Touching Lives is the Jerome Smith story. Growing up as a poor dirt farmer, Jerome decided early on that he would change his life and along the way, he changed so many other’s lives. With his long life has come many opportunities to learn, grow and touch people through his experiences and wisdom. Read about his early life in Noxapater, MS, the military where he was an Air Force glider pilot, through his happy years at the University of Mississippi, and life as a retired educator where he was instrumental in obtaining health insurance for teachers and serving Kirk Fordice, the Governor of Mississippi, on Fordice’s cabinet. He was in the thick of the integration of the public schools in Jackson, MS and served as principal of one of the powerhouse high schools (Callaway High School) in Jackson, for many years. It is a fascinating and delightful read, sure to be enjoyed by former students and anyone interested in the formative years of integration and upheaval in the South.