ITTA BENA, Miss. – CoSIDA and BCSIDA mourns the death of Charles “Chuck” Prophet. Services for the former Mississippi Valley State University Athletic Director will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the R.W. Harrison Health, Physical Education and Recreation Complex on the Itta Bena campus.
Visitation is from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Century Funeral Home, 801 Walthall St. in Greenwood. Family hour will begin at 6 p.m.
Mr. Prophet died Friday, June 20, 2008 at Greenwood-LeFlore Hospital.
The Rev. Marcus Mann, pastor of Sylvarena Baptist Church of Brandon, will give the eulogy during the services. Other ministers participating are The Rev. Kenneth Milton of New Zion M.B. Church and The Rev. B. T. Moore, Sr. of Springhill Baptist Church, both of Greenwood, and The Rev. Vinson Ballard, Associate Minister of Pearl St. AME Church of Jackson.
Burial will be in Hudson Park Cemetery in Greenwood under the direction of Century Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be members of the MVSU Athletic Staff, former MVSU athletes and the MVSU Greenwood-Leflore County Alumni Association.
Affectionately known as “the Wagon Master,” Mr. Prophet was born November 24, 1940, to the late Emma Dorothy Shelton and the late Rome “Rabbit” Prophet in Leflore County, Itta Bena. He gave his life to Christ at an early age.
Realizing the importance of an education, he attended the Leflore County Training Schools and graduated from Broad Street High School in Greenwood in 1959. He later attended Mississippi Valley State University where he received a bachelor of science in Social Science in 1970. Mr. Prophet continued his education at Mississippi State University, receiving a master of arts in counseling in 1971.
Following his initial career as a PFC4 in the United States Army, Prophet worked for the Mississippi State Employment Commission as a counselor/assessment and orientation director before joining The Valley as a history instructor and sports information director in 1971. After working at MVSU for 30 years, he retired from his position in 2001. He remained a loyal alumnus and supporter, serving as the current president of the MVSU Greenwood-Leflore Alumni Chapter and 2008 president of the MVSU Hall of Fame.
The recipient of many awards, citations, and honors from various civic and social organizations, Chuck served on numerous boards and advisory committees. MVSU designated the football field as the Charles “Chuck” Prophet Field on April 20, 2005. Prophet had an extensive legacy with the Southwestern Athletic Conference, serving as publicity director from 1975 to 1984. During this time, he was founder and developer of the SWAC Football Promotional Tour, serving as director and wagon master from 1979 to 1998. He served as chairman of the SWAC Athletic Directors from 1995 to 1999, and was inducted into the 2003 SWAC Hall of Fame.
On the national level, Mr. Prophet was active in the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), serving on the board of directors for five years and on numerous committees and panels. His peers recognized his more than 25 years of CoSIDA service during special ceremonies in 1998.
Mr. Prophet was twice selected as Black College Sports Information Director of the Year, in 1986 and in 1988. He served the organization as president from 1992-1999. He also served as I-AA Athletic Directors treasurer in 1998.
In addition, Mr. Prophet served on several National Collegiate Athletic Association committees, including the certification, football, basketball and track committees.
The All American Football Foundation honored Mr. Prophet for 25 years of Outstanding Collegiate Athletics Service. The MVSU National Alumni Association presented him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
While he appreciated his individual achievements, Mr. Prophet was equally as proud of the national prominence MVSU Athletics achieved while he was athletic director, including two NAIA Outdoor Track championship titles, three SWAC Men’s Basketball titles, two SWAC Women’s Basketball titles, and the accomplishments of the football program during the Archie Cooley Era with Willie Totten and Jerry Rice.
Survivors include his wife, Anna Brandon Prophet of Greenwood; his children, Talunja Prophet of Memphis, Tenn.; Kymaneesh Prophet of Ridgeland; Jerry Porter of Brandon; Joy Brown of Montgomery, Ala., and Kathy Jackson of St. Louis, Missouri; three sisters, Mable Buchanan Lakes and Deatrice F. Washington, both of St. Louis, Missouri, and Mary Sue Sheard of Chicago, Illinois; three brothers, Hines Buchanan of Los Angeles, California, Robert Buchanan of St. Louis, Missouri and Sheldon Prophet of Kansas City, Kansas; five grandchildren, Khyreus Prophet-Leahman, Christopher Porter, Flame Porter, Shannondore Brown and Montana Brown; two great-grandchildren, Bradley Porter and Faith Porter; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Charles “Chuck” Prophet Athletic Scholarship at Mississippi Valley State University. Contributions should be made payable to Mississippi Valley State University. In the Memo Section, please write: Charles “Chuck” Prophet Athletic Scholarship. All contributions can be mailed to: Mississippi Valley State University , c/o Gift Processing, Charles “Chuck” Prophet Athletic Scholarship, Office of Development, 14000 Highway 82 W., Box 7226, Itta Bena, MS 38941-1400.