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Athletics' Mary Carrigan: Where Are They Now?

Anyone who spent much time on the Lipscomb campus from the 1950s through 2003 has heard of this week's guest. She came to campus as a student from the cotton fields of Alabama, spent 47 years as a valuable office assistant, and ended up in the Athletics Hall of Fame for her meritorious service to the program. Mary Carrigan has plenty of stories to tell as the spirit behind award-winning coaches and national championships. Now "retired again" but still active, she was generous to take a brief break for a conversation with LipscombSports.com.
 
 
 
What years did you work for Lipscomb?
 
I worked 47 years at Lipscomb: 21 as an administrative assistant for the Business office (1953-1974) and another 26 years in Athletics and Physical Education (1977-2003).
 
 
 
What individuals were most memorable, and why?
 
  • Administrators – Surely Willard Collins was memorable to everyone he ever met. He was the ideal definition of a "people person." Lynn Griffith was chairman of the Physical Education department and influenced so many as a baseball/tennis coach, but I remember him as my mentor. He taught me a lot about life and general efficiency, and he graciously gave me my first computer. He also took care of my gutters and more for 25 years! Another constant for me was, and still is, Barbara Anderson. From the earliest days when she did basketball mailings from her job on the Lipscomb switchboard, to the time she served as Coach Meyer's "right hand," to the days she became Mama Bison to "her boys," she has been valuable to players, staff members, and friends. She and I now stay in contact by sharing our passion for Crimson Tide football!
 
  • Coaches – I loved "my" coaches: Ken Dugan, Tom Hanvey, 'Fessor Boyce, Duane Slaughter, Don Meyer, Trish Hodgson, Frank Bennett, April St. John Ezell, Kent Johnson, and more! They became family and gave me the chance to return to Lipscomb for my second career after Nanci's birth in 1974. Coach Mel Brown was my last baseball boss. He and Carol were so good to my family over the years, and they're still close to me and my family. My husband, J.C., admired him so much he asked him to be the officiant for his funeral.
 
  • Bosses – Ruth Henry has always treated me like a family member. She was the director of Nanci's wedding at no charge. We go all the way back to her Aunt Marilyn Henry, with whom I worked in the IBM Center.
 
  • Players – I have fond memories of Farrell Owens, Butch Stinson, and many more. Those baseball teams were so impressive and made a national name for Lipscomb. I took lunch hours and vacation time to see them at home, and we traveled with them around the country.
 
 
 
Prior to working on campus, did you have a connection to Lipscomb?
 
Lipscomb student Frankie Wallace Batson lived across the street from my grandmother in Boaz, Alabama, and she taught me about Lipscomb. I had planned to go to Freed-Hardeman, but she changed my mind … and my life.
 
 
 
Why did you choose to work at Lipscomb?
 
I had to work to pay my way through school. It took me five years and a few summers, but obviously I loved the place since I stayed after graduating in 1958.
 
 
 
What is your favorite athletic memory at Lipscomb?
 
Listening on the phone in a Florida motel to the NAIA Basketball Championship and travelling with my husband to the NAIA Baseball World Series in 1972. We travelled to the NAIA World Series two more years – St. Joe, Missouri in 1977 and Greer Stadium in Nashville in 1979 – to watch the Bisons win championships. I especially enjoyed getting to know the players' parents. They always treated me with respect.
 
I also thoroughly enjoyed keeping the scoreboard for Bison baseball games.
 
 
 
Who most influenced your time on campus?
 
Dr. Robert (Bob) Kerce hired me straight out of the Alabama cotton field in 1953. Edsel Holman, who continued to give me a chance before I "retired" to have Nanci in 1974 and who recommended me for the Athletics job when I returned in 1977.
 
 
 
What's your favorite memory of Lipscomb campus life during your time here?
 
Being a floor supervisor in the girl's dorm and checking "lights out." I, myself, hid under a bed when I was about to be caught by the head woman!
 
I also have fond memories of "Beautiful Day" and working student picnics.
 
 
 
What are the most valuable lessons you learned in your time at Lipscomb?
 
I learned a lot about sacrifice, how to make friends, and how to be a friend. This shy girl became outgoing as the years on campus progressed.
 
 
 
Where was your office located?
 
My offices in my first career at Lipscomb were in "College Hall," the basement of Elam Hall, and in Sewell Hall (print shop.)
 
When I returned in 1977 to work with Athletics and Physical Education my offices were McQuiddy Gymnasium (a hallway on the east side of the gym), the Hall of Fame Room on the second level of the south end zone in McQuiddy, and finally in the office suite above the Student Activities Center.
 
 
 
What do you do now?
 
I do "Mary Mail" for East Trinity Lane Church of Christ, which tells members of activities, family news, and providing obituaries and arrangements when members pass. I text members who aren't on email. Until recently, I was unofficial volunteer caregiver to Katherine Sneed for three years, until she moved to a nursing home in May.
 
 
 
Tell us about your family
 
Late Lipscomb professor Fred Walker brought me to (what was then called) Joywood Church of Christ in 1962, where I met J.C. Carrigan, an "old" bachelor. We married in 1970 and enjoyed 43 years together before he passed in March of 2013. My home is still five doors from Joywood-Trinity Lane church. Nanci was born in 1974, and she married Jon Carter in 1996. She attended Lipscomb from kindergarten through college, and she has been employed there since she graduated – in the Registrar's Office first, and now as Registrar in the Department of Professional Studies. Her husband, Jon, is a Belle Meade policeman, and they have two children – Zac (18) and Carrigan (11) – who both enrolled at Lipscomb at age 4.
 
 
 
FAST FINISH: 
  • Favorite food: Corn bread in buttermilk
  • Favorite TV show or movie: Hallmark movies, mysteries, and sports!
  • Favorite Bible scripture: Romans 8:28 is the favorite passage for both my husband and me – "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
  • Favorite sports teams: Atlanta Braves and Alabama Crimson Tide
  • Pet peeve: Robo calls!
  • Person I most admire: My caring and smart daughter, Nanci Carter
  • Person I'd most like to meet: My loved ones and friends in heaven
  • Rather ride or drive? Drive
  • Pick one – salad or dessert: Dessert – banana pudding
  • Early morning or late night person? Both at different times
 
 
If you wish to reach out to Mrs. Carrigan, reach her via email at MaryJay2003@comcast.net.
 
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