Exquisite Janitorial Inc.

07/24/2026

07/24/2026

The tallest person born in Mississippi was Max Palmer who stood at 8 feet 2 inches.

Palmer was born in Pontotoc in 1927. After high school he left Mississippi to play professional basketball for the Rochester Royals. After basketball, Palmer worked odd jobs in Mississippi for a while, then went to Hollywood to get into acting.

His first appearance on film was on the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis Comedy Hour. Palmer's acting career spanned from 1952 to 1954. He starred in such movies as Invaders from Mars and Killer Ape with Johnny Weissmuller. He also guested in other variety shows such as The Spade Cooley Show, and The Jimmy Durante Show.

After he left acting, Palmer became a professional wrestler billed as "Paul Bunyan". After retiring from wresting in 1963, he became an evangelist. He preached all over the United States, calling himself "Goliath for Christ". He preached until his death in 1984 from heart disease.

When measured for his coffin, he measured 8 feet 2 inches and needed a 9-foot coffin. Palmer is buried in Randolph, Mississippi, near Pontotoc at Carey Springs Baptist Church Cemetery.

Photo courtesy University of Southern California / Corbis Historical Collection

07/24/2026