Heritage Society

Williams, who graduated from Jax State in 1988 with a degree in psychology, and her husband, Mike, have generously established three endowed scholarships through the creation of a planned gift. Two of the scholarships will be dedicated to Delta Chi Fraternity and Delta Zeta Sorority at Jax State, while the third will be designated for a student from St. Clair County. Raised in Springville, Alabama, Williams graduated from Springville High School with dreams of making a difference.

“Investing in Jax State is investing in our state, country, and world,” said Williams, a retired interior designer living in Riverside. “Jax State graduates are everywhere, and our investment in our school will keep putting them out there. Look around, you might be surprised.”

Williams started her college journey at Jefferson State Community College before transferring to Jax State. The decision was easy, as many of her hometown friends had become Gamecocks, and Jax State offered the perfect balance of being away from home without being too far.

“It’s a university that is just the right size to know almost everyone on campus,” Williams said. “The ‘Friendliest Campus in the South’ is true everywhere you go at Jax State. The campus is beautiful, tucked into those hills. Jax State has a way of getting into your heart and never leaving you, and in turn, you never really leave it. You come back for events. You send your children to school there.”

Williams followed this tradition, as her son Corey attended Jax State from 2008 to 2012. He was a member of Delta Chi Fraternity, played baseball for Coach Jim Case, and was part of the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference championship team.

The Williams family maintains a strong presence on campus. In 2006, while living in South Florida, they bought season football tickets, making the 20-hour roundtrip drive to attend every Jax State home game. They continue to be season ticketholders, moving from Club Level to the ATO Alumni Suite.

“On Game Day, our RV in the Stadium Lot is Tailgate Central, and we have been interviewed and featured on TV three times because of it,” Williams said. “Twice at Jax State and once in Montgomery for the Kick-Off Classic at the Cramton Bowl.”

In April 2024, Williams was honored to be initiated into the sisterhood of Delta Zeta. “It was such an honor,” she said. “I was a little sister for ATO but didn’t have the sorority experience as a student.”

The decision to create the endowments came over a dinner conversation the same night Williams and her husband met with a gift officer from Jax State’s Office of Advancement, now known as the Office for Philanthropy, about the variety of ways they could give back to the institution they loved so much. 

“Our goal is to ensure that a student who wants to get an education but can’t quite do it all themselves has help,” Williams said. “We want to help those students who might not be top-tier academically but are working hard to achieve their dreams. We want to smooth out their path and help them create a better life for themselves.”

As the youngest of four, Callaway could walk the length of his house and hear four different types of music coming from each room. As a family, they would sit around the living room at night and listen to records. His parents often took him to musicals in Chattanooga, seeing the touring performance of Fiddler on the Roof when he was only 10 years old. “They were both interested in music, and they let me tag along wherever they went,” he said. “It’s odd because they both grew up on farms … so I don’t know where it came from. But that love was always there for them, and they made me love it, too.”

Callaway is honoring that family legacy with a planned gift to fund a scholarship named for his father, John W. Callaway. The scholarship is being established to benefit a student with financial needs majoring in instrumental music education. “I just know what these students are going through, how hard it can be,” said Callaway, who graduated from Jax State in 1986. “I had a scholarship, did work study, worked at a local church. That was in the ‘80s, so the amount of money they have to pay now …”

Callaway established the scholarship by designating the JSU Foundation as the beneficiary for a portion of his estate when he dies. “I want it to go to somebody, to help somebody be a music teacher like I did,” said Callaway. 

By designating the JSU Foundation as a beneficiary, it helps create meaningful legacies, said Kim Dalesandro, planned giving officer in Jax State’s Office for Philanthropy. “It’s a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for Jacksonville State University and its mission while accommodating your own personal, financial, estate-planning, and philanthropic goals. 

“Future gifts can be designated to fund scholarships or even programs that will have an impact on the Gamecock Family for generations to come.” 

