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Remembering ‘Mr. Ed’ Edwards
ed edwards

Liberty County is fondly remembering Ed Edwards, a prominent educator who impacted the lives of many. Edwards passed away Aug. 1.

Edwards began his lengthy career upon relocating to Hinesville. He graduated from Georgia Teacher’s College in 1950, after serving two years in the United States Navy. His former high school principal hired him as a teacher and coach at Bradwell Institute. Edwards was the head baseball coach and assistant football coach in the 1950s. In 1959, he went on to serve as assistant principal and principal of Bradwell while earning his Master’s from Vanderbilt and Doctorate from the University of Georgia, according to his obituary. In doing so, Edwards touched the lives of many students and athletes alike.

Candler Boyd, a former Liberty County School System educator, remembers Edwards at the beginning of his career. 

“My family moved to Hinesville when I was in the first grade,” Boyd said. “He was the assistant principal at the high school, and he was my brother’s coach.”

Boyd said Edwards had an impact on him as a student and as a professional. Edwards hired Boyd to teach and coach at Bradwell.

“I was only one of few people that Edwards hired on three different occasions to work for LCSS,” he said. “He gave me opportunities to work with young people.”

In 1968, Edwards became LCSS school superintendent. He held the position for 20 years before retiring in 1988. According to Boyd, he never stopped serving his community.

“His whole purpose was to help people and serve people,” he said. “To me, that’s his greatest legacy— he was always there for people when they needed him.”

W.L Hall, a former student and athlete under Edwards, said that he “never met a stranger, and had that friendly, outgoing personality.” As superintendent, Edwards was extremely active in his community, attending Bradwell home games and making appearances at the high school pep rallies. 

“Because of his loyalty to Bradwell Institute and his love for the players and student body, he saw more games played by Bradwell than anyone,” Hall said. “He had a stretch of 38 years without missing a football game.”

In the 1970s, when Bradwell Institute and the former Liberty County High School integrated, Edwards played a major role in the change. Clifford Johnson, a coach at Bradwell at the time, says the transition went smoothly.

“It was a new experience for all of us, and he was responsible for the outstanding school system the years he was there,” Johnson said. “Nobody worked harder, the thing that meant the most to him was the students.”

According to his obituary, Edwards was a recipient of the Georgia Superintendent of the Year; the Georgia Association of Education Leaders- Distinguished Service Award; the Georgia High School Association- Distinguished Service Award, in addition to numerous other accolades.

Craig Stafford, attorney at law with Arnold & Stafford, and former president of the Tiger Touchdown Club, knew Edwards through the First United Methodist Church. Edward’s faith was a special part of his life. He was a very spiritual person, Stafford said, and served as the president of the men’s bible class.

“My favorite memory of him is singing in church, ‘Victory in Jesus’,” Stafford continued. “The men’s bible class theme song was that song, because of Mr. Ed.”

“Without Ed Edwards and his contributions, his service and positive Christian influence on our lives, we would not be enjoying the quality of life that we now share,” Hall said. 

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Williams reflects on Carter's legacy
Al Williams
Al Williams

During the contested and contorted Democratic gubernatorial primary in 1970, Al Williams backed the candidacy of Carl Sanders early on.

But when Daddy King, as Williams called him, the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., put his support behind a state senator from southwest Georgia, Williams followed suit.

And he stayed a fervent and ardent supporter of Jimmy Carter and called him a man “of great integrity.” A national funeral service for Carter will take place Thursday at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., followed by a private service later that day in his hometown of Plains. 

“I met him, by happenstance, in 1970,” Williams said of meeting Carter. “He just asked me if I could support him. And I thought, that’s very strong and that impressed me.”

Their paths crossed again in 1972. Carter was governor, and Williams was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. “This was the first convention that the governor of Georgia didn’t hand pick the delegates,” Williams said.

Just as Carter’s term in office was ending, Williams went to meet with the governor with state Sen. Mel Traylor, whose district included Liberty County. 

When they get ready to leave, Sen. Traylor asked Carter what his plans were after office. Carter told them he was running for president.

“Mel and I walked away from his office and walked down the steps and before we got to the last step, we started laughing so hard, I thought security was going to come get us,” Williams recalled.

Both Traylor and Williams thought Carter’s declaration of running for the highest office in the world was one of the craziest ideas they had heard.

“Shows you how much we knew,” Williams said. “He was a smart man, and he had discipline and determination.”

Williams went to bat for Carter again, all over Georgia and all over the South, campaigning for him in South Carolina, Alabama and Florida. Williams was appointed to the electoral college, the first African American from southeast Georgia to be chosen, and as such, back then, his name was on the ballot.

For those who were students of the late Sampie Smith at Bradwell Institute, they learned quickly that only one man in the history of Liberty County had ever voted for president of the United States – Al Williams. And Williams – as the only member Georgia’s electoral college delegation ever from Liberty County – cast his ballot for Jimmy Carter.

Williams said he also had a good relationship with Carter’s grandson Jason Carter, and brought the late Rosalyn Carter to Liberty County to help campaign for Jason when he ran for governor.

As governor, Carter overhauled and reorganized the state government.

“He made a lot of enemies,” Williams said, “but he shaved a lot of fat off the hog.”


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