GENERAL SAMUEL EGBERT ANDERSON (1906-1982)
General Samuel E. Anderson was a 1928 graduate of the United States Military Academy, and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps immediately upon graduation. He served in both World War II and the Korean War, and eventually became a 4-star general. Anderson was an early trainer of pilots at Chanute Field, and later flew combat missions in both fighters and medium bombers. He first saw combat in the Pacific Theater during 1942 and was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in action near Port Moresby. Transferring to the European Theater in 1943, Anderson took command of the 3rd Bombardment Wing, 9th Air Force, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement in combat missions over Germany. Before the end of 1943, he became the overall commander of the 9th Bomber Command and held that position for the remainder of the war. In his later career he commanded the 5th Air Force in Korea, the 8th Air Force, and the Air Force Logistics Command. His great grandmother was Nancy Jane Paisley, 1819-1890, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
GENERAL CHARLES GRAHAM BOYD (1938-2022)
General “Chuck” Boyd was a four-star general in the U.S. Air Force, a highly-decorated pilot, and a veteran of the Vietnam War. He lived seven years as a prisoner-of-war, and is the only prisoner-of-war ever to reach the four-star general rank. He was shot down and captured in April 1966 on his 105th air mission, endured the infamous Hanoi March, and was finally released in 1973. His 3rd great grandmother was Deliverance Ann Paisley, 1791-1849, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
BURL J. BOYKIN (1940-2013)
Burl Boykin learned to yodel before he learned to read or write. While in high school in Beaumont TX, he learned to play guitar, then formed a band called The Rockin’ Rebels with Johnny Winter as the lead guitarist. Boykin, who became known as “Little Elvis” went on to promote, travel, and perform on the road with Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, June Carter, Carl Perkins, and The Statler Brothers. In 1999 he was elected to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Boykin’s 4th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
LAWRENCE NEVILLE BRAND (1920-1992)
Neville Brand was an American soldier and actor, characterized by villainous and antagonistic roles in Westerns, crime dramas and films noir. He was nominated for a BAFTA award for his performance in Riot in Cell Block 11, and was perhaps best known for his starring role in the television series, Laredo. During World War II, Brand served in the 331st Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Infantry Division where he received numerous citations including the Silver Star and Purple Heart. His 3rd great grandmother was Nancy Margaret Pasley, 1810-1900, of Franklin County, Virginia.
CHARLES PATTERSON CANTRELL (1874-1948)
Born in Tennessee, Private Charles P. Cantrell entered military service in Nashville in 1898. He was assigned to the 10th Infantry Regiment, and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor at Santiago, Cuba during the Spanish-American War. His citation reads, “Gallantly assisted in the rescue of the wounded from in front of the lines and under heavy fire from the enemy.” After the war he married and quietly lived in the Nashville area the rest of his life. He was buried in the Nashville National Cemetery. His 7th great grandmother was Jane Peaslee, 1625-1685, an early immigrant to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
LENORE COHRONE (1890-1988)
Lenore Cohrone was an operatic soprano whose performing name was “Leonora Corona”. She was considered a child prodigy, giving solo piano recitals in Dallas, Texas where she grew up. Eventually Cohrone turned to opera, studying voice in New York and Italy where she made her operatic debut, and later performed at La Scala in Milan. She toured with the Bracale Opera Company before joining the Metropolitan Opera where she performed for eight seasons in twelve operas. She performed at both Carnegie Hall and Opera Comique in Paris. Her great grandmother was Cynthia Denny Paisley, 1808-1882, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
KATHLEEN COLLINS (1903-1994)
Kathleen Alston Collins was a film actress of the silent era. She co-starred with numerous famous actors like Ken Maynard and Harry Caray in approximately 20 feature films including Black Cyclone (1925), and Daniel Boone Thru the Wilderness (1926). Only her last film, Border Devils (1932) with Harry Caray, was a “talkie”. Kathleen Collins retired from acting and married Army Lieutenant Ralph Morris Osborne who went on to serve in both World War II and the Korean War, and became Major General Ralph Osborne, Commandant of the American Sector of Berlin until his retirement in 1961. Her 4th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
LT COLONEL THOMAS CLINTON DILLARD (1914-2002)
