became the principal at J.B Young High School from 1952-1956.

“J.B Young was a small school,” Walker said. “There were 500 students between 9th and 12th grade,” said Walker.

A consolidation was directed by the school board, causing Pinson, Malesus, J.B. Young and Mercer to come together. Walker was chosen by the school board to become the principal at the new school which was South Side High School.

South Side has come a long way since 1956.

“The first year South Side didn’t have any cafeteria materials so the students had to a bring bag lunch everyday and eat outside,” Walker said while sitting on a couch in the lobby of his Jackson retirement home.

“If it was cold they would have to stay inside the classroom,” said Walker.

Walker knows a lot about South Side history, even when it comes to the school’s colors.

“I let two students from each school vote on the school color and the mascot,” said Walker.
“The students decided to pick the colors black and white because no other school had them and the same goes with the mascot,” Walker said.

Now 86, Walker takes it easy, hangs out with friends, and attends First Baptist Church.

Article by Bree Houston