Growing Up with Adversity

Perseverant. Smart. Ambitious. Hard-working. Resilient. All describe Mullin. He put all of those traits to work in business, but he'd learned them years before.


Jim's tribulations began as a boy, and the way he confronted and overcame them surely prepared him for any trials business and life tossed at him. he grew up 15 miles from Westville, Ok., in a place called Cow Bog Hollow (Hollow pronounced "Holler.") far enough out in the country that they carried water from a creek and didn't get electricity until he was 6.



His dad, Gwen, kept cows for milking because he wanted something to keep his boys busy and out of trouble and help pay the grocery bill for his big family. His mom, Marjorie, put on such hearty spreads that classmates always wanted to visit for dinner. Beans, biscuits, squirrel (fried or stewed) and pie were often on the menu. Portions were big; a slice of pie was a quarter of a pie.

Jim Mullin was one of eight children, four boys and four girls. They had plenty to eat, worked hard and went to school.

In 1959, at 13, the family had a devasted blow. His two younger sisters, ages 9 and 11, died froma fire in the family home. They rebuilt the farmhouse, adding plumbing, but that was the easy part.

"We were a big family and real close," Mullin said. We never got over the loss. Within a year of the girls' deaths, Gwen and Marjorie Mullin would go through a scare with another child, this time Jim.

Jim was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, a bone infection, and three inches of porous, soft bone had grown around the infection, a common effect of the disease. The doctor sent him straight into surgery to have the porous, soft bone removed so they could access the infection. Mullin spent 28 days bed-bound in the hospital during which he had heard the docotor giving his mother this news: "He's not going to want to do anything except sit around. He'll only be able to play chess and checkers and games like that because he'll never be able to do anything else. Let him do anything he feels like doing."

The last part is what struck Mullin, who disregarded the rest. His first night home, after a month in the hospital, he threw that " anything he feels like doing" quote back at his Mama when he said he felt like milking the cows. She relented then.

Several months later she relented again when he wanted to play high school football. The doctor had warned that, if Mullin's leg broke at the infection site, it would have to be amputated. To lesson the risk, Mullin played on the line instead of in the backfield. At about 150 pounds, Mullin wasn't big, but he was quick and strong, eventually lettering at Westville High and earning All-Conference Honors.

Though Mullin was back in action, his treatment for osteomyelitis wasn't over. He continued to have to take antibiotics, and the wound had to be drained of the stench of the infected fluid.

Graduation approaching during Mulin's Senior year, Dr. Stewart wanted to see him one last time.

Arriving at the Dr.'s Office, Mullin shook the Dr.'s hand with great confidence and strength. "Whose Jacket is that?" Dr. Stewart noticed Mullin was wearing his letter jacket. "It's mine," Mullin replied. "I was never an athlete," Dr. Stewart said, "but don't you have to do something to wear a jacket like that?"

Mullin, having nearly forgotten Stewart's admonition about playing sports, said yes, you do have to be an athlete, and then recounted his three years running track, and playing football and the honors he'd received.

Stewart wagged his finger at Mullin, chastising him about sports. "But you have succeeded and you have beat it - Congratulations," the doctor said.