‘Music was always in the back of my mind’

Growing up in a small town, Callaway was known as the Music Guy, a reputation he earned. He’d convince his parents to take him to football games just to study the high school marching band. “I was such a nerd that even in middle school,” he said, “my parents would just drop me off at school, so I could watch band practice.” The family had a piano, and his sister, who was 10 years older, started taking lessons. “I would just sit down and try to play whatever she played, kinda just to make her mad,” he said. “But I knew that there was something inside me that loved music.”

Callaway started taking piano lessons himself by the age of 8 and was playing at the church by 11. He fulfilled his marching band dreams by playing the trombone in the sixth grade which led to four years in the highly touted Ringgold Tiger Band. After graduating in 1982, Callaway took something of a left turn. “As any young Southern man, I didn’t necessarily want to do what was expected of me,” he said, laughing. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something else.”

When he came to Jax State, Callaway worked toward a degree in accounting/economics, while performing with the Marching Southerners, graduated in 1986 and took a job with the state.

“Music was always there, playing in the back of my mind,” he said. “Music was just something that I always knew I was going to do.” So, he went back to school, earning a Master of Arts degree from the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama. Callaway’s first position after college was as associate band director at Russellville High School in Russellville, Alabama. 

What followed was a 28-year career as a band director in five high school across Alabama and Georgia. “I never thought of being a performer, as a career option,” Callaway said. “For me, it was always about teaching because I wanted to share with others the joy that music had provided in my life.”

Then, in 2020, came the call from Dr. Tony McCutcheon offering a return to his alma mater. “I loved working in high schools and have so many fond memories,” Callaway said. “But you never really knew what you were preparing them for. Of course, they could learn leadership skills and self-esteem, so you’re preparing them for success. “But here at Jax State, in my fourth year, I can see the future for these students.”

“I contributed to the University year after year and then decided that I wanted to do more. I realized that you don’t have to be wealthy to make an impact. Whatever you can contribute helps students who want a great education but might need some monetary help along the way,” Kay says.

She and her husband started by establishing the Madonna Kay Brown and Barry Penny Scholarship to benefit a senior student athlete each year who needs support to finish at JSU. She says, “As donors, having a named scholarship makes us feel wonderful. We know we are helping students succeed with their plans for a college degree.”

Her experience has been so positive that she then decided to establish the Madonna Kay Brown Endowed Scholarship as a legacy planned gift through her estate trust. “It makes me feel that my life at JSU will be more than my days as a student but will continue after I am gone,” she adds.

Kay Brown has been involved with the University since the very beginning. “Jacksonville, Alabama, has been my home, our home, for four generations. So JSU has always been a part of my life. We were always right there in the shadow of the University when I attended Jacksonville Elementary Laboratory School and Jacksonville Laboratory High School. I always knew I wanted to go to college at JSU,” Kay says.

It took Kay 10 years to earn her business degree. While in high school and college she worked at Merle Norman Cosmetics in Jacksonville. She explains, “I went to school whenever I could. I was working and raising a child and it was hard, but I’m proud to say I finished and paid for it myself. If you want a college education, you can have one at JSU. That is because everyone is working to provide resources for you to realize your dream, whether it is faculty, staff, or an alumna like me.”

After graduation, Kay continued to work at Merle Norman until purchasing the business. After selling it in 2000, she moved to Huntsville, Alabama, and worked for a variety of defense contractors until retiring a few years ago.

Currently, Kay is a very active supporter of Jax State. She has served on multiple boards over the years and is the past president of the Annual Fund Board. She also has recently been inducted into the president’s Red Jacket Society. She explains, “I have met up with old friends who have become new friends again. Working with our alumni and getting more acquainted with JSU grads has been so rewarding.”

One of Kay’s favorite campus events is the annual JSU Foundation Scholarship Luncheon. “Attending the Scholarship Luncheon will make a person cry,” she says. “When students stand in front of a big group and confess that they were about to drop out because their resources were depleted, it brings tears. When they describe how important a $500 scholarship was to their staying in school and completing a degree, you weep. That is why I say you do not have to be a millionaire to be a donor because every small donation to the JSU Foundation counts just as much.” She encourages every graduate of Jax State to do as she has done. “It makes a serious difference, and the students are all so grateful,” she adds.

