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Mr. James P. Wilson, Jr. d. 11 Jan 2014 - Emporia, VA Email his
daughter, Stephanie Wilson Vassar at <swvassar@verizon.net>.
Wayne State University, B.S. Band Director, Varsity Flagtwirlers Sponsor, Music Department
Head, http://www.nnhs65.com/01-14-14-NNHS-Mr-James-P-Wilson-Jr.html |
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"Although the students here at Newport News High School have varied interests, there is one that all have in common - school spirit. This quality has come to be synonymous in the minds of our student body with a man whose own enthusiastic and infectious pride in our school has made him become, in effect, our faculty sponsor of school spirit." |
| 1961 Anchor, p. 6 - "DEDICATED TO MISS WISE, FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE, and to MR. WILSON, FOR YOUR SPIRIT" | |
| 04/24/04 | |
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Saturday, October 23, 2004 1964's 40-Year Reunion - Newport News, VA |
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| 1965 Anchor, p. 21 | 1972 Anchor | Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC and Mr. Jim Wilson of VA |
Mr. and Mrs. James P. Wilson of Emporia, VA |
| 04/17/04 |
Courtesy of Tim Parsons ('73) of VA - 10/17/04 Thanks, Tim! |
11/02/04 | 08/18/07 |
Van Rowell and his bother-in-law, Charlie Snead (Class of '64),
visited Mr. Wilson
several years ago at his home in Emporia, Virginia.
Jimmy Smith (Class of '62) reported that for several years
following his retirement from teaching,
Mr. Wilson managed a steak house there
in
Emporia.
I LOVE this job! Out of the
clear blue sky I received a phone call this morning from Mr. Wilson!
What a delight! We had great fun both remembering the past and
anticipating October's reunion.
He gave me permission not only to add him to the
Alumni Page, but to post his email addy for you here.
Thanks, Mr. Wilson!
- Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC - 07/14/04
I
bowled with Mr. Wilson in a local league here on the southside a few years ago.
He looked great.
I remember when he gave me a choice once after I got a pink slip.
He said, "Ok, you can have 5 days or 5 licks. " I took the 5 licks.
I was instructed to take my wallet out of my pocket and bend over.
He gave me 5 licks with a paddle that had holes in it. And it hurt like heck.
I'm not sure what I did wrong but I'm sure I deserved it and I never did it
again.
Tim Parsons ('73) of VA - 10/17/04
HA HA! Thanks, Tim!
As for James
Wilson - not a hero of mine at the time and certainly no love lost between us -
nor probably
any other drummer he ever directed.
However, he did insist on a standard of excellence that was unmatched
in the
60’s and I have yet
to see a HS band that could come close to his NNHS TYPHOON MARCHING SENIOR BAND.
When I reflect on things I learned from him … not a single note, rudiment nor
cadence
comes to mind
(Ms. Shockley taught me how to play) -
but Mr. Wilson taught me about setting a goal and achieving it,
about insisting
on extraordinary as being your ordinary, about discipline, dedication and PRIDE.
- Jim Dossett
('66) of FL - 10/29/04
Thanks, Jim!
I
remember how angry Mr. Wilson would become with the whole percussion section
from time to time.
He'd throw his baton across the room and yell, "You're not percussionists;
you're just a bunch of drummers!"
Of course, his constantly raising the bar meant that the Typhoon Band had the
best percussion section anywhere.
All seven of my children participated in band at least for a time.
So often I remember thinking how Mr. Wilson would never
have tolerated the lack
of discipline,
the shoddy appearances, the almost intentional mediocrity which sometimes
prevailed
among
some (but blessedly not all) of their directors, due to lack of attention to
detail.
I would see those bands in concert,
and they would not snap their instruments to
attention,
they would wiggle and squirm in their chairs, they would even (gasp!)
talk to
each other.
I watched them in parades and their ranks were crooked, they would be out of
step, and their
shoes didn't even match.
And I would hear their lame drum cadences and think, "Oh, why don't they just
play the Gil-Walk?!?"
And then I'd remember. The Gil-Walk wasn't a nationally known cadence.
It was composed by Bill Gilbert and John Walker,
both of the Class of 1964,
probably while they were still freshmen. Bill even taught me how to play the snare drum part myself,
back in '63.
I remember it still, just as surely as I can still play "Fanfare and Giant" on
my flute.
It may not have been famous; it was simply the best.
- Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC - 11/05/04
Forever and always
he will be Mr. James P. Wilson, Jr. - never just Mr. Wilson or, heaven forbid,
Jim!
Mr. James P. Wilson, Jr. instilled in his band members the qualities of
dedication to whatever pursuit one is involved,
whether
being in the band, studying for other classes, being kind to others, being
prepared,
or being one member of a larger group
contributing our best.To this day I use Mr. James P. Wilson, Jr. as a role model. I expect the people
I supervise to be on time,
prepared and ready to contribute to the group.
My favorite memory of being in the band is the (Shenandoah Apple Blossom
Festival Parade in) Winchester each year, and
winning the trophy each year, of course! After the parade we would travel to
interesting places including Gettysburg. No outsider
could ever believe a group as large as ours (125 to 150+ members) could dress
exactly alike, right down to our socks and shoes,
and behave so politely given that we were all teenagers!
