By Philip Steffelli-Suel

Welcome back Junior Curators! Did you know that Tennessee has an official state poem? It is entitled “Oh, Tennessee, My Tennessee” and was written by William P. Lawrence. Lawrence wrote this while he was a prisoner of war (POW) during the American Vietnam War. Who was William P. Lawrence though?  Well, that is what we will be discussing today.

Bust of William Lawrence, Tennessee State Museum collection 73.110

William P. Lawrence was born in Nashville, TN on January 13, 1930.  He graduated high school first in his class and received the William Hume award.  Throughout high school, he excelled at sports. After graduation, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he continued to play sports.  In 1951, he graduated with distinction.  During the Korean War, he served with the Fighter Squadron 193 and was deployed twice. Afterward, he attended the Naval Aviation Safety School at the University of Southern California, and the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School, where he graduated number one in his class.  While flying as a test pilot in 1958, he became the first pilot to fly twice the speed of sound. That’s over 1,300 mph. 

Lawrence continued to serve in the United States’ Navy Aviation and was deployed on combat missions in the Vietnam War. He became the commanding officer of Fighter Squadron 143.  During a bombing raid, he was shot down over North Vietnam in June 1967.  He was captured and held as a prisoner of war until March 1973. While a prisoner he wrote the Tennessee state poem and kept the poem in his head until he was released.

Tennessee State Poem, Tennessee State Museum collection 94.127

After his release, Lawrence stayed in the military.  He attended the National War College in Washington D.C and George Washington University, where he obtained a master’s degree in international affairs.  Upon graduation, he was promoted to Rear Admiral in July of 1974.   From there he served as Commander Light Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet at the Naval Air Station, Lemoore CA. Additionally, he was the Director of the Aviation Programs Division and Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon. In 1978, he became the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. He was promoted again to Vice Admiral on August 1, 1980. From there he commanded the U.S. Third Fleet.  In 1983, he even won the Hawaii Armed Forces singles tennis championship in the over-45 division.  He continued to serve moving through high-ranking positions until he retired from active duty on 1 February 1986, but still occupied the Chair of Naval Leadership at the Naval Academy until 1994.  Lawrence died in December 2005 at the age of 75.

Tennessee State Museum Collection, bracelet (2022.24.2), poem (2022.24)

Throughout his life, he received numerous awards (too many to list here), such as being inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and receiving the State of Tennessee’s Outstanding Achievement Award. He even has a ship named after him, the USS William P Lawrence. Throughout his military career, he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Distinguished Service Metal, and many others.  So the next time you are reading the Tennessee State Poem, you will know that the man who wrote it dedicated his life to the service of Tennessee and the United States.

Prisoner of War - A person captured by enemy troops and kept as a prisoner.

American Vietnam War - War fought between the United States and South Vietnam against North Vietnam from 1955 to 1975.

Recipient - a person who is given something.

Distinction - to stand out, to go above and beyond.

Deployed - to be sent somewhere, usually relating to the military.

Raid - a type of military attack

What speed record did William Lawrence break in 1958?

Name 3 specific things that Lawrence says he misses about Tennessee in the poem “Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee”?

Why do you think William Lawrence would be thinking about his home state so much while he was being held prisoner?

Why might William Lawrence want to continue to serve in the military after being released from imprisonment?

Read the Tennessee State Poem and think about what is going on in William Lawrence’s mind. What does Tennessee mean to him? What about to you?  Try writing your own poem about where you consider home.

Philip Stiffelli-Suel is an educator at the Tennessee State Museum.

Resources

“About US: USS William P Lawrence (DDG 110).” America’s Navy. Accessed May 31, 2022. https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/Ships/USS-William-P-Lawrence-DDG-110/About-Us/.

“Lawrence, William P. (Bill), Vice Adm., USN (Ret.)” U.S. Naval Institute. Accessed May 31, 2022. https://www.usni.org/press/oral-histories/lawrence-william

Bernstein, Adam. “William P. Lawrence Dies.” The Washington Post.  Accessed December 5, 2005. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2005/12/05/william-p-lawrence-dies/37bba767-7697-463c-aec4-a4fe93cb5cea/.