Visitation set for retired AU history professor ‘Cowboy Mike’

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A public visitation has been scheduled for the retired Augusta University history professor known as “Cowboy Mike.”

Michael Searles retired from Augusta University in 2012, but stayed as an emeritus faculty member.

We reported his death last week.

A public visitation is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. Friday at Phinazee & Son Funeral Home, 404 W. Eighth St. in Waynesboro.

Searles was known for his dedication to educating students and the public about the Western experiences of Black cowboys and Buffalo Soldiers.

He was known around Augusta University’s campus for his signature cowboy hat, boots, and other cowboy attire.

“As I acquired chaps, Western clothing, spurs and cowboy boots, I needed a name. Cowboy Mike was an easy transition. As I began to wear regular cowboy clothes, boots and hat, folks began to call me Cowboy Mike. I even have my own wooden nickel,” said Searles in an interview with HistoryNet.

After Searles retired, he wrote for a Burke County newspaper, The True Citizen.

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