Mike Nola is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Shoeless Joe Jackson. He has been researching Jackson’s life and the times in which he lived for about 40 years.

Born in 1958, Mike’s dad lit the candle that began his life’s passion for Shoeless Joe. His dad would tell all kinds of stories about Joe, including the times he saw him play ball in Waycross, Georgia in 1924 and 1925. The Waycross team didn’t have an extra uniform for Joe, so he wore his 1917 White Sox World Series uniform, only with the White Sox logo removed.

In addition to serving as one of the original Members on the Board of Directors of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library, Mike is also the Museum’s IT Director. He is regularly called upon for interviews and serves as the Historical Consultant for a movie that is being developed about Shoeless Joe’s life, with Billy Bob Thornton as Executive Producer. Mike is also the Official Historian of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame, which can be found at www.blackbetsy.com.

Listening to Mike speak about Shoeless Joe is a treat. His free-wheelin’ style often focuses on the back page stories, where he corrects the embellishments about Joe’s life and career which are so often written. Mike includes many stories about Joe’s wife, Katie Wynn Jackson, but one of his favorites to tell is from the newspaper story after Joe and Katie were married in 1908:

“Joe Jackson, the popular center fielder of the local team made the greatest home run of his career on Sunday. The home run was made on Cupid’s diamond and the victory was a fair young lady. On Sunday afternoon at 4:30 o’clock, Joe was married to Miss Kate Wynn.”

Mike knows way more than what was written in that article, though. “Katie was Joe’s soul mate, and he was hers. You always hear that behind every great man there is a great woman. Well, Katie didn’t stand behind Joe. She stood beside him. His partner in life. His business manager. And his escape when the world turned ugly. Katie was always there for Joe. If not for Katie, the world probably would not have known Joe Jackson, for Katie gave Joe the strength to venture into the big cities of the North to play Major League Baseball. She managed his businesses when he was playing ball, and she continued to do so until he left the ball diamond for good in 1937. She simply was there, during the good times, during the worst of times, and right there for her man until the Lord called him home in 1951.”

Mike is a devoted family man who has celebrated 36 years of marriage with his wife, Janey. Together, they care for dogs in need, with more than a handful running around their home and property in Tallahassee, Florida. Their daughter, PJ, lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

This passionate historian works as a computer programmer with Florida State University, his alma mater. Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and dogs, playing golf, and continuing his research on Joe Jackson and World War II. He also loves woodworking, and can often be found on a ladder, remodeling their home.