According to Kay, “This is where I grew up and was influenced. This is where my family lives. This is where my friends work. This is where they all gather together. I want to see JSU continue to grow, succeed, and nurture the community of Jacksonville.

Immediately after graduating from the University of North Alabama with a bachelor’s in journalism and public relations in 1993, Seitz was hired as the assistant sports information director for the Gamecocks. Six years later, he was promoted to sports information director. Well respected in his field, he became the first SID named president of the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 2002.

Stepping out behind the news desk, Seitz was named associate athletic director in 2002, senior athletic director in 2011 and finally—after three stints as interim—was officially named athletic director in 2016.

“I’ve had a very blessed career,” Seitz says, “and that’s mostly because I’ve been able to spend all of it at JSU.”

Having overseen JSU’s invitation to join Conference USA in all sports beginning in 2023, as well as upgrades to numerous athletic facilities, Seitz has solidified his reputation as a leader. Now he’s thinking about his legacy. He recently decided to make a considerable donation to JSU Athletics that will be bequeathed upon his passing.

“It’s an opportunity for me to leave a legacy for future student athletes, coaches and staff,” Seitz says. “My passion for JSU Athletics has always been great and I’m hoping this gift can someday enhance that.”

Not that such a thing is coming any time soon. Death, like retirement, isn’t something the ever-motivated Seitz is considering.

“I like to think I’ve still got a ways to go before worrying too much about that,” he says, laughing. “But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

The specifics of the donation are still being ironed out.

“It’s all part of my retirement plan,” he says. “I don’t know exactly how much it will be, but I do know it will be a six-figure gift as part of my estate.”

And there was never any doubt as to where Seitz wanted the money to go.

“Sports are my passion, especially JSU athletics,” he says. “It was important to me that something go toward JSU, and specifically the athletics department, because it’s been such a huge part of my life for nearly 30 years.”

Seitz hasn’t decided, beyond the athletics department, where exactly his gift will go.

“There will certainly be future needs as we make this transition to Conference USA and into the FBS,” he says. “I just thought it was the right time to make this decision. And as we’re always asking people to donate to the Gamecocks, it was only fair that I step up to the plate and make a significant gift myself to help our fundraising efforts.”

Remembering JSU in estate planning has become a popular gift option for alumni and friends of the institution.

“It’s just another option for giving,” Seitz says. “A lot of people aren’t in a position to give a gift outright, but this allows you to give back to the university without sacrificing so much of your daily finances. Plus, like they say: You can’t take it with you.”

An estate-based donation has unlimited potential for change and opportunity.

“I would suggest everyone talk to their tax advisors,” Seitz says. “There are lots of personal benefits—tax credits, for example—and it really can make a difference in the lives of the students at this university. Estate gifts are a way of creating a legacy that will live on long after the giver is gone.”

The answer, of course, is yes.

Donald “Dee” Salls is the son and namesake of JSU coaching legend Don Salls, who died in January 2021 at the age of 101. He served as head football coach from 1946-1964, winning seven conference championships and playing in four bowl games en route to becoming the winningest coach in JSU history.

“At one point, he had more years at the school than anyone else,” Dee said. “It was his first and only job. When he started, there was just a club football team. So, he was responsible for starting the football program, along with assistant coaches Ray Wedgeworth and Tom Roberson.”

Coach Salls spent 38 years at JSU, which included teaching in the Department of Education, where he was named professor emeritus upon retirement. He was inducted into the JSU Athletic Hall of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and the Westchester County Hall of Fame in New York.

Dee grew up walking the sidelines during JSU football games, soaking up the charged atmosphere. He remembers “getting to know the players, listening to the Marching Southerners and watching the Ballerinas.”

When his father passed away, he and his wife, Becky—both of whom are JSU graduates—decided to create a planned gift to the University in his honor.

“He always wanted to give back to the school,” Dee said. “For years, he sent a small donation monthly until health issues prevented him from continuing. We’re just trying to fulfill his wishes.”

