The Middle Georgia State College (MGSC) basketball team, head coach Scott Moe and the athletic department will honor Perle Peacock at 7:15 p.m. on January 27, 2014 in Morris Gym on the Cochran campus for his years of service as clock keeper for the men’s and women’s basketball programs. For over 45 years Peacock held the duty of the clock keeper, ending his time on March 5, 2013 with a win in the first round of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) playoffs.
Asking around, no one was able to provide the year that Peacock began working the clock only that it was during the tenure of Coach J.L. Padgett which ended in 1968 and resulted in the hiring of Coach Ben Rogers. Coach Rogers only knows that Peacock was already working the clock for the team when he arrived on campus to take over the men’s program. From historical records, it appears Coach Padgett arrived around 1963-64 giving a window between 1963 and 1968 that he would have begun running the clock for the program.
Peacock began playing basketball in high school and was all district his senior season at Cochran High School. After high school he was drafted into the army in 1945 and while in Germany he went to Switzerland where he bought his first stopwatch with the intent of refereeing and keeping the clock for basketball when he returned from service. In 1947 he enrolled at Middle Georgia College (MGC) and the same year was called to start refereeing high school basketball in Georgia. He graduated from MGC and went into insurance sales where he retired after 38 years. While working full time he refereed high school basketball from 1947 until 1989 on a regular basis and after that he was invited back just to do the Georgia High School State Tournament in Macon for the next 10 years before retiring again.
Through all the time he sold insurance, refereed high school and was the clock keeper for MGC basketball all while raising a family with his wife of 65 years, Rose Mary Peacock. His two daughters both attended and graduated from MGC and one was a cheerleader during her time. He also has five grandchildren two of who are alumni of MGC, one played baseball for the college and 10 great-grandchildren.
When asked why he had continued to work as the clock keeper for so many years, Peacock answered, “I have been interested in Middle Georgia for as long as I can remember.” To get an idea for how long that actually is the January 27 recognition will come a day before another big day for Peacock as he turns 87 on January 28.
Middle Georgia State College would like to make this an invitation for all to attend the special recognition event for Peacock on January 27 at 7:15 p.m. in Morris Gym on the Cochran campus.