Remember the year it rained ('66) and we all wore raincoats until just before
the reviewing stand? We really looked sharp
compared to all the other bands. We won that trophy, too!
I went back to Winchester about 10 years ago for the parade, and I can
say with
all truthfulness there was no band, of any size,
from anywhere, who could hold a candle to us! We were the best!
I have many more memories of the four years I was in Mr. James P. Wilson, Jr. 's
band. I'm sure you all do, too.
Mr. James P. Wilson, Jr. should be proud of the legacy he left at Newport News
High School. He is one of a kind.
Thank you, Mr. James P. Wilson, Jr.
- Shirley Eanes
Matthews ('66) of VA - 02/11/05
Thank you, Shirley! I'll add my "Amen" to all of that.
The string of victories by the band at Winchester was something. But I remember
the parade being longer
than two miles and several hills involved. Of course, that could be like us
walking ten miles to school in the
snow barefoot. You said we were "well drilled", and that's no joke. My second
week in Air Force basic
training I was called to the DI's office and told I was being made a squad
leader. The DI said he knew I was
from Virginia and wanted to know which military school I had attended. I told
him I was in the NNHS band
but he wouldn't believe me. Still asked me the same question on graduation
day. So yes, the many hours
of practice and hard work paid off for us personally, and for the reputation of
the school. It was great to see
Mr. Wilson last October and let him know how
much influence he had on so many lives.
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I
posted this Obama style poster of Jim Wilson on the NNHS Facebook
page.
WOWZERS! Thanks for thinking of us, Bobby!
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Hello!
I'm Mr. Wilson's oldest daughter, Stephanie. I was born in 1964, so I have fuzzy
memories of NNHS and the band.
Mom and Dad still live at their home in Emporia. Dad has dementia now, and has
had a rough couple of years. We have the picture
at their house like the one you have posted (of him smoking his pipe wearing the
"Beat Blair" ribbon). I brought it down to him
the other day, and said, "Who is this young man?" He got a big grin on his face
and said "J.P.!"
He remembers those years
well, and we listen to music a lot. My son is in band now, and I relay news of
his competitions
and such to Dad. He's proud of that, but I know any band nowadays would not hold
a candle to NNHS.
Just wanted to give you an update. I'm sure Dad would love to hear from any of
you, so if you want
to sent me emails to this address, I will take them to him when I see him--I go
every other week.
Thanks for this page. It's a nice, appropriate tribute to him!
- Stephanie Wilson Vassar -
03/16/13
WOWZERONI-RINI-ROON!
Thank you so much, Stephanie!
I remember when you were born - Flag
Day of 1964 - which all the band members agreed was only fit
and proper for the first born child of our very patriotic band director!
As I recall, a collection was taken,
and your crib was bought by the members of the Typhoon Band.
My second son was married on that day
in 1996, and one my six grandsons was born on that day in 2008,
but even after forty-eleven years have passed, when Flag Day rolls around, I
still unfailingly remember
that Mr. Wilson's baby girl arrived on this day in 1964.
You are exactly right! The band did
purchase my crib! And yes, my birthday is Flag Day!
-
Stephanie Wilson Vassar - 03/17/13
AHA! How this teeny-tiny scrap of paper managed to survive the
massive raid of my three oldest sons on my memorabilia back in the summer of
1977
until it could be Xeroxed and safely mounted into my Creative Memories Album for
my junior year of high school (which was not created until probably 2003),
only the Lord and the ministering angels of Heaven could know, but here it is!
We won't mention the names of the marauders, but my fourth son was only a tiny baby, and the three younger children had not yet been born, so.....
- Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC - 03/17/13
Seventy-Six Trombones
Seventy-six
trombones led the big parade
With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand.
They were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuo-
Sos, the cream of ev'ry famous band.
Seventy-six trombones caught the morning sun
With a hundred and ten cornets right behind.
There were more than a thousand reeds
Springing up like weeds;
There were horns of ev'ry shape and kind.
There were copper bottom tympani in horse platoons,
Thundering, thundering all along the way.
Double bell euphoniums and big bassoons,
Each bassoon having it's big, fat say!
There were fifty mounted cannon in the battery,
Thundering, thundering louder than before.
Clarinets of ev'ry size
And trumpeters who'd improvise
A full octave higher than the score.
"Seventy-Six
Trombones" midi courtesy of
http://www.prairiefrontier.com/pfcards1/music/patriotic/76tromb.mid,
at the suggestion of Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 06/13/03
Thanks, Dave!
"Seventy-Six Trombones" lyrics courtesy of http://www.lyricsdownload.com - 06/13/03
Animated Army Flag clip art courtesy of http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/KevsGifsGalore/Patriotic.html - 06/18/03
Treble and Bass Clef clip art courtesy of http://jmsalsich.edublogs.org/2011/03/07/alison-plays-piano/ - 04/02/11
Musical Divider Line clip art courtesy of
- um, I am unable to locate that information at this time.