Since there’s already a building named after Coach Salls on campus—Salls Hall, home of the JSU Police Department—the couple has decided to establish a scholarship in his honor.

“I think he would be happy that we were able to contribute,” Dee said.

Dee graduated from JSU in 1979, followed by Becky in 1980. Both received degrees in education. While Dee went into the fitness industry, Becky spent 42 years in the classroom. She was recently inducted into the JSU College of Education and Professional Studies Hall of Fame.

She has already established the Becky Vedel Endowed Scholarship within the college.

“As the years go by the school becomes more important, as we met there,” Dee said. “Our desire is to create a lasting memory of Dr. Donald J. Salls and a legacy for our three boys and their families.”

Native to White Plains, NY, Coach Salls played fullback and linebacker at the University of Alabama from 1939 to 1942. He was a member of the Crimson Tide’s 1941 national championship team and captain of its 1942 Orange Bowl-winning squad. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1942.

After college, Salls served in World War II—earning several medals for bravery, including the Purple Heart after he was shot in the hand during combat. In 1945, he was promoted to captain.

After the war, Salls returned to UA and completed coursework for his master’s degree in physical education, which he received in 1946. That year, he was offered the position of head football coach and associate professor at JSU, despite having never set foot on campus.

“All I had heard was that it was the Friendliest Campus in the South,” Salls told the JSU alumni magazine Gem in 2009. “I am so proud of my 38 years I spent there. I worked with outstanding coaches, teachers, professors, students, and presidents. The Lord has truly blessed me.”

During her senior year at Anniston High School, when her physical education teacher was placed on bed rest due to a complicated pregnancy, Claudette was allowed to teach the adaptive PE class to her peers for the final weeks of the school year.

“It’s sort of like it was meant to be,” she says. “I knew what I was going to do with my life.”

Students and their potential have been the driving force in Claudette’s life since she was a student herself. Now, that potential will serve as her legacy. With a recent gift to the University, the 1972 JSU alumna created the Claudette Smith Endowed Scholarship to support the education of JSU upperclassmen, particularly female student-athletes.

“Freshmen get a lot of scholarships, but the further they go, the less money they get,” Claudette says. “I wanted to try and take care of them. I know that this scholarship can really make a difference in someone’s life.”

Claudette was raised in a family of Gamecocks. Her mother was one of six daughters, all of whom graduated from JSU. When her aunt, Doris Ledbetter, died, the surviving sisters established a scholarship in her name. “My first name is Doris, and I’m named after my aunt,” Claudette says.

Her father, known to everyone simply as “CS,” owned Smith Distributing Company, which provided wholesale sports supplies to area schools. Her mother, Hester, taught school for 18 years before joining the family business. Claudette’s sister, Carol Jean—who also graduated from JSU—served as a lawyer for the State Attorney General’s office. So, when it came time for Claudette to go to college, the choice was obvious.

“It was an easy decision,” she says. “I knew I wanted to teach, and JSU was the best teacher’s college in the state of Alabama. Plus, I basically grew up on that campus, and I liked the idea of being a big fish in a little pond. They call it the friendliest campus for a reason.”

During her time at JSU, Claudette was a Student Government Association senator, part of the inaugural group of university hostesses/spirit group known as the Gamecock Chicks and served as president of Alpha Xi Delta.

After graduating from JSU with a degree in physical education and biology, Claudette walked into Arab Junior High School hoping for a job. She had just finished writing her name on the application when the principal asked if she could start on Wednesday.

“That was on a Monday, two days before the school year started,” Claudette says. “Obviously, I said yes, and I really never left.”

Claudette spent 36 years teaching full time in Arab City Schools plus six years part time. She taught PE, health, remedial math, and language, and was the first alternative schoolteacher in the system before retiring in 2018. She coached the AJHS Scholars’ bowl team for 30-plus years and her teams were perennial state finalists in the Alabama Scholastic Competition Association’s Middle School Tournament.

“Those kids worked so hard,” Claudette says. “I loved working with them.”

