Frank M. Barnett was respected, distinguished Wilcox County citizen

Virginia and Frank M. Barnett in 1963.

Last week in this space, I wrote about how the football field at Wilcox County High School was named in honor of “Cap’n” Frank M. Barnett in 1948. Naming the field in honor of Barnett was the idea of WCHS football coach Connie McKelvey, and the proposal appears to have been widely supported in the community. Barnett, who was the school’s vocational agriculture teacher, is believed to have donated the land for the athletic field.

Barnett was a respected member of the community, and not long after last week’s newspaper hit the streets, several readers provided me with more information about this distinguished member of the community. Barnett, whose middle name was Madison, was born in February 1900, and he passed away in Birmingham at the age of 73 in September 1973. He is buried beside his wife, Virginia, at Memorial Cemetery in Montgomery.

According to articles published when he retired in 1963, he had served as a vocational agriculture agent for 15 years and went on to serve 20 years as assistant county agent and county agricultural agent. At that time, Barnett’s wife, Virginia, had served as a music teacher for about 35 years. Upon their retirement, they planned to move to their large farm in Macon County’s Fitzpatrick community.

Barnett’s retirement reception was held during Wilcox County’s annual Cattlemen’s Association meeting. The keynote speaker was Dr. “Shine” Hollinger, a veterinarian in Camden and a close friend of Barnett’s. Hollinger told the large crowd that there were few men between the ages of 30 and 55 who attended Wilcox County High School whose lives did not “reflect the worthwhile influence of Barnett’s association.”

Hollinger also noted that Barnett had a big influence on agriculture during his time as county agent. This was especially felt in the county’s thriving beef cattle industry, noting that “the top-quality herds in the county were an impressive product of the county agent’s efforts through the years,” Hollinger said. It was also noted that Barnett began promoting the use of good bulls and the saving of replacement heifers before those practices became one of the Extension Service’s recommended practices.

At that time, Wilcox County ranked among the top five counties in Alabama in beef cattle production. The county’s annual gross income from beef cattle production then exceeded $3 million. In today’s dollars, that amounts to around $29,800,00.

Barnett was also lauded for his work in promoting better pasture lands for beef cattle. Among his accomplishments in this area is that he was credited with introducing and establishing Coastal Bermuda grass in Wilcox County as a prime grazing and hay crop.

Hollinger also noted that not only was Wilcox County High School’s football field named in Barnett’s honor, but that Barnett also had a hand in the construction of Camden’s public swimming pool.  He also had a hand in the construction of Camden’s recreation center, and he was Wilcox County’s first Scoutmaster.

In the end, I think it’s safe to say that Barnett was a unique and amazing man. He left a lasting impression on Wilcox County, and finished his career as a respected member of the community. No doubt he is still missed by family and friends who remember his outstanding legacy.