The Wayne Embry Interview
By:
Michael D. McClellan
|
Monday, January 11th, 2004
You were born on March 26th, 1937. Please tell
a little about your childhood, and what it was like to
grow up in Springfield during 40s.
You were eight when the United States dropped the atomic
bomb on Japan. Do you have any recollection of that
event, and did World War II touch your family in any way?
Your grandfather, William, played an important part of
your life. Please tell me about him, and about the role
he played in your education.
”Goose”,
and “The Wall” – what do these mean to you?
I grew up in a rural area, basically poor, but we were a
proud family with strong values and a strong work ethic.
My parents instilled these things in me at a very early
age. They were also very good at setting goals, which is
something else that has helped me tremendously, both in my
life and career.
I really don’t have much recollection of that specific
event, but several of my relatives were in the service
during the war. I gained a sense of sacrifice from them,
and respected them greatly.
William was a very demanding person who stressed the
value of education, and someone who also imparted a real
desire for learning. It really helped to have him
take an interest in my life. He constantly
reinforced the importance of going to school and getting
a college degree. He was always there to keep me
from getting discouraged, especially whenever things got
tough.
These are two nicknames that I was given at different
points in my basketball career. “Goose” came from a high
school teammate of mine. We saw the Harlem Globetrotters
play a game in New York, and Reese “Goose” Tatum palmed
the basketball with those huge hands of his. We’d never
seen anything like that before. Then it wasn’t long
before I was able to do it. My teammate started calling
me “Goose”, and the nickname stuck.
And “The Wall”?
