Peggy Smith-Hake's
"Window to the Past"
Donald W. Wyrick
Warden of the Missouri State Penitentiary
by Kelly Warman-Stallings
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(Published to Window to the Past on 31 July 2023)
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Donald Wayne Wyrick was a native of Miller County who made quite a name for himself in the Department of Corrections for the State of Missouri. He was born near Tuscumbia on 2 November 1928 and was the son of Oliver Churchill and Mildred (Beard) Wyrick, who resided on a farm in Equality Township. His formative years were spent helping with farm chores and attending school. He graduated from Tuscumbia High School in 1946.
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Not long after graduating, Mr. Wyrick enlisted with the U.S. Army, serving with the Amphibious Engineers in the South Pacific and classified as a Technical Sargeant. It is documented that Wyrick steered the amphibious landing craft onto the beach of Guadalcanal at the end of World War II.
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On 6 October 1950, Donald Wyrick married Alice M. Wall in Wyandotte County, Kansas. From this wedded union eight children were born - two sons and six daughters. After his marriage to Alice Wall in 1950, they resided in the state of Kansas for a brief time, but by 1957 he was in Missouri and employed as a prison guard for the Missouri Department of Corrections.
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Mr. Wyrick worked hard in his correctional role and advanced through the ranks. In November of 1961, after attaining the rank of Sergeant, he was transferred to what was known [at that time] as Fordland Honor Camp in Fordland, Missouri. He became its Officer in Charge after relocation. During his tenure at Fordland Honor Camp, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and then Captain. The name of Fordland Honor Camp was later changed to Ozark Correctional Center. Donald Wyrick was instrumental in the establishment of this new prison facility in Webster County.
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In 1967, Wyrick was promoted to Special Assistant to the Warden and transferred to the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) in Jefferson City. By 1974, Donald Wyrick had become the youngest prison warden to oversee MSP. It is interesting to note he was the only prison guard to work his way up the ranks of the penal system hierarchy in MSP's history.
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MSP was the first state penal institution west of the Mississippi River; it opened its doors in 1836 and operated continuously until 2004. This prison was notorious for its brutality, being dubbed by Time Magazine as "the bloodiest 47 acres in America" in 1954 after a horrendous riot that killed four inmates and injured 29, including four prison officers. It has been recorded that the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri National Guard and police departments from Jefferson City, St. Louis and Kansas City were called in to help quell the unrest that broke out. While this riot resulted in a few deaths, many injuries and several buildings being burned on the prison campus, no inmates were able to escape during this melee.
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When Donald Wyrick took over the reins of MSP as the Warden in 1974, it has been recorded this was another turbulent time in the history of the state prison, which revolved around racial unrest among the inmates. During this same time period MSP attempted to desegregate by moving a few black inmates into an all-white housing unit. This move did not last long as the black inmates were stabbed by the white inmates and desegregation was put on hold.
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A few years later, the Supreme Court upheld an appeals court decision to forbid segregation in public prisons. Warden Wyrick once again rose to the challenge and was credited with successfully leading efforts to desegregate the entire prison population without incidence, violence or loss of life.
Mr. Wyrick had an extensive knowledge of the penal system and had an extraordinary ability to communicate with convicts. This remarkable competence led to contraband weapons being confiscated and the capture of escaped inmates, as well as preventing many breakouts during his administration.
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The press coverage surrounding Warden Wyrick was not always good though. The St. Louis American wrote a scathing article in 2010 about how the euphemism of MSP stood for “misery, suffering and pain.” The anonymous author went on to proclaim, "During the 1970s, Wyrick banned me from MSP, because of my frequent exposés of conditions and my advocacy for prison reform."
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He was also instrumental in hiring the first female guard (Lillian Bonds) for a men's prison in 1974. It was during this same era the title of "prison guard" was changed to "correctional officer".
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Warden Donald Wyrick was quite popular during his career and was sought after by many other states to oversee their penal systems. Two books have been published about Warden Wyrick: Man of the Big House, Missouri State Penitentiary, A Warden's Warden by Carol A. Wyrick and If Only the Old Walls Could Talk, The Legend of Warden Wyrick (unable to find the name of the author).
Regardless of the bad press, Donald Wyrick continued to be well-respected by his peers in the community and retained his stance as an outstanding Warden. Some of his colleagues described him as "a hardened soul with a compassionate heart". It is interesting to note, Mr. Wyrick was not the first warden to receive bad press, nor was he the last. It appears that "just came with the job" from this author's viewpoint.
In 1983, he became the Director of Adult Institutions, a division of the Missouri Department of Corrections, and retired from there in 1987. Warden Wyrick was also the Regional Vice-President of Riverside Corrections Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana and served as an Interim Jail Administrator for Miller County under Sheriff Bill Abbott.​
Donald Wyrick belonged to the Deputy Warden's Association and the National Warden's Association, being a past president for both organizations. Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Wyrick was appointed to the Governor's Task Force on Crime and Corrections by then Governor Kit Bond during the 1980s. He was a member of the Fulton Masonic Lodge (#48 A.F. & A.M.) and the American Legion (Roscoe Enloe Post 5) in Jefferson City. Mr. Wyrick was also a devout member of Calvary Baptist Church in Jefferson City.
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Warden Donald "D. W." Wyrick departed this life on 4 February 2004 in Jefferson City. His funeral was conducted at Rekus Funeral Home in Eldon with a Masonic Service included. Dr. Lewis Curtis was the officiating pastor.
Mr. Wyrick was buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery, near Tuscumbia, with military honors.
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