Buford Pusser

About Buford Pusser

Buford Hayse Pusser (December 12, 1937 - August 21, 1974) was the Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee (in West Tennessee), from 1964 to 1970. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, gambling, and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee border. His story has directly inspired several books, movies and two movie remakes and at least one TV series. The Buford Pusser Museum has been established at the house where he was living at the time of his death in 1974. Each May, there is a Buford Pusser Festival in his hometown of Adamsville, Tennessee.

Buford was born in 1937. His father, Carl Pusser, was the police chief of Adamsville, Tennessee, and his mother was Helen Pusser.

Buford joined the Marines when he was 18, but his military career was cut short during boot camp, when it was discovered he had asthma. He thereafter moved to Chicago in 1957, working at Union Bag Co. and also as a wrestler. While there, he met and married his wife, Pauline, on Dec. 5, 1959. Pusser later returned to his hometown of Adamsville, Tennessee, with his wife in 1962.