“The man I am today warrants not great fame; the glory lies within the roots I so proudly claim.”
Tucked away among hundreds of newspaper clippings, family photographs, sports rosters and civic awards, those lines from that short poem are framed inside Wardell Leach’s self-proclaimed “man cave.”
And yet, those two lines summarize the extraordinary life of former mayor, local volunteer, community leader, beloved coach and inspirational mentor…Mr. Wardell. Spending time with him inside his home, most of the conversation he shares involves the rich history, memories and influential people of his life. His life…from Jonestown to City Hall.
Yet, the Yazoo City native might be unaware of the influence he has made on so many others within Yazoo and beyond.
“I have had a blessed life with so many great people,” he said, looking over his wall of photographs. “let me tell you about them…”
Leach was born and raised in Yazoo City, the Jonestown area. As a youngster, he had no idea that he would be elected Yazoo City’s first black mayor.
“My grandfather had property in Jonestown, but he never voted,” he said. “Those were the times. So, I figured that I would bring him downtown to the mayor’s office when I was elected. I had his picture hanging there the whole time.”
Leach attended the Yazoo City Public School and Yazoo City Training School, where he was active in a variety of athletic programs. From baseball to football to track, he was an eager athlete. But he also focused on his studies as well.
“A big inspiration was Coach James Ingram and Coach Peter Boston,” he said. “And then there was Mr. (G.G.) Young, my algebra and biology teacher. You remember people like them.”
Leach served as captain of the football and track team his senior year of high school.
“I played football with Willie Brown,” he recalls. “He was a junior, and I was a senior. He was always good, big and fierce.”
Leach graduated from N.D. Taylor High School as an honor student in 1958. From there, he decided to enlist in the United States Army, where he served from June of 1962 until his honorable discharge in June of 1965.
“During my tenure, I spent 24 months in Germany, where I served as director of the American Youth Association, which provided recreational activities for American children in Germany,” he said.
Upon returning home from the services, Leach enrolled at Jackson State College, where he would later receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education, along with a Master of Science degree in administration.
“In college, I had to find something to play,” Leach said. “Most of my thinking was about sports. I served as captain for both the football and baseball teams. In football, I had somethings I needed to work on, so I wasn’t too good. But the thing I loved most was baseball.”
Leach received lettering for three years in football and four years in baseball. And it was baseball that kept him busy when he returned home to Yazoo City after college graduation.
“I was hired as a teacher and a coach,” he said. “I coached in the Yazoo City and Yazoo County schools in the areas of baseball and football for 29 years.”
Leach was named Coach of the Year in both sports during his coaching career. Aside from athletics, he also served as principal at the Yazoo City Middle School from 1990 until 1994. He also worked as an Independent Insurance Agent, along with the Yazoo Community Action summer programs.
Then the world of politics enticed Leach. And another chapter began for him.
Leach was elected as Ward 1 Alderman in 1993, serving as Mayor Pro-Tem in the absence of Mayor Hugh McGraw. And in 1998, he secured the top post of mayor, the first black mayor of the city of Yazoo City.
Leach served two terms as mayor and was elected President of the Mississippi Association of Black Mayors in 2005, along with numerous other committee seats and appointments.
But it wasn’t long before baseball returned to Leach’s life. He was inducted into the Mississippi Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Jackson State University’s Hall of Fame in 2003.
“I could never get away from baseball,” he said. “It’s just a part of me. I love it.”
That statement is confirmed with the number of baseball rosters, photographs, posters and more found within his home. It is as if Leach is a part of baseball’s story too.
Family is also extremely important to Leach, eager to show photographs of each member, along with a heartfelt story; especially about his wife, Mattie.
“When I first saw my wife, I asked, ‘who is that pretty gal,’” he said, with a smile. “That was 62 years ago. We were married two years after I said that.”
The secret to a lasting marriage?
“You have to have love of course,” he said. “But everything is give and take. Realize that you don’t know it all. Sometimes you will disagree, but don’t respond to everything. Just walk away.”
Judging by the many awards, tokens of appreciation and hundreds of family photographs, Leach’s advice is good to follow. There may have been hills and valleys, but his life journey has been remarkable.
“Not to brag, but every time I got involved in, they made me a leader,” he said. “That’s a good thing to say about life I guess.”
It is a good thing to say about life. It’s good to know the poem that hangs in the Leach home is true…it’s the roots that make a man.
