Tennessee Private Colleges and Universities Announce 4th Annual TICUA Hall of Fame

Tennessee’s first female Speaker of the House, civil rights pioneer among the 24 honorees in the Class of 2023 

NASHVILLE, TENN. - The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) is proud to announce its fourth class of Hall of Fame inductees, honoring Tennessee’s first female Speaker of the House, a civil rights pioneer who integrated SEC varsity basketball, a world-renowned opera singer, music and business executives, and many others.

TICUA member institutions selected the 24 alumni, highlighting their contributions to our state, country, and world in a variety of disciplines. Tennessee’s Independent Colleges and Universities have helped shape some of our nation’s most distinguished and impressive citizens - from Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners to faith leaders, entrepreneurs, and elected officials. 

“With each new class of the TICUA Hall of Fame, we discover even more of our alumni changing the world, some whose names we know and others we are just now becoming familiar with,” said TICUA President Dr. Claude Pressnell. “Each of the inductees demonstrates how valuable one's college experience is to your life and the impact a liberal arts education has on molding your future.” 

The 2023 class of inductees includes civic and faith leaders, music and business executives, and passionate philanthropic and humanitarian leaders, all from Tennessee private non-profit colleges and universities.

The inductees of the TICUA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 are: 

• Jewel Bell - King University 

• Melvoid Benson - Lane College 

• L.D. Campbell- Johnson University 

• Autry O.V. “Pete” Debusk - Lincoln Memorial University 

• Dr. Jeff Foster - Southern College of Optometry

• Dr. Thomas Garland - Tusculum University

• Rusty Gaston - Belmont University

• Dr. William Greer- Milligan University 

• Dr. Beth Harwell - Lipscomb University

• Bob Jimenez - Southern Adventist University

• William Kilbride - Tennessee Wesleyan University 

• Edward A. Labry III- Cumberland University

• Esmerelda Lee - Lee University 

• James T. McAfee Jr. - Union University 

• Dr. Betty Sue McGarvey - Baptist Health Sciences University

• Bill Morgan - Freed-Hardeman University 

• Col. J. Christopher Murphy - Aquinas College

• Joel Rice - Bethel University

• Joe Bill Sloan - Carson-Newman University 

• Dr. Morris Stocks - Trevecca Nazarene University 

• Jerry Summers - The University of the South

• George Vogel - Bryan College 

• Perry Wallace - Vanderbilt University

• Delores Ziegler - Maryville College

Read more about each inductee on the 2023 Hall of Fame website or in our 2023 Hall of Fame publication.

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About TICUA: TICUA engages Tennessee's private, non-profit colleges and universities to work collaboratively in areas of public policy, cost containment, and professional development to better serve the State and its citizens. TICUA membership includes 34 member institutions comprised of four-year colleges and universities and professional colleges. In fall 2021, TICUA member colleges and universities throughout the State enrolled more than 78,000 students and employed 21,000 faculty and staff.  For more information about TICUA, please visit our website at www.ticua.org.