Willie Simpson was one of the early registrants of African American voters in Mississippi. He worked at Hercules Corporation and was a staple in the community and an active member of St. Paul Methodist Church.
Ora Lee Shaheed is a Rowan High School graduate. She began working at Forrest General Hospital as a nurse in 1975. During her 44 years at Forrest General, she became Vice President, System Chief Nursing Officer, Vice President of Patient Care Services, and managed the E.R., Laboratory, Pharmacy, Education, Patient Care, Orthopedic Institute, the Cardiac Unit and several other areas. In 1985, she opened and managed Forrest General’s Open Heart Surgery Unit and Shaheed was promoted to Director of Nursing in 1989. She served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army National Guard, she is a board member of the Forrest General Foundation and a member of the University of Southern Mississippi Nursing Advisory Council. She served as flight nurse during her military career and at FGH.
