BROWNSVILLE'S FORGOTTEN NATIVE, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

 

Kris Kristofferson

For a dozen years or more, I've pitched the idea of naming a BISD school after Brownsville native Kris Kristofferson without results.

Brownsville is more inclined to name its schools after politicos or retired school officials like Juliet T. Garcia, so my fight has been a losing one.

Kristofferson, born in 1936, remembers fondly his early life in Brownsville as "the best part of his life. . . in bare feet on dirt roads with good people."A self-described "army brat," Kristofferson's family moved around a lot eventually establishing some roots in San Mateo, CA.

At age 18, while attending Pomona College, Kris had two of his essays published in Atlantic Monthly, "Gone Are the Days" and "The Rock," but also received national recognition in rugby, football and track and field.

In 1958 Kristofferson received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, but, after graduation, joined the U.S. Army in keeping with family tradition, receiving helicopter and Army Ranger training.

Despite being offered a job teaching English Literature at a military school, Kristofferson decided to leave the army to pursue songwriting, a decision that created a breach with his career army family.

Getting a job on an oil derrick in Louisiana, he wrote songs in his spare time and sent them to Johnny Cash who never answered back.

So, Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Cash's front lawn to get noticed.

No need to publish a list of Kristofferson's songs or movies here.  If you're a fan, you're familiar with his work.