He qualifies to be featured in this space for several reasons. He was an outstanding basketball and baseball player for the Bisons, although for only a short time. He was a two-sport coach at Lipscomb High School, but he never coached at the college. Nobody, however, can top the Bison fandom of Bob Mason. He tells stories of helping build McQuiddy Gym, of picking out his wife from the row of cheerleaders at a Bison basketball game, of traveling the south as an SEC basketball referee, and of a valuable lesson he almost missed. Bob was kind to take a few minutes this week for a conversation with LipscombSports.com.
What years did you compete for Lipscomb?
I played baseball and basketball for two years, from the fall of 1947 through the spring of 1949, before transferring to University of Tennessee. 'Fessor Boyce was the basketball coach that first year, and he was one of the best gentlemen I've ever met.
What teammates were most memorable?
The best thing about my Lipscomb college basketball teammates is the fact that many of them became friends for life. Some were teammates at Lipscomb High School and some were student-athletes I played against in high school before they came to Lipscomb in college: Jennings Davis, George McIntosh, Roger Church, Harry Moneypenny, John Henderson, and Johnny Temple –they were all outstanding people and really talented athletes. Miles Ezell was another great friend. He and I usually entered the games about the same time. Hoyt Kirk was a Bison teammate in both baseball and basketball.
What degree have you earned?
I graduated from Tennessee with a B.S. in Physical Education in December of 1950, and I added a master's degree in education from Peabody in Nashville.
Why did you attend Lipscomb?
My parents moved to a home on Clairmont Place, just a few blocks from the Lipscomb campus, in 1941 so my brother, Bo, and I could go to Lipscomb High School. They had a great deal of respect for J.P. Sanders, who had been the minister at Hillsboro Church of Christ, and I think he had a lot of influence on my parents and their wish for us to attend a Christian school.
Bo was a football player, and Lipscomb didn't have a football team at the time, so he wasn't quite as excited about the move as I was. We both graduated from Lipscomb High School, however, which is a tribute to my parents.
What is your favorite athletic memory at Lipscomb?
We were playing basketball at Union one night in Jackson, Tennessee my freshman year, and they were shutting us down with a zone defense. [Coach] 'Fessor Boyce put me in, I scored eight points, and my college career was underway. I should point out, this was way before three-point shots in basketball.
I have several good baseball memories too, but I'll leave it at that.
What do you remember about Lipscomb campus life during your time here?
In those days, campus life centered around the Student Center, located – believe it or not – in the basement of Administration Building and Collins Alumni Auditorium. Students had lots of reasons to hang out there – a ping pong table, food service, student lockers, and most of our classes were in that building. That was long before that beautiful Bennett Student Center that's on campus now.
I'm probably one of the few student-athletes to say this, but I never lived on campus. Our home was just a few blocks from campus, and with two sons paying tuition, it made much better financial sense to stay home.
What are some memorable stories from your time at Lipscomb?
I hope you're ready for a history lesson, because these took place when Lipscomb was building McQuiddy Gym around 1949.
Nile Yearwood built the building and Mr. Dutch was the foreman, who supervised a group of students to help. Harry Moneypenny, John Henderson, Jack Bradshaw, and me – and probably several others – worked on it, and our job for several days was to push wheelbarrow loads of concrete from outside the gym to wherever it was needed inside. One day we were delivering the concrete to the balcony that overlooked the playing floor, and Moneypenny – who was a big, strong guy – was right on the edge of the balcony when he let his wheelbarrow get away from him. The entire load – wheelbarrow, concrete, and all – crashed all the way down to the playing floor.
And before the roof was installed and the actual concrete floor was being constructed for the wood to be laid on top, loads and loads of steel rebar rods needed to be put in place throughout that giant floor. The crew was being rushed to finish construction in time, and naturally, a horrible thunderstorm arrived on the day set to distribute the rebar. I probably shouldn't tell this, but Mr. Dutch offered to pay us double money to carry those steel rods through that thunderstorm. It's a miracle nobody got struck dead that day, but it all worked out.
What's a lesson you learned from those days?
Well, it took me about 50 years, but it's the best lesson I can offer.
The story began when I came to Lipscomb as a hotshot high school athlete who had "the world by the tail." My first year in college was just what I expected – lots of playing time and success in both basketball and baseball. Before my sophomore year, however, coaching changes were made on both teams, and the new coach – for reasons I never figured out – didn't seem to appreciate my skill set. What had started as a career filled with hopes and accomplishments quickly turned into an athlete's nightmare, and I decided to transfer away from Lipscomb for my final two years.
