Walbert Dopelson bio
Walbert Dopelson, 48, was born to Drs. Alan and Elizabeth Dopelson, both faculty members at the University of Mississippi.
The professors were loving parents who spent their free time doting on Walbert. His privileged childhood included trips to hear symphony orchestras around the Southeast, birthday parties at museums in Jackson and Memphis, and summers in Italy.
In addition to excelling academically, Walbert was a popular athlete who consistently led his track team to the state finals.
After earning a master's degree in Library Science, Walbert was hired as Circulation Manager at the University of Mississippi library. Five years later, he became the Director of the Yoknapatawpha County Library, a position he still holds.
For the last eight years, Walbert has also served as the Director of the Yoknapatawpha County Literature Festival and is credited with keeping the festival financially stable during uncertain times. He added activities for children to make the festival more family-friendly and partnered with local companies to generate advertising dollars.
When not running the library or organizing the annual festival, Walbert sculpts marble busts of local celebrities, donating the profits from all sales to the library and other local non-profits. The C'est Belle Gallery even hosted a show of Walbert's sculpture one summer, using the collection to narrate a contemporary history of the region.
About fifteen years ago, the local newspaper's Sunday magazine section published a profile of Walbert. In the article, he showed off the rock hammers, small picks, and chisels of various diameters he used in his work and explained how he chose such an unusual hobby. "When one is cooped up all day dealing with administrative tasks, it helps to be able to crack open a skull or two at quitting time, at least figuratively."
According to several sources, the agreement between Lamar Cosmetics and the Yoknapatawpha County Literature Festival included a sculpture by Walbert of the pageant winner, the sponsor's name appearing prominently on the brass base. The resulting bust would stay in Oxford for six months before being sent on tour to high schools across the country.
Although one former employee labeled him as cold and calculating, Walbert's staff at the library describes him as calm and even-tempered. His secretary, Paige Johnson, said one of his tricks is to carry a small rock hammer in his pocket as a reminder of happier moments when a meeting is going bad or budget cuts are announced.
Walbert's personal life is no open book. Rumors suggested that he dated Lucille Ruffin-Moore for a short period after her husband's death, but no other romantic links have ever been established.
The only possible stain on his impeccable background happened about a dozen years ago. One day, he left a message for his secretary, saying he would be out for a while but not to worry, and to sign whatever was necessary to keep things functioning smoothly until his return.
When Walbert finally did reappear ten months later, he would say nothing about where he'd been or what he'd done except, "Blame it on Nabokov." The details of how he spent the time have never been revealed.
Most regard Walbert as a community leader. Several people said it was a shame he was the artist responsible for immortalizing the pride of Oxford because he was too humble to include himself. As one person commented, "Walbert's head would raise a fair amount at auction."
