Oral history with Mr. Jack Raymond Reed

              Oral history with Mr. Jack Raymond Reed
F341.5 . M57 vol. 746, pt. 2
Funding for this project provided by The Mississippi State Legislature, The Mississippi Humanities Council, The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi.
This transcription of an oral history by the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage of The University of Southern Mississippi may not be reproduced or published in any form except that quotation of short excerpts of unrestricted transcripts and the associated tape recordings is permissible providing written consent is obtained from the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. When literary rights have been retained by the interviewee, written permission to use the material must be obtained from both the interviewee and the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. Please call ( 601) 266- 4574 for more information.
Biography
Mr. Jack Raymond Reed was born on May 19, 1924, in Tupelo, Mississippi, the son of a Tupelo merchant. In part due to the family dry goods business, his family weathered the Depression reasonably well. The family dry goods business which was begun in 1907 is presently still in Mr. Reed's family, employing one of his sons and his two daughters.
In 1941, Mr. Reed was graduated from Tupelo High School. In 1943, Mr. Reed entered the military and World War II as part of the Signal Intelligence Service, U. S. Army of Occupation, Japan. In 1947, he earned his B. A. degree from Vanderbilt University. In 1948, he earned his M. S. degree in retailing from New York University. After completing his master's degree, Mr. Reed returned to Tupelo to work in the family store.
Currently Mr. Reed is chair of the board of Reed's Department Store; he is chair of Reed Manufacturing Company; and, he is the director of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Mr. Reed's civic involvement has included being president of the Mississippi Economic Council in 1964, president of the Mississippi Retail Merchants in 1967, chair of the Tupelo Community Development Foundation in 1968, president of the Yocona Council of the Boy Scouts of America, national president of the Vanderbilt Alumni Association in 1972 and 1973, chair of the board of the First United Methodist Church, chair of the Governor's Special Committee of Public Education in 1980 and 1981, chair of the State Board of Education, a member of the board of trustees of Millsaps College, a member of the First United Methodist National Commission on Religion and Race, a founding member of the executive committee of Lee United Neighbors, chair of the board of CREATE charitable foundation, founding director of LIFT, Inc., the Republican nominee for governor in Mississippi in 1987, and chair of the National Advisory Council on Education Research and Improvement in 1991 through 1994. Honors and awards include Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope Awards for Service to Boyhood, Boy Scouts of America, Tupelo's Outstanding Citizen Award in 1971, and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, among others.
He is married to Frances Purvis Reed, and they are the parents of four children, and grandparents of eight grandchildren. mus- coh. reedj. doc Page 1 of 21