Pony Statue Brings Spirit to Panola
 

On September 29 a ceremony was held to dedicate “The Spirit of Panola” statue. Dr. Gregory Powell and the Mayor of Carthage, Mr. Carson Joines, came together with over 100 alumni, faculty, students and donors to celebrate the occasion. 

As part of the event, Mayor Joines announced that the, “Spirit of Panola” was built to honor, “alumni, students, faculty, and citizens in our community who committed their strength, time, and leadership to Panola College. One such leader is Mr. Cassity Jones, whose generosity made this statue possible.”

“Cassity Jones was born in Panola County, Texas, in 1918. Although his father died when he was young, Cassity's mother had a dream for all of her children to get a college education,” said Joines. “Cassity fulfilled his mother’s dream in 1940 when he graduated from Texas A&M. When America entered WWII, Cassity enlisted in the Air Force and served as a radio operator on bombing missions over Germany. In 1948 Cassity was hired as one of Panola County Junior College’s original faculty members, instructing students in Engineering Drawing. In 1950 he founded the Cassity Jones Lumber and Materials Company.”

The project began on September 8, 2003, when Mrs. Lelia H. Davis and Mr. Bob Harness shared their vision with Dr. Powell, President of Panola College, to create a bronze statue of a pony for the College. Mr. Harness, a noted artist and sculptor volunteered his skill and expertise, and Mrs. Davis contributed the first $1,000 toward its completion.

Later the Panola College Foundation and Alumni Association adopted the project as their own. Together they raised enough money to complete a model and have a mold cast.  In November of 2005, Mr. Cassity Jones was asked joined the project. His financial support and that of his family assured that the statue would be completed in a timely manner.

The Spirit of Panola
The Ceremony
			Dr. Powell begins the ceremony.
	Mayor Joines addresses the crowd.		Mr. and Mrs. Cassity Jones
Faces In The Crowd
Mr. Cassity Jones takes a minute to answer a few questions.			Mr. and Mrs. Harness
Our thanks to Mrs. Teresa Beasley for these pictures.