By Adam Minichino
Glenn Schmidt had a lot of influences in nearly 40 years as a teacher and as a coach.
It’s hard to dispute Jo Edna Spearman left an indelible impression on Schmidt in the time they worked together at the Mississippi University for Women.
“She had a wisdom about her that you needed to listen to everything she said,” Schmidt said. “She was a big, positive influence in my life and she loved The W. She gave her life to it.”
Spearman, who began her career at Mississippi State College for Women as an instructor in August 1974 and retired as Emeritus Professor and Head, Division of Health and Kinesiology; Athletic Director in 2005, died Monday. Spearman had recently relocated to Texas to be closer to family. She was 77.
“Today is a very sad day for the MUW athletics family,” The W Director of Athletics Jason Trufant said. “Dr. Spearman guided this athletics department for many years and was a one of the first individuals I met on this campus. Welcoming, genuine, thoughtful, and leader are just a few words that come to mind when I think of her. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. She will be forever missed.”
With 31 years of history, experience, and knowledge, Spearman worked with close friends and former W faculty members Dot Burdeshaw, Barbara Garrett, Joan Thomas, and Martha Wells to document the history of athletics at The W in the book “Legacy of the Blues — A Century of Athletics at The W,” which was filled with pictures, data, stories, and many memories.
On Monday, Schmidt and Burdeshaw shared their memories of a woman they said dedicated her life to helping women realize opportunities in education and in sports.
Schmidt spent 11 years as basketball coach at The W prior to working at Starkville Academy as girls basketball coach and as athletic director. She said Spearman was a “wise woman” who she called a “mentor” and a “champion of all champions.”
“She didn’t give you the answer. She led you to it,” Schmidt said. “Jo had such a common-sense approach to things. She was highly organized. The thing about it that was so amazing was she had the ability to set you on the right path or give you something to think about that you hadn’t thought about. She was compassionate and student and athlete friendly.”
Schmidt recalls countless subtle conversations with Spearman where she learned so many things. She said she also had the pleasure to get to know Spearman in a relaxed atmosphere on a cruise of Alaska in 2004. She said Spearman, who had a Ph.D, was one of many in her time at The W who provided an example to young women and gave them confidence that they could accomplish things and encouraged them to believe in themselves.
“She was one of the best in her time — ever — in what she did,” Schmidt said. “You could talk to her for 30 minutes and she could give you two sentences and you would be, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ She was intelligent, compassionate contemplative. She studied what she said. She may even come back two or three days later and ask you how you felt about what you talked about.”
Schmidt said Spearman was like that with everybody. She said Spearman believed it was “her obligation” to be a mentor for all faculty members and student-athletes. Schmidt said Spearman worked in a way that made her “one of a kind.”
Burdeshaw, a former teacher who also served as head of the Health and Kinesiology Department and athletic director at The W, said she was part of a committee that recommended to the school’s president that Spearman be hired. She agreed with Schmidt in saying Spearman was an intelligent and caring person who took great pride in everything she did.
“Whatever she did it was done well,” Burdeshaw said.
Burdeshaw said Spearman helped shape The W’s athletic program by coaching the volleyball and track and field teams. She said she knew Spearman when they worked at the University of Texas at Austin and was excited when she came to The W.
Burdeshaw said Spearman made such a big impact because she was dedicated to the idea women needed the opportunity to participate in intercollegiate sports and she had a willingness to give above and beyond what most jobs require to do that. She said Spearman was a determined individual who wasn’t going to be denied once she made up her mind to do something.
“She was extremely dedicated,” Burdeshaw said. “In those early days, you had a full-time job teaching and added all of the time coaching that it takes. She was extremely dedicated to the work at The W. There were several people like that. In getting the intercollegiate program for women off the ground in physical education departments all over the South and the nation you could find people who gave so much to give girls a chance to participate in intercollegiate sports. She was one of the best of those.”
A memorial service will be held in Columbus for Spearman early in January 2019.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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