Southwest Mississippi Community College alumnus Dr. Gene Barrett has been named to the Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame. He will be inducted in a ceremony Tuesday at the Muse Center on the Rankin County campus of Hinds Community College.
Barrett was born and raised in McComb. He played basketball and tennis at Southwest, was president of the student body and vice-president of Phi Theta Kappa. After receiving his A.A. degree from Southwest in 1969, he attended Millsaps College. He then attended the University of Mississippi Medical School, where he received a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1974.
He is married to the former Linda Holliday of Vicksburg. The Barretts have two sons, Austin and David.
Barrett’s professional orthopedic training began with a one-year general surgery internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, followed by an orthopedic residency at the Greenville Hospital System in North Carolina.
He completed his first fellowship (specialty training) in sports medicine and knee surgery at Hughston Orthopedic Clinic In Columbus, Ga., and his second in Basel, Switzerland as an A-O International Fellow.
While in Georgia, Barrett helped with the Auburn athletic teams and in Switzerland with soccer and ski teams.
He is board certified in orthopedic surgery and advanced knee procedures. He practices in Jackson at Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center, where he was one of three founding members.
Throughout his career, Barrett has received numerous awards and honors, some of which include: Alpha Epsilon Delta (Pre-Medical Honor Society) and Sigma Nu (Natural Science Honor Society) at Millsaps, 1979; Millsaps Distinguished Athletic Supporter Award, 1991; and SMCC Sports Hall of Fame, 1992.
He received the Southeastern Athletic Trainer’s Association’s “Hughston” award as Sports Medicine Person of the Year in 2009 and was asked to join the Anterior Cruciate Ligament International Study Group and the American Orthopedic Association.
Over the past 30 years, he has done extensive research on knee surgeries and has published over 50 articles and coached youth basketball and sponsored summer sports leagues, giving young athletes their chance to compete.
