Billy Ray Macon Sr. has a lot to be proud of. The Anchorage resident raised a loving family, owned a successful contracting business, and even authored a book about how people could get along better in the world.
By all accounts, Macon is a success, but there’s something that has always made this 80-year-old feel a little bit like a failure. Something that happened more than 60 years ago.
Macon graduated from what was then Anchorage High School in 1961. He recalls his pride in stepping up to get his diploma only to see that it had been stamped in red with the words, “This student met minimum state requirements.” Instead of feeling proud, the red stamp made him feel ashamed.
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