Rev. Dr. William Wallace, Sr., was born September 29, 1936, in Columbus, Mississippi to the late Mr. Willie and Mrs. Mary Sue Wallace. A loving son, supportive brother, dedicated husband, devoted father, affectionate grandfather, and a loyal friend. A native of Lowndes County, Columbus, he attended Mitchell Memorial Elementary school and Union Academy. Upon graduation from Robert E. Hunt High School class of 1956, he received a scholarship to attend Mississippi Industrial College in Holly Springs, Mississippi where he received his Bachelors of Arts [B.A.] degree. In 1965, he attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he met Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of then President Lyndon B. Johnson of the United States of America. He received a grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity to study early childhood development, finishing the program with 14.5 hours.

Wallace became the Director/Resource person of Headstart with a budget of three million dollars. He received the Doctorate of Divinity from New Hope Bible College. He later received a Masters of Art [M.A.] and Masters of Education [M.Ed] from McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

He successfully pastored Christian Methodist Episcopal [CME] Churches in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. On the Annual Conference levels, he served as Dean of the Louisiana Leadership Training School and the Mississippi Leadership Training Schools. He served as Treasurer of the South Louisiana Conference; Chairman of the Joint Board of Finance of the South Louisiana Conference, and a member of the Joint Board of Finance of the Carolina Conference, and the Joint Board of Finance of the Southeast Alabama Conference. On the Connectional level, Pastor Wallace served on the following General Boards: Board of Missions, The CHRISTIAN INDEX, and the Board of Christian Education.

Among his church and community activities, Pastor Wallace served in the following capacities: Member, the Governor’s Conference on Infant Mortality; Organizer, the Greenwood Movement in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Member, the Bi-Racial Committee for integration of Public Schools; Chairman, Bi-Racial Committee, 3rd Congressional District of the Democratic Party, State of Mississippi, which led to the unseating of the all-white Mississippi State Democratic Party.

The Senate and House of Representatives of South Carolina honored Pastor Wallace for voter registration and participation, and for organizing an All Boys After School Program, 1995-97; and the Noonday Senior Citizen Program. He traveled extensively within and without the Nation, including leading four church congregations to the Holy Land; Germany, France, Switzerland, England, and Haiti.

He leaves to cherish his memories: two sons, Dr. William (Meumona) Wallace, Jr., Williamsburg, VA; Karl (Leslie) Wallace, Spartanburg, SC; one daughter, Tina (Andre) Lee, Anderson, SC; two granddaughters, Natascha (Benjamin) Wallace, Adriane Wallace; five grandsons, Joseph (Erica) Clayton, Jr., JaMario Wallace, Quentin (Jewel) Wallace, William B. Wallace, and George B. Wallace; twelve great grandchildren; two brothers, Willie Wallace, Jr., Boston, Massachusetts, Willie Roy (Janice) Wallace, Columbus, Mississippi; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Beatrice Brooks Wallace; two sons, David B. Wallace and Michael M. Wallace; and one sister, Bernice Powell.