Having no children of her own, Claudette—as the last remaining member of her family—has decided to leave a legacy at the University as she has in the Arab school system. 

“I always tell people that I’m a retired schoolteacher, so I’ve never had a big salary,” she says with a laugh. “But everybody else left me their money.”

When asked why she chose to make the donation, Claudette responds with the same directness one could imagine made her such an effective coach and teacher. “I have this money that I inherited. I have to do something with it.”

“I went to a junior college and continued on to a large university. Kathy also graduated from a large university. What initially impressed us about JSU was that the attention students received was similar to that of a junior college, while they were actually attending a major university” says Jack.

“We started by giving through the Jack and Kathy Womack Annual Scholarship, which benefits graduates of Oneonta High School who have the desire to become successful but would otherwise not be able to afford college on their own,” says Jack. “To continue the scholarship, we ask that students stay in good standing with the University. I particularly like the scholarship because it benefits the students, the University, and my high school, as well.”

Jack is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Business Interiors, Inc. in Birmingham. While his gift is a personal one, he believes that businesses should also invest in scholarships for what might become their future employees. “For example, a hospital might consider scholarships for nursing students at JSU. These students could very well end up working for the hospital which helped them.”

Through the annual Scholarship Luncheon and student thank-you letters, the Womacks have had the opportunity to see the impact their gifts have made on the recipients. Jack says, “One in particular, Katie, would write us each semester to let us know how and what she was doing. She went on to graduate and hopefully is better today because of the opportunities she had. She will always be very special to us.”

“I had a scholarship that helped my family and me tremendously when I attended college,” says Jack. “It was meaningful that my scholarship donor cared enough to help me realize my educational goals. Kathy and I have no children of our own and feel strongly that we should pay it forward.”

They have decided to continue their support of student education with the Jack and Kathy Womack Endowed Scholarship, established through a generous planned gift. The endowment has the same criteria as their annual scholarship. “Oneonta students with financial need will continue to receive financial support in perpetuity, long after we are gone,” Jack says. “A planned gift was the best way for us to make a large gift, while not affecting our resources today.”

He encourages others to consider making a gift to the University. “Give from the heart because it will touch many JSU hearts. The phrase ‘you get more for the money’ has a special meaning at Jacksonville State University.”

When it came time for Chris Reynolds to select a university to attend in 1981, he had only one in mind—Jacksonville State University. For him, it was like home.

“Earning a good education was important to my parents. My father worked in a cotton mill during the day and attended JSU at night. He started in 1957, and it took him until 1971 to earn his accounting degree,” Chris says.

“Then, when my sister was born in 1974, mother decided it was her turn to earn a degree. She enrolled at JSU and graduated in education in 1981,” he says.

At JSU, Chris majored in music and performed with the Marching Southerners for two years. Scholarships helped pay the bills. A full-tuition scholarship named for coach Don Salls, and a half scholarship from the Southerners, allowed him to graduate on time and with no debt.

In 1985, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music and in business management. He currently serves as vice president and investment officer at Wells Fargo Advisors in Gadsden. Chris is also a certified financial planner.

Another defining moment happened at the University when Chris met his future wife, Sharon. “You never know who you will meet at Mason Beach,” he says.

The JSU family story doesn’t end there. His daughter-in-law, Kendall, is a JSU education graduate. His son, Jordan, is transferring to JSU in the fall and plans to major in nursing. Altogether, there will be 10 JSU degrees within the immediate family once Jordan graduates. When planning his own financial future, Chris remembers that total strangers made it possible for him to pay for his education through scholarships. “I felt an obligation to pass it on, to give back. Someone helped me and now it’s my turn,” he says.

“I created a trust, and upon my death everything goes into the trust, including the proceeds from various insurance policies. It will benefit my wife and children for a specified time and then a portion of the trust will go to the University. The gift will be unrestricted so that the University can use the funds wherever they are needed most,” he says.

