Front Porch Radio - History's Hook

In 1954, Mr. Bob Jones was just 21 years old, but already an experienced spy for the American National Security Agency. One of the very first NSA field agents, his missions frequently brought him to Europe where he was tasked with gathering information about America’s allies as well as its enemies. His is a story full of intrigue, violence, and espionage. Mr. Jones has recorded his incredible story in a short book titled, “Room 204: Story of a Cold War Spy.”

Mr. James Rushing is an accomplished songwriter. He has written hit songs in the genres of country, bluegrass and gospel music. His songs have been recorded by such artists as Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Ricky Scaggs, Charlie Pride, and many others. Mr. Rushing was nominated to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in both 2017 and 2018. Mr. Rushing is also a military veteran, having served in the 1st Special Forces Group at the very beginning stages of the Vietnam War. Today, he is here to talk about his remarkable life and the lessons he has learned along the way. Join Tom and new co-host Fred Stallcup as they interview Mr. Rushing. (Rerun of episode from April 3rd, 2021)

In this episode Tom and Jo Ann speak to retired professional boxer Sammy Sparkman. Born and raised in Columbia, TN, Mr. Sparkman began boxing when he was just seven years old. Following some time away from the sport, Mr. Sparkman spent six years in amateur boxing before turning pro in 1997. He fought in the ring all over the United States and the world including Poland, Canada, Denmark, Italy, and elsewhere. He has been in the ring with seven future world champions and numerous world title contenders. Known by the nickname “Silk,” he had a reputation of never turning down a challenge. Like many boxers, however, Sparkman never got the acclaim, or the accompanying reward that he fought for during his career. In 2009, at the age of 39, Sparkman hung up his gloves. His story one of inspiration.

Historian Tom Price and guest host Judge Christopher Sockwell interview Dave Hathcock, who played his NFL rookie year with the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I under the great Vince Lombardi!Listen to hear amazing stories from an amazing man, right here on History's Hook!

Eugene Heller Dwight Fox

Join host Tom Price as History's Hook explores a story 80 years in the making. Tom brings together two people who had no idea about their connection to Haynes Ayres, who was killed when his ship, the USAT Dorchester, was sunk by a German U-boat in 1943. Listen to Winder Heller and John Whiteside tell their sides of the story and see how history connects people across space and time.

Learning the basic principles of engineering on a farm in Maury County, Tennessee, Mr. Rick Burt parlayed that experience into nuclear and aerospace engineering. He worked his way up at NASA working on rocket systems, to become chief of testing and safety. Today, he is Deputy Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, where he is working on the next generation of space vehicles that will propel man back to the moon and beyond. Join Tom and guest co-host Judge Chris Sockwell as they discover what it takes to be a NASA engineer.

Join Tom, Jo Ann McClellan, and Dr. Barry Gidcomb as they collaborate with Columbia State Community College and discuss the award-winning book Beloved by Toni Morrison. Listen as the hosts and guests break down the literary and historical importance of this critically acclaimed book about the effects of enslavement.

Mr. Cecil Whiteside has spent most of his life in Hampshire, Tennessee with the exceptionof the years 1942-1945, when he was a member of the Navy Armed Guards, protectingcargo ships as they transported men and materiel all over the world. Join Tom and Dr.Gidcomb as they speak to Mr. Whiteside and his son Jeff, who has documented the life of aremarkable Tennessean.

Jefferson Street in Nashville was a nexus of African American culture, education, and entrepreneurship. The music that emanated from that space from 1950-1970 forever changed American music. Join Tom and Jo Ann as they speak to the curator of the Jefferson Street Sound Museum, Lorenzo Washington.

This episode revolves around emancipation, slavery, and the life of Elias Polk, former slave of President James K Polk. Co-hosts Joann McClellan and Barry Gitcomb, with special guest Zachary Kinslow.

In this episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Jermain Loguen. Born into slavery in Davidson County, Tennessee to an enslaved mother and her white owner, Loguen would eventually be moved to Maury County, Tennessee before he finally made his escape from slavery to the North. He eventually settled in Upstate New York, where his efforts to assist the enslaved out of bondage, made him known as the “King of the Underground Railroad.” Join Tom, Jo Ann, and Texas State University Professor, Dr. Angela Murphy as they tell Loguen's important story.

With guest Harriet Hamilton

Judge Baxter Segregated Schools RM Ep 06-26-2020

Presidents Andrew Jackson, Marsha Mullin

Historian Tom Price and guest host Judge Christopher Sockwell interview Dave Hathcock, who played his NFL rookie year with the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I under the great Vince Lombardi! Listen to hear amazing stories from an amazing man, right here on History's Hook!