After earning a Bronze Star flying in the China-Burma theatre during World War II, LTC Tom Clinton Dillard became a well-known and highly-respected newspaper photographer who developed several advanced photography techniques using World War II-era aerial cameras. But, he became most famous while working as a photographer for the Dallas Morning News when he photographed the John F. Kennedy Assassination. His photographs, including his most famous one called the “Dillard Photograph” looking up at the open windows in the Texas School Book Depository, became part of the Warren Commission Report in which he testified as a witness. His 3rd great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
EDMOND RUFUS DOAK JR. (1898-1986)
Edmond R. Doak was a stockroom worker for aviation pioneer Glenn Martin at age 15, and 45 years later became a pioneer in his own right when his vertical takeoff and landing airplane made a successful, but short-lived, debut. A native of San Antonio who traced his first interest in flight to watching storm funnels move across the nearby prairies, Doak came to Los Angeles in 1910, met Martin, and began a long career in the aircraft industry to support his family. He founded Doak Aircraft in 1939 and built plywood training planes and aircraft parts for the World War II effort. After the war, he began experimenting with vertical takeoff airplanes, which culminated in the ducted-propeller, tilt-rotor VZ-4, a direct forerunner of the current V-22 Osprey. The VZ-4, also known as the Doak 16, first flew in 1958 and is now preserved and on display in the U.S. Army transportation museum, Fort Eustis, Virginia. His 2nd great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
DR. VINCENT HARRIS DUCKLES (1913-1985)
Dr. Vincent H. Duckles was Head of the Music Library and Professor in the Department of Music at the University of California, Berkeley. He held degrees in Librarianship and Musicology. During his long, distinguished career he built the university’s music library into one of the country’s most important collections. Duckles was called the nation’s foremost music bibliographer of his generation. His great grandmother was Harriet B. Paisley of Logan County, Kentucky.
MARY LOUISE PALMER DUNN (1942-2008)
Mary Palmer Dunn was an American instructor of Iyengar yoga, and a founding member of its institutes in America. She was seen as a teacher’s teacher within the tradition. She was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan in a house designed for her parents by Frank Lloyd Wright. Her father was a professor of economics at the University of Michigan. Her mother was a student of B. K. S. Iyengar, and helped bring him to the United States in 1973. Dunn immediately began her study of yoga, eventually becoming a founding director of the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States, and a co-founder of the Iyengar Yoga institutes in San Francisco, San Diego, and New York City. Her 4th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
IDA MAE PINCKNEY FULLER (1867-1922)
Ida Fuller (nee Pinckney) was a world-renown interpretative dancer of the Belle Epoche period. She was the sister-in-law of Loie Fuller, and, like Loie, became synonymous with “skirt dancing”, also known as “butterfly” or “serpentine” dancing. Assisted by her lighting expert husband, Ida developed and performed the “Fire Dance” throughout Europe and the United States. Her mother was Margaret Ann Paisley, 1837-1870, of Hancock County, Iowa.
EARL “SMITTY” GATLIN (1953-2023)
Earl “Smitty” Gatlin was perhaps the smoothest and best-loved lead singer in Southern Gospel in the 1960’s. After a stint with the Country Boys (a backup group), Gatlin purchased and restarted a group known as the Oak Ridge Quartet, which adapted the “Nashville sound” and quickly became one of the most popular gospel singing groups of the time. Gatlin died of cancer at a young age. He was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1999. His grandmother was Mamie Elvira Paisley, 1885-1960, of Giles County, Tennessee.
GENE MCCORKLE GOMES (1946-2018)
Gene Gomes was an attorney and later a judge in Fresno, California. He was appointed to the California Courts of Appeal in 2002, and served in that capacity until his death. His 3rd great grandmother was Elenor Johnson Paisley, 1778-1843, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
JACK EDGAR HAFER JR.
Jack Edgar Hafer Jr. is CEO, Boulevard Pictures, former VP and GM of GMT Studios, a member of the Producers Guild of America, and Associate Professor and Film Chair at Biola University. In 2001, he produced the movie, To End All Wars, starring Robert Carlyle and Kiefer Sutherland. The movie won Best Picture at the Heartland Film Festival, was showcased at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for Peace, and was awarded the Commander in Chief Medal of Service, Honor & Pride by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. His 3rd great grandmother was Hannah Mariah Paisley 1816-1850, of Giles County, Tennessee.
