OKEECHOBEE — After nearly 40 years serving the Okeechobee community, Dr. Randall “Bullwinkle or Bull” Mims has sold his practice. After his family moved here in 1961, Mims attended Okeechobee County Schools until he graduated from Okeechobee High School. His was the last class to graduate from the old high school. They should have been the first class in the new high school, but the school was not completed in time.

In high school, he was the student council president and was an all-conference baseball player. “I led the team in hitting. That and $2 will buy you a cup of coffee,” he joked. “We were small back then, and everybody knew everybody.”

Mims’ dad was a cattle buyer for Swift and Co. and was transferred here from Georgia when Mims was 10. When they first moved to town, they lived behind the old post office. Many years later, this house became the Lunchbox Restaurant. After they moved, they lived in the house that later became the Doctor’s Clinic, owned by Dr. Stanley Sweda. Finally, the family purchased a home in Okeechobee Estates, and his parents lived there until they passed away.

Mims feels his father’s job gave him a strong background in livestock and their care. During high school and college, he worked at the Livestock Market and then for Dr. Frank Platt in his veterinary clinic.

Having no idea what he wanted to do with his life, Mims went to Florida State after high school. Originally, he thought he might like to be a doctor, but the thought of a patient dying turned him away from this idea. He did, however, major in biology.

Working for Platt helped him make a decision. “He was pushing me pretty hard, and I liked what he did. It kind of jived with what I wanted to do.” Realizing this career path would go well with his biology major, he made his decision. He finished up at Indian River, a community college at that time, and went on to Florida State.

After he graduated from Florida State, he realized his guidance counselor had misinformed him. She told him he could not apply to veterinary school until after he graduated. Because he had not applied in time, he was left with a year to fill before the next school year began and he could apply for that one. He came back to Okeechobee and decided he would work as a school teacher for a while. Johnny Mack Kinsaw, assistant school superintendent, agreed to hire him as a biology teacher at the high school, but Platt called Mims and asked what his plans were. Mims told him about the teaching idea, and Platt said he wanted Mims to come work for him. Platt paid him $150 a week. He was the highest paid helper Platt had ever had. He worked there for a year, until he got into veterinary school.

“Even back then, veterinary school was very hard to get into,” he said. “There were only 12 or 13 in the country. Auburn would take 20 people per year from Florida. I think Ohio State would take six. Over 600 people applied for the 20 spots at Auburn, but I got in. Jim Harvey got in the same year. I think we were both lucky. Two out of the 20 who got in were from Okeechobee. People bad mouth our schools here, but I strongly disagree about that.”

During his final semester of veterinary school, Platt had to do a preceptorship or internship and decided he would like to see what the wild west was like. He found a position in Seminole, Oklahoma. It even came with living quarters in the clinic. After the three month preceptorship was complete, and he graduated from Auburn, he began looking for a real job. The vet he had interned with did not need an associate, so he found himself working with another veterinarian about 100 miles away, where a friend of his had interned.

After about a year, he came back to Florida, worked in Lake Wales for a few months and then came home to Okeechobee in 1981, where he opened a small practice. Henry Kelly took an interest in him and changed his life. “Henry Kelly basically built the chamber of commerce and gave it to them. He was a very wealthy man, who made his money in the coal business. He was a WWII bomber pilot and flew 25 missions. I think he crashed two planes, and he was shot down in France," said Mims.

One day, Kelly called Mims out to look at one of his cows. When Mims finished his work, Kelly told him he wanted him to be the vet for all his animals and in addition, he wanted to build him an animal hospital. Mims laughed and said he couldn’t afford to build a hospital and had no idea how long he would stay in town. Kelly told him he could build an animal hospital and charge him $1 a month rent if he wanted to. He said he had heard a lot of good things about Mims. Mims told him he would think about it, and for months afterward, every time they saw each other, Kelly asked him if he was ready to build. Finally, the two came to an agreement and the 3,000 sq. ft. hospital was built. The $1 a month rent did not happen, but Kelly was very reasonable. After several years in practice, Mims began making payments to purchase the clinic outright. “He was a very big part of my career. He gave me a chance and had complete faith in me. That’s what people need is an opportunity.”

In Okeechobee, Mims mostly saw typical farm animals and house pets, but earlier in his career, he treated animals at Circus World. He recalled treating a teething elephant, giving shots to lions and taking care of a camel, who had an ulcer on his eye. “They didn’t teach us nothing about those animals at Auburn, but I said I would give it a try.”

After about 40 years in Okeechobee, Mims has sold his practice to Dr. Laura Cook, who he said is doing a wonderful job. “It sure is beautiful in there now.” Mims said he made a lot of friends and has so many memories. He will never forget them. He and his wife, Renee, are moving to Alabama where he plans to continue working part time somewhere. "There are a lot of vets who either don't need someone full time or can't afford to pay someone full time. I think it will be pretty easy to find a place."