Starting life off from the humblest beginnings, Andrew Johnson rose from a simple tailor to a statesman. The only Southerner to remain in the Senate following secession, Johnson was chosen by Abraham Lincoln as his vice-president in 1864. Following Lincoln’s assassination a few months later, Johnson found himself hated by many of his fellow Tennesseans and distrusted by the Washington establishment. The first president to be impeached, Johnson was also a brave leader who did his best to heal the nation following the Civil War. Kendra Hinkle, museum specialist at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, TN discusses the 17th President.

Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan speak with Ms. Sandra Seaton. Ms. Seaton is an award winning author, playwright, and librettist. Her plays have been performed in cities throughout the country, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and her libretto for the solo opera “From the Diary of Sally Hemings,” set to music by Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Award winning, 2007 composer of the year winner, William Bolcom, has been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and the Rialto Performing Arts Center in Atlanta.

This episode involves a visit with Tim Pettus and Curtis Peters in which explores and discusses the history of a Prisoner of War Camp established in Lawrence County that housed German POW's during World War II.

Join host Tom Price as History's Hook explores a story 80 years in the making. Tom brings together two people who had no idea about their connection to Haynes Ayres, who was killed when his ship, the USAT Dorchester, was sunk by a German U-boat in 1943. Listen to Winder Heller and John Whiteside tell their sides of the story and see how history connects people across space and time.

Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury, although raised in Tennessee in the early 19th century, had a calling for the sea. His scientific approach to the navy led to him earning the nicknames “Pathfinder of the Seas” and the “Father of Oceanography.” Learn all about this important American from an expert, Mr. Russell Hooper, the collector of the Pathfinder Papers

The honorable Holly Kirby is a Tennessean that inspires. After earning degrees in engineering and law, she went on to practice law in Memphis before being appointed to the bench in the Tennessee Court of Appeals, the first woman to sit on that Court. After spending nearly 19 years there, she was sworn into the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2014. Join Tom and co-host Judge Chris Sockwell as they learn about the life of Justice Holly Kirby.

Mr. Cecil Whiteside has spent most of his life in Hampshire, Tennessee with the exception of the years 1942-1945, when he was a member of the Navy Armed Guards, protecting cargo ships as they transported men and materiel all over the world. Join Tom and Dr. Gidcomb as they speak to Mr. Whiteside and his son Jeff, who has documented the life of a remarkable Tennessean.

Jefferson Street in Nashville was a nexus of African American culture, education, and entrepreneurship. The music that emanated from that space from 1950-1970 forever changed American music. Join Tom and Jo Ann as they speak to the curator of the Jefferson Street Sound Museum, Lorenzo Washington.

Join Tom, Jo Ann McClellan, and Dr. Barry Gidcomb as they collaborate with Columbia State Community College and discuss the award-winning book Beloved by Toni Morrison. Listen as the hosts and guests break down the literary and historical importance of this critically acclaimed book about the effects of enslavement.

Learning the basic principles of engineering on a farm in Maury County, Tennessee, Mr. Rick Burt parlayed that experience into nuclear and aerospace engineering. He worked his way up at NASA working on rocket systems, to become chief of testing and safety. Today, he is Deputy Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, where he is working on the next generation of space vehicles that will propel man back to the moon and beyond. Join Tom and guest co-host Judge Chris Sockwell as they discover what it takes to be a NASA engineer.

Mr. James Rushing is an accomplished songwriter. He has written hit songs in the genres of country, bluegrass and gospel music. His songs have been recorded by such artists as Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Ricky Scaggs, Charlie Pride, and many others. Mr. Rushing was nominated to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in both 2017 and 2018. Mr. Rushing is also a military veteran, having served in the 1st Special Forces Group at the very beginning stages of the Vietnam War. Today, he is here to talk about his remarkable life and the lessons he has learned along the way. Join Tom and new co-host Fred Stallcup as they interview Mr. Rushing.

In this episode Tom and Jo Ann speak to retired professional boxer Sammy Sparkman. Born and raised in Columbia, TN, Mr. Sparkman began boxing when he was just seven years old. Following some time away from the sport, Mr. Sparkman spent six years in amateur boxing before turning pro in 1997. He fought in the ring all over the United States and the world including Poland, Canada, Denmark, Italy, and elsewhere. He has been in the ring with seven future world champions and numerous world title contenders. Known by the nickname “Silk,” he had a reputation of never turning down a challenge. Like many boxers, however, Sparkman never got the acclaim, or the accompanying reward that he fought for during his career. In 2009, at the age of 39, Sparkman hung up his gloves. His story one of inspiration.

