Bonnie Brown: Q&A with Former University Printer, Joe Maples

*The latest installment in the Ole Miss Retirees features is former university printer, Joe Maples. The organization’s mission is to enable all of the university’s faculty and staff retirees to maintain and promote a close association with the university. It is the goal of the Ole Miss Faculty/Staff Retirees Association to maintain communication by providing opportunities to attend and participate in events and presentations.

It was always easy to work with Joe Maples on any printing project at Ole Miss.  He was so helpful and accommodating. He didn’t give you grief when you brought a project that was up against a deadline but found ways to help you turn out a professional document.  He was concerned with every aspect of the job, always respectful, hard-working, and took pride in his work.

Photo courtesy of Joe Maples.

Brown: Where did you grow up?  Where did you go to school?

Maples: I grew up in Oxford in the house on the corner of Molly Barr (which wasn’t a road when I was a child) and Chickasaw.  My parents still live there. I attended Oxford City Schools, graduating in 1975.

Brown: What is special about the place you grew up?

Maples: Oxford at that time, in the 1970’s, was still a small town and I enjoyed the freedom of living in a place where you knew almost everybody, and they knew who your parents were.  The house I grew up in didn’t have many neighbors and was surrounded by woods.  I spent a lot of time roaming and exploring those woods with my brother and sister and friends.  It was a simpler time.

Brown: Tell us how/when your “Ole Miss story” began.  Who hired you? How long did you work at Ole Miss?

Maples: My first job at Ole Miss was painting dorm rooms for Student Housing for three summers while I was still in high school.  After graduating from Oxford High School, I was hired by James Parks at Printing Services (now known as the Publishing Center).  I worked there for 36 years. I started out as the delivery man then moving to a pressman position, shop foreman, supervisor of Printing Services and then associate director of the Publishing Center.

Brown: What position did you hold?  What were your job responsibilities?

Maples: As associate director of the Publishing Center I was responsible for 20 employees, purchasing, estimating, job scheduling, maintenance of the equipment, and inventory.

Brown: I know you’ve often held multiple jobs.  How did you balance those with your full time job?

Maples: With very little sleep!  My part-time jobs were mostly during the night.  I began working at Avent’s Dairy at age 15 (2 a.m. – 6 a.m.) and continued there until the dairy closed in 1999.  I then went to work overnight at Wal-Mart (12 a.m – 6 a.m). I also cut firewood, roofed, and called softball games on the weekend.  I have also run the clock for several different sports for Lafayette Middle and High schools.

Brown: What was your “best” and “worst” day at work and why?

Maples: My best day was the day we were able to salvage an important job for the dedication of the Jamie Whitten building.  There was a tight time schedule and an error was found after the job was printed. We were able to correct it without having to reprint the whole job; delivering the job on time.

My worst day would be the day a coworker had a heart attack at the Southeastern Printer’s Conference that we were hosting.  Thankfully, the employee recovered and returned to work a few weeks later.

Brown: What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?

Maples: I took the advice that I now share with anyone who asks:  “Find a job and stick with it; don’t job hop.”

Brown: Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished?

Maples: I am most impressed with my children, Courtney and Hunter.  They both graduated from Ole Miss and both have bought houses this year.  I did not attend college; choosing instead to go straight to work after high school so I am most impressed that they both have a college degree.  When they were growing up Kim and I told them repeatedly that our goal was to raise them to be productive members of society . . . they are, and we are proud of them.

Kim and Joe Maples with grandchildren Tanner and Emma Jo McCoy. Photo courtesy of Joe Maples .

Brown:  What are some of the events in your life that made you who you are?

Maples:  Being the oldest of three shaped who I am.  My wife likes to say that I was born old and responsible.  The time I spent hunting and fishing with my grandfather and father turned me into an outdoorsman.  Both of my grandfathers died when I was young made an impact on me also.  My parents have influenced me greatly by raising me to be responsible, honest, fair and hardworking. To this day I try not to disappoint them.

Brown: What became your new routine after you retired from work?  Do you have hobbies?

Maples:  Every day is different.  A good day starts with reading the paper while enjoying breakfast in “my” booth at my favorite convenience store.  I still work doing all sorts of things. I run the clock/scoreboard on Friday nights for the Lafayette Commodore football games.  I am a transport officer (taking inmates to doctor appointments) with the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office. I cut, split, and deliver firewood and I cut grass.  I also enjoy spending time at the hunting club getting it ready for hunting season. In the winter I do a lot of deer hunting. I don’t have much time for hobbies, but I do enjoy watching sports at all levels from T-ball through professional.

Brown:  Tell us something about yourself that people might not know.

Maples:  My bark is worse than my bite—I’m tenderhearted.

Photo courtesy of Joe Maples Joe Maples with
Granddaughter Emma Jo

Brown:  What do you want to be remembered for?

Maples:  I would like to be remembered for being a hard worker and an honest man.

Brown:  Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?

Maples:  My wife, Kim and I have been married 35 years and have two grown children who we are thankful to live in Lafayette County.  Courtney and her husband, Derrick, live in Yocona and Hunter and his wife, Miranda live at Lafayette Springs. We have 2 grandchildren, Tanner (7) and Emma Jo (1) who call me Poppa!

Front row: Tanner McCoy, Courtney Maples McCoy, Emma Jo McCoy, Kim Barron Maples, Miranda House Maples, Hunter Maples; back row Derrick McCoy, Joe Maples. Photo courtesy of Joe Maples.

Bonnie Brown is a retired staff member of the University of Mississippi. She most recently served as Mentoring Coordinator for the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy.

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