The family lived at Fort Benning, Georgia, when Ed was born and then moved to Fort McClellan, Alabama. After his father’s military service, they moved to Weaver, Alabama, where Ed graduated from Weaver High School in 1977. In thinking about his future academic plans, Ed says, “Actually I wanted to become an accountant, but a military career was always in the back of my mind. You can’t have my upbringing and not consider the military as a career.”

His brother and sister, Frank and Carol, had already attended JSU, and Ed followed them to the University. “I decided on JSU because of its excellent accounting program and primarily because I was able to live at home. That was the key factor,” he says.

It was during his freshman and sophomore years while taking core academic courses that he started taking elective one-hour courses in military science. “They were interesting and fun,” he says. “Courses like hand-to-hand combat and basic rifle marksmanship. Once I made the decision to continue the family tradition of serving in the military, I entered the Advanced ROTC program and eventually obtained a double major in accounting and military science.”

JSU proved to be an excellent choice for Ed. He worked with outstanding, inspirational professors with whom he credits helping him toward a successful career. “Then Captain William (Bill) Stone was an associate professor when I attended JSU. He was the son of the JSU president at that time. He later returned to head the JSU ROTC program as a lieutenant colonel. He was a great officer who served as a role model for many cadets. In addition, Colonel William F. Rickett was a thoroughly professional officer and strictly enforced Army standards. I learned much from both of them, as well as other faculty in the program.”

Ed graduated in 1981 and entered the Alabama Army National Guard. In 1982 he was also hired by the U.S. Army Audit Agency. Having a B.S. degree with two majors from JSU made him an attractive candidate and he was hired despite a difficult economic time.

After a successful military career, Ed retired as a colonel from the Alabama Army National Guard in 2018 after 37 years of service. His career with the U.S. Army Audit Agency continues and he says, “I continue to thoroughly enjoy auditing the Army.

Ed remained connected to the University through the years. He made numerous recruiting visits to JSU and was always impressed with the cooperation and courtesies extended by the Placement Office and the Business College. He also served for several years on the ROTC Alumni Board of Directors. He says, “The friendliness of the staff and faculty has been a continually pleasant surprise.”

In planning his estate, Ed first ensured that he had made economic plans for himself and for his daughter Elizabeth. Then he thought about the key events in his life. “Many of those involved the time I spent in the JSU ROTC department. My experiences serving in the Gamecock Battalion provided a great foundation for a successful career in the Alabama Army National Guard.

With that in mind, Ed established the The Colonel Edward G. Friar Memorial Scholarship Fund through a planned gift to the JSU Foundation. The purpose of the endowment is to fund an annual scholarship to a deserving JSU ROTC cadet toward tuition and fees.

“The endowment includes screening criteria, such as adherence to Army values, potential for successful military service, military bearing, leadership and physical readiness. In addition, I included an academic performance criterion. This was important to me since I had the highest-grade point average among the cadets. I have always felt that academic performance is a strong indicator of potential,” Ed says.

After Don Martin graduated from Bessemer High School in 1967, he eagerly headed off to Jacksonville State University to begin his college career. According to Don, “I became a business major and was very involved in campus life, serving as president of the freshman class and a member of the Student Government Association, among others.

“Early on, I noticed that JSU students came from families which valued a good work ethic so they studied hard at the University. I think that’s why so many JSU graduates have been so successful in life,” he says.

After graduating in 1971, Don headed to Chicago to start his career, eventually landing in Atlanta where he was advertising manager for Southern Living magazine for many years before starting his own successful real estate business.

Don’s wife of more than 40 years, Margaret Ann, was a graduate of the University of Georgia and owned an advertising agency, also in Atlanta. Recently, they retired so they could travel and enjoy their homes in Atlanta; Cashiers, North Carolina; and St. Simons Island in Georgia. He says, “Now we have the best of all worlds—the city, the mountains and the beach.”

Throughout the years, the Martins remained involved in their respective universities. Says Don, “Whenever possible we attended both home and away JSU football games. In fact, we’re now season suite holders for Gamecock games and attend many athletics functions since we’re only an hour and a half from campus. I’m proud to say that I actually started the Atlanta Alumni Association more than 20 years ago.”