Here's where my lessons began. Coming in as a junior at Tennessee, I was not going to see any significant playing time at either sport, but two good things came from my "retirement" as an athlete. First, I learned how to serve as a team manager and student trainer. That paved the way for medical training in the Tennessee National Guard several years later, which became significant in the Korean War when I was allowed to serve in a medical unit. And second, as a non-athlete I was recruited to train to be a basketball official. That experience led me to an 11-year career as a referee in the Southeastern and Ohio Valley Conferences, and those were some of the most memorable, entertaining, and exciting days of my life.
However, there was one more lesson for me to learn. For a full 50 years I simmered and stewed at that coach for derailing my athletic stardom, never fully understanding his reasons for failing to play me at the level I thought I deserved. Those years helped provide perspective for me and I began to realize that his decisions had inadvertently opened doors for me that offered unexpected and fulfilling opportunities. I finally took the chance to visit him, but unfortunately the chance came as he approached the end of his life. He was very sick when I looked him up and drove to the simple Nashville home where he and his wife lived. The three of us met in a dark room and I was given the blessing of apologizing to him for the unspoken bitterness I had held onto for so long. He was silent as I spoke, but as the words came from my lips giant tears began to well up in his eyes. His wife quietly slipped out of the room, and I amused myself by silently wondering if she was going to get a gun to use on me. Instead, she returned with a photo – a team photo that contained both coach and me … side by side. I could say nothing, but I somehow expressed my gratitude and left. Coach died soon after, and I have thanked God many times since that day for the opportunity and blessing of resolving our unspoken feud. If only I had done it sooner.
Who were your favorite professors?
One of my favorites was my Bible and Speech teacher, Dr. Ira North. I was crazy about him. One dreary, cold, rainy winter morning we walked into class and he led us in "Walking in Sunlight." It was perfect.
I also liked one of my English Literature teachers, Mabel-Dean Ehl. Her husband was a veteran, and I'm pretty sure they kept one of the dorms.
In addition to 'Fessor Boyce, one of my all-time favorite Lipscomb coaches was Bob Neil. He made an award-winning impression on me when I was young – a 7th grader whom he recruited be serve as batboy for the college baseball team. Can you imagine how I learned to look up to him and to those players? He taught me so many lessons about respect and appreciation for all men.
Where did you grow up?
From the third grade on, I've never lived anywhere but Nashville.
What do you do now?
I suppose you can say I'm retired from the insurance business. As soon as I graduated from Tennessee, I joined the Tennessee National Guard and eventually trained in the medical unit. My first full-time job in Nashville was as a teacher at Lipscomb High School. I coached
basketball and baseball, and I taught Pat Boone everything he knows about playing third base. We won the NIL (Nashville Interscholastic League) in baseball and advanced to the finals of the region. After two years working at the high school, I became Assistant to the President at the college for one year before making a career move into insurance at National Life. I worked 12 years there before moving to Tennessee Securities with the Gaw brothers; Doyle, Lloyd, and Charlie. After that I worked with Bill Wilson (GTS), my partner Bill Jaynes (Competitive Insurance) and eventually, AFLAC.
But you asked what I do now. I follow the Bisons, I worship at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ, and I volunteer as much as I can with The Bridge Ministry in Nashville.
Tell us about your family:
The week I came home from the Korean War, I flew into Nashville after my processing was complete in Fort Smith, Arkansas. My second night in town I went to a Bison Basketball game in McQuiddy Gym and saw this pretty little red-haired cheerleader. Jack Bradshaw told me quickly, "She's already taken."
She was dating a guy, so I played it easy until she returned to school the next fall for her junior year. That's how I met my wife, Mamie. We became engaged in February of 1955, we married in September, and she graduated the following year, walking across the stage to pick up her diploma pregnant with our first child, David. That boy "graduated" from Lipscomb twice – about 21 years apart. Mamie and I had 55 great years together, and she passed away from cancer in 2010.
We have three children – David, Leigh Ann (Mike Jones), and Mark (Dee); four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
FAST FINISH:
- Favorite food: Desserts
- Favorite TV show or movie: Blue Bloods
- Favorite Bible scripture: Philippians 4:13 – "I can do all things in him that strengthens me."
- Favorite sports team: The Bisons
- Pet peeve: Athletes who are hot dogs
- Person I most admire: My mother, for too many reasons to list
- Person I'd most like to meet: Franklin Graham
- Rather ride or drive? These days, I'd rather ride
- Pick one – salad or dessert: Dessert
- Dream vacation spot: Back when I played golf, Destin was my favorite place.
- Early morning or late night person? Early morning. I turn into a pumpkin about 9:00.
You can reach Bob via email at bobsmason@bellsouth.net.
