Video: Barrier Breaking Athlete Honored in his Hometown

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) -The newest exhibit at the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau honors a man who helped break racial barriers during the 1960s and 1970s.

An exhibit highlighting the life of scholar athlete Frank Dowsing Junior was unveiled at the CVB.

Dowsing transferred from Carver to Tupelo High School in 1967, where he graduated sixth in his class. He signed with Mississippi State in 1969 and was elected in 1972 as the first African American to be named Mr MSU.

Family members say they are overwhelmed with the honor.

“It means an awful lot to me, I’m very excited about the exhibit, Frank really loved Tupelo and Mississippi State and really worked hard, like I said, to give his best in those endeavors here and so to see it recognized, especially by the city he loved so much is very important to me and my family.”

Dowsing passed away in 1994. The exhibit is in recognition of Black History Month.