Hall of Fame
William T. "Bill" Barry came to JCJC from Zach Huggins High School in Quitman where he was a member of the 1967 Choctaw Conference championship team.
He was a standout in both football and track for the Bobcats in the late 1960's.
Barry played on JCJC’s 1968 state and national championship team and was named all-state and All-American in 1969 as a wide receiver. He won the state 440-yard dash in 1969 and also ran a leg in the mile, 880-yard and 440-yard relay.
Barry signed with the University of Mississippi and played for the Rebels in 1971-72 for John Vaught and Billy Kinard, respectively. He was a wide receiver/wingback for Ole Miss and helped the Rebels to a 10-2 record and a 41-18 win over Georgia Tech in the 1971 Peach Bowl.
He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1973, but chose a career in banking and finance.
Barry worked for Citizens National Bank and joined the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation and was named Executive Director in 1988. MBFC assisted JCJC in bond financing for capital improvements and refunding.
Barry died on Dec. 31, 2015, after a courageous fight with lymphoma cancer. At the time of his death, he was President-Elect of the Ole Miss M-Club and in 2016 was recognized with the George Lotterhos Service Award.
Barry spoke positively about his time at JCJC, having great respect for Jones, his teammates and coach Sim Cooley.
Barry was preceded in death by his father, John Barry. He is survived by his wife, Amy, son Brent Barry, daughter Dr. Lauren Barry Versteegh, stepson Joe Majors; his mother, Tommye Lue Dabbs Barry, brothers Rick and Lou, and three grandchildren, Faith, Camryn and Blake.