Baseball is the quintessential American sport. Its long history dates back to the mid-19th century. But the sport has had a fractious history when it came to race relations. Despite quite a large number of African Americans playing in various leagues along-side white players in the early years of the sport, by the turn of the 20th century, complete segregation took hold. A number of quote, Negro leagues were formed to allow for African Americans to play the sport, but various factors caused most of them to fail. Players faced serious discrimination and some stadiums refused to let black teams play at their facilities. It all changed in 1920, when Rube Foster launched the Negro National League. Reformulated several times with new leagues and owners, Negro League baseball enjoyed periods of success in the early 1920s and again after the Great Depression. However, Jackie Robinson’s integration of baseball in 1947 prompted a slow but irreversible influx of talent to the major leagues, and the remaining Negro League teams mostly folded by the 1960s. Middle Tennessee fielded a number of great African American baseball players and Nashville hosted several Negro League teams. Including the Villians, the Black Vols, the Elite Giants, and the Stars. On December 16, 2020, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred declared that the seven historic Negro leagues would be recognized as official major leagues, with their players' records and statistics counted in baseball’s record books. Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan speak to author Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton, author of several books and articles on women’s sports and Negro League baseball including “Daddy’s Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter’s Perspective,” which she published in 2015. In 2017, Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton was inducted into the Fisk University Sports Hall of Fame.

Mr. Bob Clement was raised, in large part, at the governor’s residence, as he was the son of three-term Tennessee Governor Frank Clement. As such, he was at the center of Tennessee history-in-the-making, in the 1950’s and 60’s. Mr. Clement learned the value of public service at an early age. After graduating from the University of Tennessee as an ROTC student and the University of Memphis, Clement was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Mr. Clement would eventually serve 29 years in the Tennessee National Guard, retiring as a colonel. Mr. Clement began his career in public service when he was only twenty-nine years old, becoming the youngest state-wide office holder in the history of Tennessee. Later, he was appointed as a director of the Tennessee Valley Authority by President Jimmy Carter. He was later named the president of Cumberland University to great success for that institution. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1987, where he spent the next fifteen year, Mr. Clement was known as a bipartisan member, often voting with the opposition on issues he championed. He served on the House Transportation, Foreign Affairs, Budget, and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. He also founded and co-chaired the Education Caucus. After leaving Congress, our guest formed Clement & Associates, a public affairs consulting firm in Nashville, Tennessee. Clement, is also the author of the acclaimed political memoir, Presidents, Kings and Convicts: My Journey from the Tennessee Governor’s Residence to the Halls of Congress published by Archway Publishing in 2016. He is a sought after public speaker. In this two-part series, Mr. Clement talks to hosts Tom Price and Dr. Barry Gidcomb about his life in politics.

Mr. Bob Clement was raised, in large part, at the governor’s residence, as he was the son of three-term Tennessee Governor Frank Clement. As such, he was at the center of Tennessee history-in-the-making, in the 1950’s and 60’s. Mr. Clement learned the value of public service at an early age. After graduating from the University of Tennessee as an ROTC student and the University of Memphis, Clement was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Mr. Clement would eventually serve 29 years in the Tennessee National Guard, retiring as a colonel. Mr. Clement began his career in public service when he was only twenty-nine years old, becoming the youngest state-wide office holder in the history of Tennessee. Later, he was appointed as a director of the Tennessee Valley Authority by President Jimmy Carter. He was later named the president of Cumberland University to great success for that institution. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1987, where he spent the next fifteen year, Mr. Clement was known as a bipartisan member, often voting with the opposition on issues he championed. He served on the House Transportation, Foreign Affairs, Budget, and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. He also founded and co-chaired the Education Caucus. After leaving Congress, our guest formed Clement & Associates, a public affairs consulting firm in Nashville, Tennessee. Clement, is also the author of the acclaimed political memoir, Presidents, Kings and Convicts: My Journey from the Tennessee Governor’s Residence to the Halls of Congress published by Archway Publishing in 2016. He is a sought after public speaker. In this two-part series, Mr. Clement talks to hosts Tom Price and Dr. Barry Gidcomb about his life in politics.

