AC Wharton Jr. ('71) was a small, skinny kid growing up in racially divided Middle Tennessee when he gaped at two white police officers beating a black man. The drama surrounding the racially charged court proceedings that followed helped instill within Wharton the desire to help others. "It's not the beating I remember most," says Wharton, explaining why he has dedicated his life to public service. "It's the fact that they didn't charge the cop-they charged Bob Junior, the man who was beaten."

Wharton, 57, parlayed that determination-mixed with a stylish charisma, certain humility, and downright honesty-into a career that reads like a Who's Who: political science degree from Tennessee State University, law degree from The University of Mississippi, Shelby County (Tenn.) public defender, partner in the law firm Wharton & Wharton & Associates, University of Mississippi law professor, executive director of Memphis Area Legal Services, investigator for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, attorney for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and mayor of Shelby County.

Elected Shelby County's first African-American mayor in 2002, Wharton garnered 62 percent of the vote. He says "determination, luck, and the belief of others [in him]" account for his win.
Wharton's life story has the elements of a made-for-TV movie. It's about the middle child of five siblings from Lebanon, Tenn., who probably never envisioned going to college and certainly never dreamed of becoming a mayor.

The slight-framed Wharton says "you don't have to be a muscleman to get things done," but you do need the support of family. "It took a lot of help from my family to get me to where I am today. No man is an island," Wharton says, discussing his recent mayoral win from his office in downtown Memphis near the Mississippi River. "My mother, who taught me patience, and my father, who taught me the virtue of hard work, definitely contributed to my success.

"I live my life trying to instill those same virtues in my sons, AC III, Alex, Andre, and Tavarski," Wharton continues. "Furthermore, I approach every situation with a mapped-out plan for success."
Throughout his yearlong campaign for mayor, Wharton touted his plan for success. His 20 points for operating a successful county government include developing a liaison to address the complex needs of the cities and towns, hiring qualified people for key positions based on skill and not political connections, and maintaining a performance-based management system to make county officials more accountable to the public.

"In Shelby County, there is no clear rule for what services are being provided by county government and what services are really needed," Wharton says. "But I do believe all departments should be required to report their goals and then measure their success to ensure good public service." To hear Wharton tell it, planning and executing goals is easy. It is something he says he learned in law school.

"To be prepared to handle any challenge is one of the reasons for attending Ole Miss," he says. "As a student and former professor, I know Ole Miss teaches its students to always have a purpose. While we taught theory, we also taught the day-to-day nuts and bolts of going into practice and living in the real world. "

While on the UM campus as a law student in the late 1960s, Wharton says he made some lifelong friends and established contacts, but more importantly he discovered he could "excel even in a racially charged environment."

"I came to Oxford just a few years after James Meredith became the first African American to enroll at Ole Miss. Although the atmosphere was still tense by 1968, my most memorable experience was when I realized that, by and large, I would be graded fairly," Wharton says. "I knew that, although I was not fully accepted socially because of my race, I would be able to excel academically."

Wharton, who admits to having great fears and feeling isolated and even slightly uncomfortable during his first year at UM, says he believes the University has made significant strides in attracting, protecting, and retaining African-American students. "No one with intellectual honesty can say things have not changed for the better at Ole Miss. Things have changed drastically," says Wharton, who was an adjunct law professor on the Oxford campus from 1974 to 1999. "I suppose the biggest change is that a support network is there. Not necessarily a physical support network-I mean it's a network that supports the psyche, the immeasurable and often intangible feeling of total comfort and acceptance, greatly enhancing a student's chance for academic success.

"I think-in fact I know-that sort of network system is there now because Dr. Khayat works hard to make all students feel safe and wanted at Ole Miss."

When speaking of UM's 15th chancellor, Wharton smiles and acknowledges that Khayat was not only his toughest law school professor but also his favorite.

"Robert Khayat was a good guy then and is a good guy now," Wharton says. "I remember going to him to talk about my grade. I felt I deserved a better grade. But instead, he asked me if my heart was in the course. It wasn't, of course. Khayat then took the time to explain to me that you must give your all-mind, body, and soul-into something you really want. That way, you will always do your best. I'll always remember that."

Chancellor Khayat speaks fondly of his former student. "He was a student leader, but he also provided guidance to the dean and law faculty as we worked through the adjustments and challenges that accompanied the integration of higher education."

Law Dean Samuel M. Davis says he's not surprised at Wharton's accomplishments, describing the former professor as a "person of great dignity and integrity, with the inborn skill of leadership." "The people of Tennessee can expect the very best from AC Wharton. That's what he is about. He gave his best in a well-run, positive campaign and even more as an Ole Miss student and later as a much admired professor."

Acknowledging again that his road to success was not traveled alone, the new mayor credits Ruby, his wife of 31 years. "When I mentioned the desire to run for office, my wife made sure I was running because I believed I could bring change and innovative solutions to Shelby County," Wharton says. "When she realized I truly felt I could transcend racial lines to bring together a better community, Ruby was beside me, encouraging me every step of the way."

Sitting in his office on the eighth floor of the Shelby County Government building, Wharton says his first day as mayor was filled with relief that the campaign was finally over. "I didn't shout, and I haven't shouted yet. I didn't walk into my new office and say, 'By God, I'm in charge,'" Wharton says, as he stares out of his office window at the dimly lit city below. "The enormity of my campaign promises hit me, and right then I realized I have a lot of work to do. I will shout when I have come up with a plan to keep people out of jail. I'll shout when I have done what I promised I would do. It's time for me to get to work and give back to a state that has given so much to me. I'm here to do a job, and when that job is complete, maybe I'll shout. Maybe."

Deborah Purnell is a communications specialist in UM Media and Public Relations.

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