JESSE LEE HALL (1849-1911)
Jesse Lee Hall, a former school teacher, became Town Marshall of Sherman, Texas in 1870. He joined the Texas Rangers in 1876 and was immediately posted to the Nueces Strip. He solved a bank robbery in Goliad, then took command of the Ranger company formerly led by Texas Ranger-legend, Leander McNelly. Hall then led his Rangers to break up the Sutton-Taylor Feud and the King Fisher rustling gang. In later years, Hall raised two companies of soldiers to serve in the Spanish-American War and served as a scout in the Philippines. After his death, he was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame. His grandmother was Polly Mebane Paisley, 1800-1829, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
HAL BRANTLEY HARGROVE
Brantley Hargrove is a journalist who has written for Wired, Popular Mechanics, and Texas Monthly. He’s gone inside the effort to reverse-engineer super tornadoes using supercomputers and has chased violent storms from the Great Plains down to the Texas coast. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife, Renee. His widely acclaimed first book, The Man Who Caught the Storm, traces the life and death of storm chaser, Tim Samaras. Hargrove’s 6th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
CLARENCE WILSON HEWLETT JR. (1921-2006)
Clarence Hewlett Jr.’s father was a Doctor of Research Physics who worked for the General Electric Corporation, and Clarence Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps, earning a BS in Physics at Harvard, and an MS in Mathematics at Columbia. He held numerous patents in the design of electrical circuitry while also working at General Electric. During World War II, he designed the instrumentation for the Manhattan Project that was used to separate Uranium 235 from 238, and was recognized for his critical role in developing the Uranium Diffusion Plant at Oak Ridge. Hewlett was also a Master Level chess player and holder of the Brilliancy Prize awarded by the New York State Chess Masters. In retirement he became the Virginia State Champion in the game of Othello. His 3rd great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
WILLIS ESKRIDGE HUNT (1913-1969)
Willis E. Hunt was the son of Pioneer Paper Company magnate, Willis Gustavus Hunt of Los Angeles. The younger Willis became a yacht broker to numerous Hollywood stars. He was married five times, including marriages to actresses Carole Landis and Deannie Best. In 1969, Deannie Best stabbed Hunt to death, but was later acquitted on grounds of self-defense. Willis Hunt’s great grandmother was Miriam Hallings Paisley of Emporia, Kansas.
MADGE FISHER HARRAH (1931-2011)
Madge Harrah (nee Fisher) was a playwright, author, and illustrator. She also wrote music. Harrah published twelve books and over 400 articles, won two international playwrighting contests, and exhibited her paintings in juried shows. She was probably best known for her award-winning childhood fiction books including My Brother, My Enemy. In 2000, Harrah was given a lifetime achievement award by the College of Education, University of Missouri. Her 5th great grandmother was Jane Paisley, 1737-1804, of Guilford County, North Carolina and Logan County, Kentucky.
DEREK BRUCE HOUGH
Derek Hough is a professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is the brother of Julianne Hough. For nearly a decade he performed on the televised dance competition series, Dancing With the Stars. Hough received 11 nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards, and received the award three times. More recently, he has served as a judge on both Dancing With the Stars and World of Dance. Additionally Hough has appeared as a television, stage, and movie actor in various productions. His great grandfather was Oscar Calvin Paisley, 1888-1991, of Kootenai County, Idaho.
JULIANNE ALEXANDRA HOUGH
Julianne Hough is a dancer, actress, and singer. She is the sister of Derek Hough. She has appeared on Dancing With the Stars as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. She has been nominated three times for Primetime Emmy Awards and won once. Hough has had leading roles in several movies, including Footloose, Rock of Ages, and Safe Haven. She has also hosted the Tony Awards. Her great grandfather was Oscar Calvin Paisley, 1888-1991, of Kootenai County, Idaho.
ELIZABETH PAISLEY HUCKABY (1905-1999)
Elizabeth Huckaby (nee Paisley) was an educator in the state of Arkansas. As the Vice-Principal for Girls of Little Rock Central High School, she was given responsibility for protecting the six female members of the first nine black students admitted to the school following desegregation. Her book, Crisis At Central High: Little Rock, 1957-58, was based on a diary she kept of those events. She was portrayed by Joanne Woodward in the 1981 television movie based on the book.
