Mississippi’s Greatest Athletes: Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward Photo courtesy of the Mississippi Hall of Fame

Charlie Ward, of Pelahatchie, was a star at both Copiah-Lincoln Junior College and at Millsaps College in the pre- World War II era. “Chunkin’ Charlie,” as he was called, played for Co-Lin in 1937-38 and for Millsaps in 1938-41. At Co-Lin he was captain and all-state quarterback for the state championship team in 1938. He played three sports – football, basketball and baseball. He was an all-state basketball guard in 1938. At Millsaps, Ward was a pitcher on the baseball team from 1938-41.

He was a quarterback, passer, and punter in 1939 and 1940. In basketball he was second- team All-Dixie in 1939, and was All-Dixie guard in 1940-41. He was a part of the Dixie Conference championship team in 1940. During World War II, Ward was a member from 1942-45 of the Norfolk Naval Air Station basketball team that in 1945 was named by the Dunkle Rating System as the No. 1 team in the U.S. Ward was honored many times for his athletic accomplishments. He was named to the Crossroads Diamond Club Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009, was a charter member of the Copiah-Lincoln Hall of Fame in 1968, and was a charter member of the Millsaps College Sports Hall of Fame.

Back in his youth, Ward was a pitcher on the Jackson Henry H. Graves American Legion baseball team that won the state championship in 1935. Ward died in 2007 at the age of 89.

Courtesy of Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum director Rick Cleveland, author of Mississippi’s Greatest Athletes. Cleveland can be reached at rcleveland@msfame.com.