Don is a longtime member of the JSU Foundation Board Executive Committee, and former president. He has made many great friends on the board and says that at least one half are former classmates.

It is his association with the JSU Foundation that caused him to start thinking about helping students financially through scholarships. “One of our goals as alumni should be to help our students so that they can graduate debt free or almost debt free,” he says.

The couple endowed the Don and Margaret Ann Martin Scholarship and have enjoyed meeting their scholarship recipients at the Founder’s Day Scholarship Luncheon, which Don helped to start. “The event has been wildly successful. Donors were doubling and tripling their gifts to scholarships. If others were able to hear the student stories, it would be hard for them to resist giving, as well,” Don adds.

He wants others to know that there are multiple ways to help with scholarship support. One method is an Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA. “After you turn 70½, you can donate from your IRA and the original principal gift is never taxable to you. As luck would have it, I heard from the JSU Office of Philanthropy about an IRA contribution a few days after I turned 70½ and that’s what I chose to do.”

The result was establishment of the second Don and Margaret Ann Martin Scholarship. “We don’t think of our giving as a one-time opportunity. We view it as perpetual giving and I’m sure that we will set up a third and a fourth scholarship as well,” he says.

Don hopes others will establish scholarships, as he and Margaret Ann have done. “I invite other alums to join us at the next Founder’s Day Scholarship Luncheon. The students say that they look forward to the day when they can start their careers and give back as we have. If you could see the gratitude of these wonderful kids, you would think it was the best money you ever spent.”

When Jim Hixon was a teenager playing clarinet in his high school band, he watched the Marching Southerners perform during competitions. He knew then that Jacksonville State University would be his university of choice and his goal was to someday play with this prestigious group.

In 1978, young Jim fulfilled his dream of becoming a Marching Southerner. He says of the experience, “I loved it. We practiced as hard as the football players. The band was wonderful, and I got goosebumps every time we took the field. In addition, the band was like a second family to me, and I cherish my experiences at JSU.”

He graduated from the University with a degree in accounting in 1980 and JSU helped him secure his first banking position. “My degree and assistance from the University helped to launch a wonderful career. I retired from Family Savings Credit Union after 35 years of service with this outstanding company,” Jim says.

It is even because of Jim’s suggestion of having a Credit Union Chapter meeting at JSU’s Stadium Towers, that Family Savings Credit Union now has a suite in the stadium. As a Gamecock football fan, Jim has season tickets to JSU home games and always attends. His plans in retirement include traveling to all the away games, as well.

“I’ve been blessed and now I want to bless others,” Jim says. He recently announced three separate commitments to his alma mater.

After talking with Athletics Director Greg Seitz, Jim Hixon made a pledge to support the JSU Athletic Excellence Fund. Then, he donated an antique Conn 20J Upright Recording Bass to The Marching Southerners, after consulting with Band Director Dr. Kenneth Bodiford. “This specific antique tuba is very difficult to find so I jumped at the opportunity to purchase it when it became available. This instrument is what gives the Marching Southerners its signature deep-bass sound,” Jim adds.

Jim has also made a significant planned gift by including JSU in his estate plans. When realized, this donation will fund the James C. Hixon Endowed Scholarship Fund, benefitting a Fort Payne High School graduate who transfers to Jacksonville State University from Northeast Alabama Community College. Jim, a scholarship recipient himself, knows how meaningful these gifts can be for hardworking students.

“I lived in Jacksonville for 23 years and attended athletics events and Marching Southerners reunions. It has been like a family. It was time to give back because I really love JSU,” Jim says.

“JSU is proud to claim such an outstanding alumnus as Jim Hixon,” says Kim Dalesandro, JSU’s Planned Giving Officer. “We appreciate his generosity so much. Jim and I hope that his gifts will spur others to give back, as well.”

“As an on-campus dormitory resident, in addition to my academics in the College of Criminal Justice, I was an active participant in JSU football, student government, Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), the work study program, Army Reserves, and in the JSU drama department,” Derrick says.

Upon graduation, his professional career began as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military, a passion he says that was developed in JSU ROTC.