TRAVIS CALVIN JACKSON (1903-1987)
Travis “Stonewall” Jackson was a Major League Baseball shortstop. He played for the New York Giants from 1922 to 1936, helping the team to the 1933 World Series championship. He also represented the Giants in the 1934 Major League All-Star Game. After retirement from active play he managed minor league teams until 1960, and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His 2nd great grandmother was Martha Paslay, 1799-1887, of Laurens County, South Carolina.
GEORGE FREDERICK JEWETT JR. (1927-2008)
“Fritz” Jewett retired as Vice Chairman of the Board of Potlatch Corporation in 1999. He had a life-long interest in sailing and chaired five America’s Cup syndicates, including victories in 1980 with Freedom and 1987 with Stars and Stripes. A philanthropist, Jewett helped establish the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, was a trustee of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and an Associate of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. His 8th great grandmother was Mary Peaslee, 1627-1689, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
ALICE PAISLEY FLACK KIERNAN (1870-1953)
Alice Paisley Kiernan (nee Flack) was a vice president and leading recruiter in the suffrage movement. A farm woman from Somerset County, Pennsylvania, she spoke locally and throughout the state about women’s right to vote. In 1916, over 800 women gathered at her home to complete the Pennsylvania State Suffrage Flag. She earned the trust of rural farming communities through her unpretentious speeches that inspired women to view voting as a practical means of protecting themselves and their children. Her mother was Nancy Paisley, 1840-1873, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
JAMES PATRICK KILGO (1941-2002)
James Kilgo grew up in Darlington, SC, earned a PhD at Tulane, and became Professor Honoratus at the University of Georgia, the head of the university’s Department of Creative Writing. A noted author who battled cancer most of his adult life, he was elected posthumously to the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. Kilgo was known nationally for his essays on hunting, nature, family, and history, as well as several successful works of fiction, including The Colors of Africa and Daughter of My People, the latter of which earned him the Townsend Prize for Fiction. His 4th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1850-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
FRED FERDINAND KITZING JR. (1911-1997)
For more than five decades, Fred Kitzing was a seminal thought leader in the exhibition industry. From 1950-1993, his company, Kitzing, Inc., aka THE Trade Show Marketing Agency, helped define the exhibit design and construction industry. Kitzing became known as “The Father of Trade Show Marketing”. His 2nd great grandmother was Elenor Johnson Paisley, 1778-1843, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
DEEGEE LESTER
DeeGee Lester is the head and founder of the Hellenic Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Tennessee, and the retired Director of Education for The Parthenon Museum in Nashville. As an award-winning educator, author, and supporter of culture, she has guided more than 150 practitioners of programs and workshops, and led the design of numerous Parthenon exhibitions, including “Romancing the Acropolis” of the Benaki Museum. In 2018 she collaborated with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra to create a series of events for the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day. Her great grandmother was Elizabeth M. A. Paisley, 1852-1933, of Giles County, Tennessee.
BRUCE ALAN LIETZKE (1951-2018)
Bruce Lietzke was a professional golfer best known by fans for his “easy-going” style. He won thirteen PGA tournaments from 1977 to 1994. His first tour win was the Joe Garagiola Tucson Open in 1977, and went on to win twelve more tour tournaments during the next seventeen years. He won the Canadian Open twice (1978 and 1982). The closest he came to winning a major tournament was in 1991 when he finished second in the PGA Championship. He was known for rarely practicing during his entire career, utilizing an over-the-top swing to produce a consistent fade that required little to no maintenance. He also pioneered, and helped develop the long putter. Lietzke later went over to the Champions Tour where he won seven more times including one major (the 2003 United States Senior Open). He passed away after a battle with Glioblastoma, which was diagnosed in 2017. His 4th great grandfather was Revolutionary War veteran John Paisley, of Guilford & Wilkes Counties, North Carolina.
CHARLES HENRY LUNDQUIST (1920-2006)
Charles Henry Lundquist, an Oregon native, was a World War II pilot and highly successful businessman. After working some years for U.S. Steel in California, he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, and organized a group of investors who began founding and developing several small businesses. This led to his eventual founding of Continental Development Corporation where he was president and CEO, and where his son, Richard, is now president. In 1994, the University of Oregon, where he graduated, named their college of business for him and awarded him their highest honor, their Presidential Medal. His 2nd great grandmother was Mary Ann Paisley of Guilford County, North Carolina.
BERT DEEMS MAY JR.
