His parents, Bessie Butts and Santee Person, had twelve children, all of whom worked on the family farm.

As nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Person found himself on board a boat to mainland Japan.

[3] Person raised his hand and told the captain, "Those bullets they're firing at us don't have white and black on them.

[citation needed] After completing his degree in mathematics, Person joined the United States Department of Commerce as a physical science technician.

Person first became involved with science communication in the lobby of the Commerce building, telling the curious people who crowded around the seismograph about earthquakes.

[5] After five years at the center, Person was promoted to Chief, and responsible for designing the scientific research programme of the NEIC, as well as interacting with the media.

Person was involved with the fight for civil rights, and walked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.