Born and raised in Tennessee, Dr. Harold Pryor graduated from high school and was embarking upon a college career when he entered World War II as a medic attached to General George Patton’s 3rd Army as it marched across Europe. Following the war, Dr. Pryor re-entered college where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees. The later one in higher education administration from the University of Tennessee. He taught and held administrative duties at several Tennessee colleges before becoming the first president of Columbia State Community College, the very first community college in the state. Concurrently with his academic career, Dr. Pryor became a successful businessman and philanthropist, serving his community for over three decades. Moreover, listeners might be amazed to learn that on October 3rd of 2020, Dr. Pryor turned 100 years old. Listen as host Tom Price speaks to Dr. Pryor about his remarkable century of life.

History’s Hook host, Tom Price speaks to National and Country Music Radio Hall of Famer Blair Garner. Blair is a Texas native who has been a radio personality since he was 17 years old. Working in the radio business through college, his career took him to legendary stations in Washington, D.C., New York City, Houston and Los Angeles. In the 1990’s, Mr. Garner launched “After Midnite” a syndicated late night country radio show that grew to over 100 affiliates in its first year. He moved to morning radio with America’s Morning Show for three years, before returning to late-night radio with the Blair Garner Show.His most recent project is off-radio. Mr. Garner is building The Mulehouse in Columbia, TN, which is going to be a world-class music venue which will feature country music stars playing their songs to an intimate crowd with Blair doing what he does best…conducting interviews.

We conclude an important three-part series as we explore the lives of Tennessee’s First Ladies, Rachel Jackson, Sarah Polk, and Eliza Johnson. We end with the first, the wife of the 7th President of the United States, Rachel Jackson. A woman of the American frontier, Mrs. Jackson is an enigmatic figure to historians. At times portrayed as a rube, at others, a refined woman and astute business manager, all historians agree that she was one of the most maligned women in American History. Her controversial marriage to Andrew Jackson, a polarizing military and political figure, gave plenty of fodder to Jackson’s enemies who saw his wife as a target with which to attack Jackson. Those attacks would likely contribute to her sudden death just four months before her husband took the oath of office. Andrew Jackson never forgave his political enemies and openly blamed them for his beloved wife’s death.Joining Tom Price is Betty Boles Ellison. Mrs. Ellison is a former journalist and noted historian and author. Among her many and varied works are the books, The Early Laps of Stock Car Racing: A History of the Sport and Business Through 1974, Illegal Odyssey: 200 Years of Kentucky Moonshine, and The True Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography. Her most recent work just out last month is Rachel Donelson Jackson: The First Lady Who Never Was published by McFarland & Company.

History’s Hook explores the life of Mrs. Imogene Nelson. Raised in Maury County, Mrs. Nelson grew up in Columbia in the 1930’s and 1940’s. During WWII, three of her brothers served in the military, one of them, Shannon, a pilot, died when his plane crashed in Upstate NY. Mrs. Nelson graduated from Columbia Central before entering the Women’s Army Corps. She was stationed in Germany during the time of the Korean War. Today she is going to tell us about growing up in Columbia, her experiences in the military, and her thoughts on life today.

Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan speak with Ms. Sandra Seaton. Ms. Seaton is an award winning author, playwright, and librettist. Her plays have been performed in cities throughout the country, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and her libretto for the solo opera “From the Diary of Sally Hemings,” set to music by Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Award winning, 2007 composer of the year winner, William Bolcom, has been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and the Rialto Performing Arts Center in Atlanta. She received the Mark Twain Award from the Society for the study of Midwestern Literature in 2012. She taught creative writing and African-American Literature at Central Michigan University for 15 years as a professor of English.

On this episode, we continue our look at the extraordinary life of a man who has found great success as a career military man. Major General William Hickman spent 36 years serving his country. Born and raised in Maury County, Gen. Hickman attended local schools before attending Vanderbilt University. As an ROTC student there, upon graduation, he was commissioned into the army as a 2nd lieutenant in 1983. Over the next three decades, he rose through the ranks holding various field and staff commands including company, battalion, and brigade commands with the 101st Airborne Division. Between 2003-2008, Gen. Hickman served three tours of duty in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Serving in over 30 countries, he joined the Central Command Staff as military assistant to General David Patraeus. He became commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, Deputy Commander for the U.S. Army in the Middle East, and finally, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, NATO’s Allied Command Transformation. Retiring from the military in 2019 as a major general, Gen. Hickman is now senior advisor at Compass Executives Group, assisting businesses in crisis management, strategic planning and decision-making, coaching and leader development, and supply chain management. Tom Price and Dr. Barry Gidcomb lead the discussion.