Deems May played college football for the University of North Carolina Tarheels and was a 7th round draft pick for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He then played 8 seasons at tight end in the NFL, for the San Diego Chargers from 1992 to 1996, and for the Seattle Seahawks from 1997 to 1999. He is currently Senior Business Development Advisor for MAI Capital Management in Charlotte, NC. May’s 6th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
EDGAR ALLYN MCKEEN JR. (1905-1978)
Allyn McKeen played football for the University of Tennessee during the first two years of long-tenured and legendary coach, General Robert Reese Neyland. Besides becoming a star football player, McKeen also lettered for the University in basketball, track, and tennis. After graduation, he turned down an offer to be an assistant coach under Neyland, and returned to Memphis to practice law. But, he was finally talked into coaching, becoming the head coach of Western Tennessee Teachers College (now Memphis State University) where he led the team to an undefeated season in 1938 as the highest scoring school in the nation. This led to an offer to be the head coach of Mississippi State University where he became the longest-tenured and winningest coach in the school’s history, winning the SEC championship in 1941. In 1948, his last year of coaching, McKeen’s Bulldogs defeated General Neyland’s Vols. His 3rd great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
ROBERT HENRY MCKENZIE (1950-1993)
Rob “Fast Floyd” McKenzie gained fame as a guitarist in the pioneering punk rock band, Mink DeVille, which he formed with his childhood friend, Billy Borsey aka Willie DeVille, in New York City. They became the house band at Club CBGB, the epicenter of New York Punk. He later formed a band called Fast Floyd and the Fabulous Firebirds, based in San Francisco. His 7th great grandmother was Sarah Peaslee, 1642-1736, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Dr. JAMES EDWIN MCLEAN
Dr. James E. McLean, Dean and Professor Emeritus for the College of Education, University of Alabama, is renowned as a transformational leader in the fields of research methodology, measurement, and education. He is a 4-time recipient of the “Outstanding Research Paper Award” presented by the Mid-South Educational Research Association, the author of over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles as well as over 150 peer-reviewed presentations to various national associations, and co-founder and editor of Research In The Schools, a nationally/internationally refereed journal of the MSERA. His 2nd great grandmother was Mary Ann Paisley, Guilford County, North Carolina.
ARCHIE LEE MEYERS JR. (1937-2023)
Archie Meyers was a person of many talents. He was a novelist, an international lecturer on effective business management practices and corporate ethics, as well as the Chairman and CEO of Crawford & Company, the world’s largest independent claims management company serving the insurance industry. He played football at the University of Georgia, served as a board member of fraternal and business organizations in several states, and also chaired the Chattanooga State College Foundation. As a novelist, Meyers wrote numerous widely-read works including Mountain Justice and Appalachian Intrigue. His 5th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
JAMES CALVIN MILAM (1872-1949)
“Uncle Cal” Milam was a thoroughbred horse owner, trader, and trainer. He owned or trained numerous thoroughbred racing horses, but is best remembered as the owner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby champion, Exterminator. Exterminator eventually raced 99 times and was the 1922 American Horse of the Year. Milam’s great grandmother was Mary Paslay, 1786-1855, of Laurens County, South Carolina.
MADISON FRED MITCHELL JR. (1923-2013)
Fred Mitchell, a highly regarded painter, belonged to the New York School Abstract Impressionist Artists whose influence and artistic innovation had been recognized around the world by the mid-1950’s. Mitchell moved to New York City in 1951 and was one of the first painters to open a studio in the lower Manhattan area known as Coenties Slip. From 1952-2000, Mitchell also taught at various colleges and universities in the New York area. His works have been displayed at over two dozen solo exhibits. His 2nd great grandmother was Martha Paslay, 1799-1887, of Laurens County, South Carolina.
STEPHANIE LYNN NICKS
“Stevie” Nicks is a singer, songwriter, and producer known both for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. She joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 and helped the band become one of the best-selling music acts of all time with over 120 million records sold. Nicks began her solo career in 1981 and eventually released albums also certified multi-platinum. She is the first woman to be twice-elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has garnered Grammy Awards both as a solo artist and with the Fleetwood Mac band. Her 10th great grandmother was Jane Peaslee, 1625-1685, an early immigrant to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
BOB PAISLEY
Robert “Bob” Paisley, of Durhamshire, England, was a professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with the Liverpool Football Club and is regarded, due to his achievements with the club, as one of the greatest managers of all time. Reluctantly taking the managerial job in 1974, he became the first of three managers to have won the European Cup three times. He was also one of five managers to have won the English top-flight championship as both a player and manager at the same club.
