Felix Reginald Albritton Jr . in his sheriff ’ s uniform .
Albritton credits the Association ’ s PLAN 2018 leadership program for helping him look beyond the daily grind . “ It ’ s given me a new way of thinking ,” he said . “ There ’ s so much more to being a commissioner than just keeping the roads patched .”
If Judge Albritton did not deliberately apprentice his younger son in preparation for public service , he did set an example that is still evident more than a quarter century after his death .
As Terry put it , “ He treated everybody the same .”
To this day , citizens of Wilcox County will ask the commissioner if Reginald Albritton was his dad , as if trying to confirm his credibility .
Commissioner Albritton ’ s
Great-Grandfather George “ Lee ” Albritton Sr . __________
Sheriff | 1900-1904 , 1932-36
The family tradition of public service to Wilcox County began with George “ Lee ” Albritton Sr . ( in coat and tie ). The bowtie-wearing gentleman at the lower left is Clifford “ Clip ” Albritton , who completed his late brother ’ s term as probate judge in the 1940s .
“ My daddy was known for being able to build some bridges across racial barriers ,” Albritton said .
Judge Albritton ’ s lengthy career did not necessarily come easily . Leading up to many elections , there would be three generations working on the campaign , headquartered in the living room and dining room of the family home . As for technology , they had a telephone and a typewriter ; everything else – including addressing envelopes to every household in the county – was done by hand .
Wilcox County
“ The grit behind it was my mother ,” the commissioner recalled . “ She could organize .”
He and his wife , Lou Anne , have two adult children , though neither of them moved back to the area after finishing college .
If family tradition holds , perhaps they will be able to look back on his years in office and say , as their aunt does of her own father , “ There was a sense of pride that he was making the sacrifice to make a better place .”
In other words , he did what he could . n
Wilcox County Clout
Considering its small population , you might not expect Wilcox County to qualify as a political powerhouse , but it is native soil for U . S . Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Alabama Gov . Kay Ivey . Ivey is the state ’ s second governor from the county . Benjamin Meek Miller served as chief executive 1931-35 .
In more recent years , the Bonner family of Camden has been prominent , with Jo serving a decade in Congress and his sister Judy in the president ’ s mansion at the University of Alabama until 2015 .
“ It ’ s pretty amazing to have that much substantial political clout ,” said County Commissioner Bill Albritton .
COUNTY COMMISSION | 35