Adkisson said that the secret to his longevity is the community of Carroll County. While he has had opportunities to take jobs in Nashville or Memphis, he said his talents would best be used in a rural environment. "I just stayed here, because I like the atmosphere and it's like teaching in a family," Adkisson said.

The English and reading teacher said his career is winding down, in-fact he is already in semi-retirement. He said he is not ready to step away permanently, because he still has a passion to teach young people.

As Adkisson works with freshman at CHS this year, he said it was when he was their age that he decided to devote himself to education. "I always admired educators when I was in school and I just knew from the very beginning that was my calling," Adkisson said.

His first taste of teaching was actually in Sunday school. "I thought well if I like teaching Sunday school so well then I could do this everyday," Adkisson said. Adkisson has lived up to that notion and has taught everyday in Carroll County for nearly four decades.

He has already got his post-career plans lined up. Adkisson, who has had made a career through teaching literature, is going to produce a literary work of his own. "My goal is to write about my career as an educator," Adkisson said. I can safely presume Mr. Adkisson will have plenty of material to pull from after teaching as long as he has and seeing multiple generations sitting at his desks.