BRADLEY DOUGLAS PAISLEY
Brad Paisley is a country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has released 11 studio albums, all certified gold or higher, and 35 top-10 singles, 20 of which have reached number one on US Billboard Country Airplay. Paisley has sold more than 11 million albums, and has won three Grammy Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, and two American Music Awards. He has performed at the White House, written songs for Pixar’s Cars franchise, and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
DANIEL PATRICK PAISLEY
Danny Paisley is a singer, guitarist, and front man for the Blue Grass band, Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass, which was originally founded by his father, Bob Paisley. The band performs in both the U.S. and Europe and has appeared in several notable events including the inauguration of Jimmy Carter, the official visit of Princess Anne, and at the Library of Congress. Their song, Don’t Throw Mama’s Flowers Away, was voted the 2009 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Song of the Year. Danny Paisley was also the IBMA’s 2016 Male Vocalist of the Year.
REV. IAN RICHARD KYLE PAISLEY (1926-2014)
For decades, the Reverend Ian Paisley dominated the Northern Ireland political scene like a colossus. He was the single most controversial figure to have emerged in Ireland during the 20th century. In addition to becoming a European MP, establishing a Guinness record for the highest ever individual vote polled in the British Isles, and being a co-founder of the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, Paisley authored numerous books and founded his own newspaper, the Protestant Telegraph, to spread his message. He was also instrumental in founding the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, and frequently preached to various Ulster congregations. In 2010 Paisley became a life peer and was introduced to the British House of Lords as Baron Barnside.
JACQUELINE PAISLEY (1963-2017)
“Jackie” Paisley was a professional female bodybuilder. After studying music at Carnegie Mellon and Arizona State Universities, she achieved a reputation as one of Arizona’s top aerobics instructors. This drew her to bodybuilding. After a long run of top finishes in various contests, she won the title of IFBB Ms. International in 1989. After retirement she became a professional nutritionist.
JOHN ARTHUR PAISLEY (1923-1978)
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, John Paisley was a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. He was a native of Oklahoma, and worked as a radio operator in the Merchant Marine during World War II wherein he spent time in both Cuba and Russia, learning both Spanish and Russian. Sometime following the war (debated as to when) he began working for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. He rose through the ranks to become part of the CIA’s inner circle, developing key information on Russian developments. Exceptionally liberal for his time, he also became deeply involved in the ever-changing politics in Washington. In 1978, after being alone on a sailing trip, his body (also debated) was found partially decomposed in the Patuxent River, Maryland with a single gunshot wound behind his left ear (he was right-handed), along with diving weights tied to his waist. His sailing boat was found some miles away. There continues a strong debate as to whether Paisley was murdered or committed suicide, or whether the body found was even his. And, if murdered, whether it was by the CIA, other entities within the so-called “Deep State”, or the Russians.
MELVYN ROBERT PAISLEY (1924-2001)
Melvin Paisley was raised in a logging camp in Oregon. During World War II, he became a P-47 pilot in the 9th Air Force, downed six enemy planes, and was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he went to engineering school, eventually obtaining a master’s degree from MIT. Paisley worked for Boeing for some years, then was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President Ronald Reagan from 1981 through 1987. In 1991 he was indicted by federal prosecutors as part of Operation Ill Wind, and pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from an Israeli drone manufacturer, and for assisting Sperry Corporation in securing a contract for the Aegis Defense System. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison, released in 1995, and died of cancer six years later. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
RHONDA PAISLEY
Rhonda Paisley is an artist, author, and former politician in Northern Ireland. She is the 2nd daughter of Reverend Ian Paisley. Living as a single, born-again Christian and vegetarian, prior to her father’s death, she famously sued the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for religious discrimination, receiving an out-of-court settlement, then sued her father’s Democratic Unionist Party for sex discrimination, also receiving an out-of-court settlement and apology from the party. She has authored several books, including children’s books, as well as a book about her famous father.
