James Ferguson

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James S. Ferguson (born November 24, 1935 in Columbus, Mississippi; died March 17, 2021 in Woodstock, Georgia) was the former director of the "Million Dollar Band" at the University of Alabama and the "Pride of the South" band at the University of Mississippi, and the founder of Datron Software Services in Birmingham.

Ferguson was one of three children born to Verrell Pennington and Ruth Smith Ferguson. He graduated from S. S. Lee High School in 1953 and completed his bachelor of arts at the University of Mississippi in 1956. He began his career as an educator at Pontotoc High School in Pontotoc, Mississippi in 1957. A year later he took the same position at Marks High School (now M. S. Palmer High School) in Marks, Mississippi. In 1961 he was named director of bands at H. V. Cooper High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi. After completing a master's and doctor of education degree he was appointed director of bands and full professor at the University of Mississippi. In 1981 he took the same position at the University of Alabama, until his retirement in 1983.

Ferguson founded Datron Software Services in Birmingham. In 1992 he and his wife Micki moved to New Orleans, Louisiana where he completed a master's in social work at Tulane University. In 1996 they moved to Atlanta, Georgia and he took as job as an Oracle database administrator and data analyst until retiring again in 2011.

Ferguson died in 2021. he was survived by his wife, two sons, two stepchildren, two grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.

References

  • "James S. "Doc" Ferguson" obituary (March 24, 2021) Georgia Funeral Care and Cremation Services - accessed April 27, 2021