Something is definitely missing here. Looks like someone tried to fit this photo in an album, and a chunk disappeared. Was someone intent on cropping out the dogs?
At least four are still visible, in part; but who is their handler? Was he on a hunting trip or just a walk through the piney woods?
This picture and a few more to come are from a stash provided by Kirk Rosenhan, county fire services coordinator. If anyone recognizes man or dog in this faded shot, let us know at editor@starkvilledailynews.com and we'll put your answer in next week's edition.
Last week's picture of a young man giving some sort of instruction to three young women, somewhere on MSU's campus, drew three very different answers. Sue Gibson called to say the three women, going left to right, Lynn Shivers (now surnamed Huffman), Wendy Gibson (now Jolly), and Samantha Fields. Sue Gibson didn't know if Fields' name has changed.
“We've all decided that has to be Duncan McKenzie when he first started at the university,” she said.
Gibson said the moment captured was McKenzie talking to “Little Bulldogs” near the university gym around 1980. McKenzie, an MSU tight end in the late '70s, retired early this year as senior associate athletic director after 28 years on staff.
But Danny Thomas disagrees.
“I think I know the guy in the photo, Thomas wrote. “I think it's me. I was a Roadrunner 1982 through May 1984 and an Orientation Leader the summer of '83 and '84.”
Then there's a long exposition from Jimmy Abraham, retired executive director of the MSU Alumni Association and now vice chairman for client and business relations at Cadence Bank. He gave yet another detailed description, at variance with Gibson's and Thomas'.
“The ‘History Mystery’ picture in the Starkville Daily News this past Sunday (Aug. 7) is from Discovery: MSU, a campus-wide recruiting event that showcased Mississippi State University to prospective high school and community college students and their parents,” Abraham wrote in. “It was held on the Drill Field from 1982 to 2006 each fall in conjunction with an MSU home football game. More than 50 college and departmental displays and exhibits were set up along with numerous information tables representing various student organizations. MSU ice cream, sausage, and cheese samples were given away along with other refreshments, and university entertainment was provided. This picture was taken in 1983. In the background you can see part of the Discovery: MSU logo on an obelisk that was located at the entrance. You can also see the old shell of the Colvard Student Union in the background. Far left in the picture is Lesley Whitten Morton who at that time was an Admissions Counselor. Lesley’s hometown is Memphis and she now lives in Raymond. To the far right is Karen Smith Carter who was an MSU Roadrunner (student recruiter) in 1983. Karen grew up in Starkville and now lives in Denver. It looks like Lesley and Karen were assisting two prospective students who were visiting campus.”