WILLIAM LOUIS PAPPAN (1894-1935)
William Pappan was a member of the Kaw Nation of Oklahoma. He became a Prohibition Agent for the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Treasury Department, now known as the BATF. He became the first native-American BATF agent killed in the line of duty when he was beaten and shot multiple times, execution-style, outside a Tulsa, Oklahoma night club. Two known felons were later convicted of murder in the crime. Pappan’s grandmother was Synthia Emmaline Pasley, 1848-1927, originally of Morgan County, Illinois.
ERIC THOMAS PASLAY
Eric Paslay is a country music singer and songwriter. He has released one album, which contains his hit singles, Friday Night, Song About a Girl, and She Don’t Love You. Paslay has also written several hit singles for other artists, and has done collaborations with Amy Grant, Dierks Bentley, and Charles Kelley.
MIRIAM GREENE PASLAY (1869-1932)
For over 30 years, Miriam Greene Paslay was a professor in Latin and Greek at the Mississippi State College for Women in Columbus. She was a noted classical scholar, writing articles for several journals. She had a life-long personal relationship with a fellow faculty member, Pauline Van de Graaf Orr. Both were active in the suffrage movement in Mississippi. Together, they moved to New York City in 1920 and lived out their lives there. In 2008, a thesis dissertation about their lives and relationship called, A “Boston marriage” in Mississippi was published.
AARON MERRILL PEASLEY (1775 – 1837)
Aaron M. Peasley was a highly-skilled engraver, silversmith, artist, goldsmith, die-sinker, and inventor (he held an 1818 U.S. patent for an improvement to organs). His early career appears to have included some nefarious behavior – in 1804 several men were arrested near Boston carrying large amounts of counterfeit bank notes for several prominent Boston banks, as well as engraved printing plates. The notes were said to have been nearly perfect and not typically detectable as counterfeit. Additionally, the authorities were seeking a “Mr. Peasley” who was the person alleged to have engraved the plates. We now believe this was Aaron Merrill Peasley, but, for reasons lost to history, he was never arrested. In the meantime, Aaron Peasley pursued a more honest career in several metal-working areas, including, most famously, the design, engraving, and stamping of metal buttons. Today, Aaron Merrill Peasley buttons are highly-prized collectibles, many selling for several hundred dollars each. Among his many designs were numerous military buttons, including buttons worn by men of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and several militia units that were active around the time of the War of 1812. In particular, In 1804, he designed and engraved a classic, and enduring, button for the U.S. Marine Corps that depicts a spread eagle perched on a fouled anchor under 13 stars. Apparently, no likeness of Mr Peasley has survived. Yet, we have arguably a more fitting remembrance of him in the buttons that still adorn the ‘dress blues” of United States Marines, the essence of which dates to Aaron Merrill Peasley’s 1804 button design, and which has now become the oldest military insignia in continuous use in the United States.
EDWARD EVERT PEASLEY
Ed Peasley is a former American football player and coach. He initially attended Compton Junior College, earning Little All-America honors, and played in the Junior Rose Bowl in 1956. He went on to become a letterman with the University of Washington Huskies, and then became an assistant coach with them. He took another assistant coaching job at Stanford before being offered the Head Coach position at Northern Arizona University. He completed his coaching career with the Hawaiians of the World Football League in 1975.
RALPH ERSKINE PEASLEY (1866-1948)
Captain Ralph Peasley was born on the coast of Maine, but he earned a reputation as a daring sea captain on the West Coast. Mariners there talked about a time that Peasley, master of the Louis, brought the schooner to the mouth of the Yangtze after a typhoon and, not trusting his Chinese pilot, then sailed the ship safely to port up the river on his own. Around 1900, Peasley was befriended by author, Peter Bernard Kyne. Kyne was astounded by Peasley’s vast treasure of actual adventures at sea, and re-cast him as his hero, “Captain Matt”, in numerous accounts that he wrote and published. Peasley went on to master the Fred G. Wood, and about 1919, became captain of a new 5-master, the Vigilant, which he commanded on many voyages out of Grays Harbor, Washington. For his entire career, Peasley was considered, by all who met him, a man larger than life.
