Mississippi
A Father’s Day devoted to the Crown: David Blackledge’s enduring legacy of service – The Vicksburg Post
A Father’s Day devoted to the Crown: David Blackledge’s enduring legacy of service
Published 4:30 am Sunday, June 15, 2025
- Pictured from left to right are Jan Blackledge, Lindsey Blackledge, 2024 Miss Mississippi Becky Williams, David Blackledge, Laura Blackledge Kidder and Caroline Kidder (child).
While most dads are enjoying a day relaxing in their BarcaLounger or playing a round of golf at the club, David Blackledge has spent his Father’s Day volunteering.
For decades the timing of the Miss Mississippi Pageant has coincided with the day set aside to honor fathers and because David has been serving as the executive director of the Miss Mississippi Corporation for more than three decades, this meant Father’s Day was not about him, but about the contestants competing for the crown.
Those who know David agree that the little detail of Father’s Day has never deterred him from his deep commitment to the program.
“David is selfless, devoted, loves big and during the pageant everyone comes first,” Diane Huff said. Huff, along with her husband Andre, are in charge of lighting for the pageant.
“He works endlessly. He shares his holidays with pageant week,” she said. “Andre and I have been celebrating with him for 23 years. We love him, and he is family in all aspects. This organization is blessed to have him. We sure are.”
Allen Ditto, who serves as the technical director for the Miss Mississippi Competition and is the tour and production manager for Martina McBride, described David as a “good person.”
“I met David and his wonderful family in 1993, my first year working the Miss Mississippi pageant. You know how when you meet someone you just know that they are a good person. I felt that way in 1993 and I still feel that way 32 years later,” Ditto said. “David gives all of himself to the pageant, his family and most importantly to God. He is just one of the really good guys who I get the privilege to call a friend!”
Kandace Williams Peppers, now serving as the artistic director of the competition, said “David has been such an integral part of my Miss Mississippi journey. He was my business manager in 1992, and I was his first Miss Mississippi to work with in that capacity.
“I became very close with his family, and he helped make my year the best one possible,” Peppers continued. “And after we no longer served in those roles, we remained friends. Our families are still friends. And of all the things that I can say about David, the most prominent one is that he is always kind. And I think that’s one of the greatest attributes a person can have. A job like his requires the utmost patience and he shows that in amazing amounts.”
“Mr. David is such an incredible man and father,” 2024 Miss Mississippi Becky Williams said. “To have had the chance to work with him over the past year has been such a privilege. He is dedicated to his family, he is hard working, and he is an incredible role model for any and everyone.”
Pat Hopson recalled her relationship with David and how he has always been an integral part of the pageant when she and her husband the late Dr. Briggs Hopson Jr. were executive producer and CEO and chairman of the board, respectively, of the Miss Mississippi Pageant.
“David has been a good father and grandfather,” Hopson said. “And he was a special son to Doc. They both shared a love of the pageant,” Hopson said.
Jan Blackledge, David’s wife, echoed Hopson’s sentiments when it came to her husband’s relationship with “Doc.”
“David had an amazing mentor through Dr. Briggs Hopson and his wife, Pat,” she said. “David has carried on Dr. Hopson’s legacy and I hope that he would be proud of him, and I hope that Pat is. David truly learned from the best.”
Jan went on to say how David has always enjoyed his life volunteering with the pageant while also being an attentive father.
“David and I have been involved with the Miss Mississippi pageant for 43 years and most of those years the pageant fell on Father’s Day. So not only did he spend that day with his two beautiful girls, but also with 30 to 40 other beautiful young ladies.”
Thankfully, Jan said, her girls didn’t mind sharing their father with others since they enjoyed the pageant just as much as he did.
David and Jan’s youngest daughter, Lindsey, said her family’s involvement with the pageant has given her lots of fond memories.
“My whole life I have been involved with the Miss Mississippi Pageant,” she said. “I have so many memories from Miss Mississippi in Vicksburg to Miss America in Atlantic City. Everyone involved with the pageant is like family to us. It’s definitely something we look forward to every summer.
“The contestants are just like daughters to my dad, he loves them like his own,” she continued. “There have been years we have celebrated Father’s Day as well as his birthday with pageant, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Jan said David’s heart has always been big enough to love his daughters and the young ladies who compete for the crown.
“He has always treated each contestant just like a daughter,” Jan said. “He wants each girl to feel a part of our family and know how much he loves and cares about them. He has always had their best interests at heart and wants the best for their future. Helping with the pageant is a volunteer job that David loves,” Jan said.
About Terri Cowart Frazier
Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”
Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.
Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.
Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.
“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’
More by Terri Cowart
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Staff
A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.
The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.
“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.
“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”
Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.
The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.
The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.
Stone County is also contributing to the project.
The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.
The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.
Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.
The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.
This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
Mississippi
CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi
Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.
The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.
A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.
Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.
Mississippi State wins two in Texas
The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.
Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.
Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.
A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.
Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.
Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament
In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.
Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.
Next up
Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.
Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.
Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.
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