“Noted Notables”

Mangum was the boyhood home of Wilbanks Smith, an outstanding football player and wrestler. He and Mangum High School classmate, Dale Holderman, competed at the collegiate level for Oklahoma A&M, a school known today as Oklahoma State University.

As a wrestler, Wilbanks helped teammate, Gene Nicks, earn the NCAA heavyweight Championship. In football, he earned notoriety as the perpetrator of the “Johnny Bright Incident.” This event, with its overtones of racism and poor sportsmanship, was the subject of the 1952 Pulitzer Prize winner in photojournalism. His actions were, presumably, directed by the coaching staff, but Wilbanks Smith courageously accepted full responsibility. After graduation, he embarked upon a successful career in engineering and community service.