My journey at Morristown College began a couple of years after a disappointing first-time college experience at a prominent large institution in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. At the recommendation of the late Dr. Addie B. Crutcher, an Upward Bound High School Counselor, I enrolled in Morristown the fall of 1973. Upon arriving on the campus, I was nervously excited and had no idea of the far-reaching impact that was to follow. From the time I moved into my dorm room and met my roommate, to the first day of classes, the first canteen cheese steak and the first basketball game, Morristown College was the place where almost everyone knew your name. The intimate class sizes, the academically supportive faculty, the extra-curricular activities, chapel services, study in the library, and local Sunday church worship were all conducive for a well-rounded experience. After graduation in 1975, I attended Clark College(now Clark Atlanta University). As a result of the Morristown College experience, I was not only prepared spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually to excel at Clark College, but was able to interact with students at the other nearby institutions including Spellman, Morehouse, Morris Brown, and Atlanta University. Little did I know in 1973 that the Morristown College experience would launch my road to academic and professional success. I am grateful for the privilege to be a graduate of Morristown College.

The festivities of Jubilee Day put smiles on faces as crowds enjoyed the soul food, games for children and music at Fulton-Hill Park for the Aug. 8 state holiday that celebrates the emancipation of Tennessee’s slaves. Dr. Alpha Alexander, the chair of the Morristown Taskforce on Diversity, said she was pleased to see communities coming together and enjoying themselves. “I think it’s a wonderful start for Hamblen County,” she said. “This is the first Jubilee Day we have celebrated here. I think it has the potential to grow and be an annual event here. Knoxville, Greeneville, Johnson City, Newport… they have been celebrating it for years.” The day started out with speakers including Todd Morgan, executive director of the Knox Heritage and East Tennessee Preservation Alliance and Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney. Chesney said it was important for people to understand the importance of the park where Morristown College, a historic institution of higher education for African Americans that stood at the site. “I think it’s an appropriate history at that location,” he said. “Andrew Fulton is one of the men Fulton-Hill Park. As a child, along with his mother, he was auctioned as a slave at that site. Later, he was a graduate of the school and then a professor who taught there until he passed away.” Chesney said he was looking forward to next year. Games for children were organized, including an egg toss where splattered eggs created big smiles on many faces. The Morristown-Hamblen Library was on hand and were giving away books to children. The Taskforce on Diversity provided free school supplies and prizes for the game winners. The evening ended with a showing of “Best of Enemies,” a movie about the friendship between former enemies in North Carolina- a Ku Klux Klan leader and a civil rights worker. Source: “Day of Jubilee: Fulton-Hill Park Hosts Celebration of Freedom.” Drew Robinson [Morristown, TN], 9 Aug. 2021, www.citizentribune.com/arts_and_entertainment/fulton-hill-park-hosts-celebration-of-freedom/article_f6c11b1a-f930-11eb-85e8-dbdbb4bc3095.html.

Reunion of the Ages has announced its annual scholarship winners. Reunion of the Ages is a non-profit organization established in 2002 and serves as a voice for the legacy, history and pride of Morristown College. It also serves to preserve, honor and celebrate the history and impact of former black educational institutions in Hamblen County in view of the present and future need of the community. Each year scholarships are awarded to graduating high school students based on availability and academic achievement. Students must maintain a high grade point average, be involved in their community and write an essay on why they are applying for the scholarship and their educational goals. Over the course of 18 years the organization has awarded $65,150 to 140 students. The following awards have been awarded for the 2021-2022 academic year: Kailey N. Hoffner, Jefferson County, attending Carson Newman University, nursing, awarded the Francis Pressley Scholarship, $1,000. Kellen Harrison-Lee, Henderson, NV, Eastern Nazarene College, criminal justice, James A. Nichols Scholarship, $500. Isaiah Sherles, Jacksonville, FL, University of Central Florida GPA, computer engineering, Samuel Braziel Scholarship, $500. Daeshawn Harris, Morristown East, Walters State Community College, business, James A. Nichols Scholarship, $500. Kelly Fluker, Morristown West, Tennessee Technological University, computer engineering, Melissa Dukes Scholarship, $500. Noah Lovell, Morristown West, Middle Tennessee State University, journalism, James A. Nichols scholarship, $500.