On this episode, we look at the extraordinary life of a man who has found great success as a career military man. Major General William Hickman spent 36 years serving his country. Born and raised in Maury County, Gen. Hickman attended local schools before attending Vanderbilt University. As an ROTC student there, upon graduation, he was commissioned into the army as a 2nd lieutenant in 1983. Over the next three decades, he rose through the ranks holding various field and staff commands including company, battalion, and brigade commands with the 101st Airborne Division. Between 2003-2008, Gen. Hickman served three tours of duty in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Serving in over 30 countries, he joined the Central Command Staff as military assistant to General David Patraeus. He became commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, Deputy Commander for the U.S. Army in the Middle East, and finally, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, NATO’s Allied Command Transformation. Retiring from the military in 2019 as a major general, Gen. Hickman is now senior advisor at Compass Executives Group, assisting businesses in crisis management, strategic planning and decision-making, coaching and leader development, and supply chain management. Tom Price and Dr. Barry Gidcomb lead the discussion.

August 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which allowed women the right to vote. Tennessee played a pivotal role as it was the 36th and final state needed to make the 19th amendment the law of the land. Although Tennessee can make the claim of being the state that made this important change in American History happen, it belies the fact that Tennessee and the South was late in embracing the suffrage movement. In truth, it took decades of hard fighting by women across the nation to claim this most basic of rights. The suffrage movement is a case-study in grass-roots politics. Small towns across the state and nation organized local suffrage groups to help further the initiative. In the end, the 19th amendment did not, in fact, claim for all women the right to vote. For African-American women, many of whom contributed to the suffrage movement, it would take many more decades for them to secure the right to vote without stipulations. Today on History’s Hook, we’ll explore the history of woman suffrage in Tennessee. Join Tom Price, Jo Ann McClellan, Dr. Barry Gidcomb, and special guest Dr. Carol Bucy as they explore this important topic.

Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan are joined by Louisville, Kentucky native Lyman M. Johnson. After attending the University of Louisville and spending time in the military, he also attended the University of Kentucky where he studied chemistry. He spent his career as a chemist for Honeywell Corporation before working as an environmental chemist with the Environmental Protection Agency. He now lives near Los Angeles, California Mr. Johnson’s father Lyman T. Johnson was a leader in the American Civil Rights movement. The first black man to be admitted to the University of Kentucky, after having to sue for the right to attend, he eventually was bestowed three honorary doctorates. A building on the campus bears his name. Our guest’s grandfather Robert G. Johnson was a leader in the education of black students and served as a teacher and principal here in Columbia, TN. Our guest’s great-grandfather was born enslaved here in Maury County, and was able to purchase his freedom and that of his wife before becoming, himself, educated. It’s a truly an inspiring American story.

This episode of History’s Hook features the Vietnam reminiscences of Mr. Bill McEwen. A native of Columbia, Tennessee, he graduated from Columbia Military Academy. He attended the University of Tennessee, where he holds both bachelor and master’s degrees. He joined the military in 1966 and after attending Officers Candidate School, was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He served in Vietnam from July 7, 1967 to July 21, 1968 in Marine Air Support Squadron 3, taking part in one of the largest engagements of the war at Khe Sanh.

Eliza Johnson was hugely influential on her husband Andrew Johnson’s life and career. Married when she was just 16, Eliza was the youngest future first lady to marry. Together, Eliza and Andrew Johnson enjoyed a marriage that lasted some 48 years. She is credited with largely educating her young husband, who had had a difficult childhood with little opportunity for learning. As her husband’s political career rose, Eliza often remained in the background. She was quite sickly, having contracted tuberculosis, and as First Lady, only appeared publicly on two occasions. She succumbed to her illness in 1876, just six months after her husband died of a stroke. Kendra Hinkle, museum specialist at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, TN helps us understand the life of the wife of the 17th President.

Cemeteries as we know them today came about in the 1830’s. Prior to that, the dead were typically buried in churchyards and backyards. But with this change, the often elaborate planning of cemeteries resembled park settings, where people went to picnic, hunt, have races…and commune with the dead. Cemeteries were filled with benches and in the absence of museums and galleries and botanical gardens, featured beautiful sculptures and horticultural art. Yet during times of pandemic, cemeteries were places where disease and its victims gathered…kept separate from living spaces. These dichotomies both drew people to cemeteries and pushed them away. Join Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan as they interview Graham Perry, Historic Preservation Specialist with the Tennessee Historical Commission.