Macon Magazine

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013 MACON MAGAZINE I 81 percent Hollywood, the Mark Smith story will be 100 percent fact. "Having a movie made follows a similar theme as the actual story: achieving a dream that many consider impossible," he said. Gholson is the son of the late Julius Gholson, superintendent of the Bibb County schools from 1958 until 1970, which consisted of the 12 years Jag was in the Bibb System. "Contrary to what most people think, being the superintendent's kid is a difficult role. If I made an "A" on a paper I would hear "it's because his dad is Superintendent." This applied to any personal accomplishment but I took it all in stride." His eight-grade class was the only one to complete all five years at Mark Smith graduating in 1970. From there it was on to West Georgia College where he earned a degree in marketing and management. Following his college graduation he entered the insurance industry. He is now located in Athens, where he intended to finish college. "I had planned to transfer to the University of Georgia for my junior and senior years, but I was impressed with the business department at West Georgia, and I am glad that I remained in their business program." Athens is also the home of his high school coach, Donald "Butch" Clifton, whom he says he sees periodically. "Coach Clifton is responsible for my move to Athens in 1992. He had agreed to coach the boys varsity basketball team for a few years while his son was at Athens Academy. "Coach asked some of the players for the '69 state championship team that lived in Macon and around Athens to come and support the team and share some of our thoughts to what it takes to be a championship team. I was living in Atlanta at the time and Athens had a nice community feel to it. It actually reminded me of the way things had been while growing up in Macon. So I moved the family and we have been in Athens ever since." His wife, Christine Shockley Gholson, is an artist, whose work can be viewed at her website christineshockley.com. They have two sons, John and David. John, like his mother, is an artist. David, the younger of the two, and his wife, Kristen, live in the Jacksonville, Fla., area where he works in marketing. Even though Gholson no longer has family in the Macon area, he keeps up with his Mark Smith family. "I stay in touch with David Lee and Charlie Anderson in Macon. Charlie and I were close friends from sixth grade on, and David and I became best friends our sophomore year in high school when he moved back to Macon from North Carolina. I consider everyone on the team family." M "My motivation was a combination of things, but at the top of the list was a desire to help young athletes be able to keep their dreams alive. This story contains all the elements of a Cinderella-type story that can motivate any sports team," Gholson

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