CARY LEE ROBERTS (1968-2023)
Working from his office in Austin, Texas, lobbyist Cary Roberts was considered a giant of the civil justice reform movement. He served as communications director for the Texas Civil Justice League and also directed the league’s Judicial Education Alliance. Having a variety of civic interests, Roberts also co-founded Texas Writer’s Month, a series of events held annually supporting the talents of Texas authors, and served as national Vice-Chief of the Order of the Arrow (Boy Scouts of America). He was executive director of the Greater Austin Crime Commission for 26 years, and media director for the Texas Association of Counties. He also managed numerous political campaigns for various politicians across the state of Texas. His 5th great grandmother was Margaret Paisley, 1747-1810, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
Dr. J. W. ROBERTS (1918-1973)
Dr. J. W. Roberts was the valedictorian of the Class of 1942, Abilene Christian University. He became a professor of classical languages (Ph.D., University of Texas), missionary, and a minister in the Church of Christ. Besides working as a teaching missionary in various countries, he also served as a traveling lecturer and guest speaker throughout the United States. His specialized fields were New Testament Greek and the Bible. In his later years, until the time of his death, Dr. Roberts served as Director of Graduate Studies for Bible and Religious Education at Abilene Christian University. His 3rd great grandmother was Margaret Paisley, 1747-1810, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
WILLIAM SHUFORD SELF (1906-1998)
William Self was an American organist and choirmaster. He studied at the Peabody Institute and New England Conservatory where he received the diploma and soloist diploma. He also studied with Joseph Bonnet. Most of Self’s career was spent at two Episcopal Church congregations: All Saint’s Church, Worcester, MA, and St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York City, NY. Along with William Bergsma and William Strickland, he judged the 1956 Church of the Ascension’s Festival anthem composition competition. Self’s 4th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
CONRAD SELWYN “GUS” SHINN
Lieutenant Commander Conrad Selwyn “Gus” Shinn was a career U.S. Navy aviator. During World War II, Shinn flew countless cargo missions to remote islands throughout the Pacific theatre. In 1956, he became the first pilot to land a plane, a ski-fitted Navy R4D, at the geographical South Pole as a member of the Antarctic Expedition team, “Operation Deep Freeze”. A mural and plaque recognizing Shinn’s achievement can now be seen in his hometown of Eden (formerly Spray), North Carolina. His 3rd great grandmother was Agnes Nancy Margaret Paisley, 1774-1852, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
GORDON FRANK SHUCK (1927-2001)
“Gordie” Shuck was born and lived most of his life in Nebraska. He owned and operated a vehicle body shop and auto salvage. He also farmed and raised cattle. But, what made him famous was auto racing throughout the Midwest during the 1950’s. He won NHRA championships in 1949 and 1950, then UMCA Sprint Car championships in 1951, 1953, and 1954. He was season champion at Hastings Motor Speedway, an asphalt track, in 1955 and 1956. Shuck was elected to the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame in 1999. His 2nd great grandmother was Mary Ann Pasley, 1805-1854, of Macon County, Illinois.
JOHN ERNST STEINBECK JR. (1902-1968)
John Steinbeck was an American author and the winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature. He has been called a “giant of American letters”. During his life he authored 33 books, including 16 novels, six non-fiction works, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for his books, Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, and East of Eden. And, he won a Pulitzer prize for The Grapes of Wrath, now considered part of the American literary canon. His 5th great grandmother was Susanna Peaslee, 1712-1785, of Haverhill, Massachusetts.
FRANKLIN RUNYON SOUSLEY (1925-1945)
Frank Sousley was born and grew up in the hill country of Kentucky northeast of Lexington. When drafted during World War II, he selected duty in the Marine Corps, and was assigned to the 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division. He was made instantly famous 23 February 1945, as one of six marines in the iconic Joe Rosenthal photo raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima. Unfortunately, Sousley was killed in action less than a month later, still fighting on Iwo Jima. His 3rd great grandmother was Elizabeth Paslay, 1790-1858, of Bourbon County, Kentucky.
THOMAS DONALD WILBANKS JR. (1926-2013)
Don Wilbanks was a widely recognized Hollywood character actor. In a career that spanned 1958-1977, he appeared in over a dozen movies and over 50 separate television series. He was best known for frequent television appearances in The Virginian, Lancer, Lawman, Tate, and Tales of Wells Fargo.After retiring from Hollywood, Wilbanks and his wife moved to Pollack Pines, California where he ran a popular roadside tavern, the Pine Lodge Club, for 27 years. His 5th great grandmother was Mary Paisley, 1750-1837, of Guilford County, North Carolina.
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Paisley Family Association 