As I browse through the yearbooks of Madison Heights, I see in almost every one the idea that drivers training really means Freedom! It seems to be a recurring theme and I guess that is what it meant to most of us.
I don’t remember much about my drivers training except for one incident that remains vivid in my memory. I took drivers training in the summer time since it seems to be the only way I could work it into my schedule plus my birthday is in August so the timing was perfect. I do remember that the classroom sessions were often hot since the school had no air conditioning.
My instructor for the driving portion of the class was Mr. Jack Wilson who was better known as Coach Wilson since he was the varsity basketball coach and well known to everyone because of that. I didn’t really know Coach Wilson since I didn’t play any sports but most coaches are pretty authoritative.
I was driving with Coach Wilson in the front seat and three other classmates in the back seat. I was coming up to the intersection of Madison Ave and 38th St. from the east and made a very full stop since I didn’t want negative comments about my driving that would ever interfere with me getting my license. After I had already done my stop, a big Cadillac came up to the intersection from my left, did a little half stop, and zoomed through the intersection before I could even start up. Coach Wilson leaned over from the driver’s seat and laid on the horn for about 5 seconds with a loud comment: “Damn Cadillacs think they own the road.” And that’s how I learned proper driver’s etiquette at a 4 Way Stop.
Jack Wilson coached at Madison Heights through the 1965-1966 season and then resigned to accept a coaching job elsewhere. He had moderate success during his time at Madison Heights but more success later in his career. Jack Wilson was induced into the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame . He was also induced into the Anderson University Hall of Fame in 2001.
David Vern Addington
MHHS Class of 1966
I too remember my days of driver’s ed. I remember one day those of us in the car, plus our teacher, Mr. Lamb, were leaving the school for our hour of driver’s training. As we were pulling out of the school grounds, another driver’s training car was pulling in. The car pulling in cut the corner short (thankfully I don’t remember who the driver was) and ran into our car. We were all fine, but I can still remember Mr. Lamb just shaking his head the entire hour saying, “I don’t believe it! I just don’t believe it!”