Bear got run out of the state because of Mimi. If you don't know who Mimi was, you don't know the real reason he left. do a little research around that name and time.
I met Mimi several times doing work for her father and mother, but by then it was the early 80's and she was probably 55 or so.
I've researched Mimi and couldn't find anything
"officially" reported. You may very well be right about the reason for his leaving Kentucky. I just couldn't do any good in my searches for news reports about Mimi:
Per AI ... for what it might be worth ... in my reply to Mimi and Bryant in Lexington, KY:
AI Overview
It seems there might be a misunderstanding. "Mimi" isn't a widely recognized term associated with Bear Bryant. Bear Bryant's wife was
Mary Harmon Bryant, and they had two children, Mae Martin and Paul Bryant Jr. There's no known connection between Bear Bryant and someone named "Mimi" in any official context. It's possible you might be thinking of a different person or a nickname used in a different context.
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However, I
DID find this from a Rivals thread and it
definitely supports your contention, for sure !!
"I heard a very different story, from a little old lady who worked for Happy Chandler for years. Bear was having an affair with Chandlers daughter Mildred ( Mimi they called her). Everybody and his brother in Lexington knew it. Mimi was a musical actress. She played in several movies with Dorothy Lamore. Chandler was getting ready to make another run for Governor in 1955 and he didn't want this mess exposed. Weatherby was Governor at the time but Chandler was still calling the shots behind the scenes. So they got rid of Bryant. That and for all the other reasons previously mentioned, Bryant took the only offer he still had on the table from A&M. His wife wanted him out of there and away from Mimi as well. I've asked a lot of older people about it who lived in Lexington at the time, and they all said they had heard it years ago. Like so many other things back then it never got into the news."
Interesting article in the Courier today by Jon Hale detailing the day Bear left Kentucky. Sheds a little more light on one the many ways basketball has really killed our football program through the years. Here’s some quotes from the article I found interesting: “The popular story that...
kentucky.forums.rivals.com
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I wasn't commenting on Bryant's reasons for leaving, but only pointing out that I'd always heard his wife really liked it here.
I've just thought that was pretty interesting and kinda cool ...
My research indicates,
rightly or wrongly, that Bryant's wife espcially liked Lexington and wasn't fond of the move out of town.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky and Texas A&M will meet on the football field for just the third time Saturday, but the two programs have long been linked by one of the most significant coaching changes in the sport’s history.
www.heraldmailmedia.com
Fwiw ... per AI search: Did Bear Bryant's wife love Lexington, KY:
Yes, Mary Harmon Bryant, Bear Bryant's wife, did love Lexington, Kentucky. She was very fond of the city and its social life, even telling Bryant she was heartbroken when he accepted the coaching position at Texas A&M.
Elaboration:
- Bryant had a successful coaching career at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and his wife, Mary, was known to enjoy the city's social scene and the relationships they developed there.
- Mary was so attached to Lexington that she burst into tears when they arrived in College Station, Texas, upon accepting the position at Texas A&M according to Golden Football Rankings.
- Bryant himself was initially reluctant to leave Kentucky, citing the positive environment and good social standing they enjoyed in Lexington.
- Mary's emotional reaction to leaving Lexington further highlights her fondness for the city and its social life, according to the Herald-Mail.
