John Cofield’s Photo of the Week: “Willie Wallace”

As to Willie Wallace, there is only a handful like him. Some businesses are eclipsed by their owners. The Hoka was great, but Ron was a monument to the town. Square Books means much to Oxford, but it revolves around Richard. Howard was much bigger than Duvall’s. Local Color was really cool, but Willie was its character. And among that handful, there is the subset of folks who are so cool they are beyond reproach. We realized some decades ago that this businessman and his store were a part of the foundation upon which we build our unique Oxford myth.

Willie Wallace in his element. Photograph by Georgia Huddleston.

Tags: Duvall’s, Georgia Huddleston, hoka, Hoka Theatre, Hoka Theatre and Moonlight Café, Howard Duvall, John Cofield, Local Color, Mississippi, Oxford, Richard Howorth, Ron Shapiro, ronzo, square books, the hoka, willie wallace

About the Author

John Cofield John Cofield grew up in Oxford. He is a local historian and author. John is the son of renowned University photographer, Jack Cofield. His grandfather, J. R. "Colonel" Cofield, was William Faulkner's personal photographer, and for decades was Ole Miss annual photographer. Four generations of the Cofield family have contributed to Oxford's pictorial history.