While serving in our nation’s capital beltway, he became involved as vice president, and later president, of the Greater Washington D.C. Alumni Association where he met other graduates who he says were, “very professional, accomplished, and very prideful of their experiences at JSU.”

He credits returning to JSU annually to attend homecoming activities with helping to influence his decision to establish an endowed scholarship fund.

“I saw other successful alumni who I spent time with on campus as an undergraduate and it always reenergized my pride in JSU,” he says. “Now that I’ve been retired from the military and settled in a second career, I just felt the time was right.”

“I decided to give back to the institution that poured so much into me and allowed me to find my passion in military leadership and developing interpersonal relationships,” Derrick says. “By establishing an endowed scholarship at the University, I want to assist young people from Birmingham find their passion for life at JSU, just as I did years ago.”

“Cindy and I feel incredibly blessed,” said Jim. “We met at the university our freshman year, started dating as sophomores, married one year after graduation and we’ve been married for 36 years. We each received an outstanding education at JSU. The university has meant a lot to us and we wanted to give back.”

The couple met when they arrived on campus for Marching Southerners band camp as freshmen.

“We met 300-plus JSU students who shared our high standards of music and performance and many of these friendships continue until today,” Jim said.

Jim graduated with a BS in music education and is the former president and CEO of Depomed, Inc., a publicly held Newark, Calif., pharmaceutical company focused on products that treat pain and other central nervous system conditions. Cindy graduated with a BS in nursing and now works in the health office of Maricopa Community College in San Diego. According to Jim, their successes in life are a result of their JSU education. “We had the opportunity to learn in a practical way and the opportunities for leadership at the university helped to make the difference.”

“My parents thought it would be an excellent and safe place for me for my first time away from home. I was only 17 and it was such a friendly happy place,” she says.

She received her B.S. in Secondary Education in three years, graduating in 1963.

“My years at JSU were the best years of my life up to that point. JSU prepared me for teaching very well. As soon as I graduated, I got married, had two children, and then taught middle school,” she says.

While teaching and being a mom, Emilea also went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and received a master’s degree in library media, K-12. With this new certification, she worked at Erwin Elementary School as the K-6 media specialist.

It was her desire to honor her late son’s memory that drove Emilea to establish the Rex Copeland Memorial Scholarship.

“My son was just 20 years old when he was killed. He was a junior in pre-law when he died. I wanted his life to be meaningful, so I started the scholarship to help young people financially at JSU,” she says. “How happy Rex would be to help someone with college education expenses. He was that kind of young man.”

She has since added to the scholarship by making a provision in her will and life insurance policy to endow the fund so that the Rex Copeland Memorial Scholarship will help young people at the university in perpetuity. Not only will it help JSU students, but it helps Emilea as well.

“Establishing the scholarship helped me get beyond this. My life and Rex’s life will have been meaningful,” she says.

The scholarship benefits students in their junior year who have good grades and who graduated from the Birmingham City School system in Jefferson County, Alabama, just like Rex Copeland.

This is not Emilea’s first gift to the university.

“We didn’t have a lot of money, but I was always an alumni member and gave to the School of Education each year. JSU has come a long way in helping young people get an excellent education and in becoming professional people,” she says.

She thinks that all alumni should give back to help the university improve.

“My strongest ties are my memories there,” she says. “I have worked with fine people at the university—the employees and the professors. I always knew in my heart that I would fund a scholarship when I could. Doing this in honor of Rex has been the most important thing in my life.”

According to Darren, “I grew up in a rural setting, so JSU provided me an education beyond the academic realm… The University gave me an opportunity to break out of generational poverty and my college education has had a tremendous impact on my family.”

A donor for many years, Darren has now chosen to include JSU in his estate plans with a generous commitment to scholarships and program excellence.

“I am indebted to JSU forever for changing my life. I want to ensure that many more underprivileged, college-ready young adults get the opportunity to experience what I experienced,” Darren says. 

The former Anniston City Schools Superintendent, Darren received his bachelors, masters, and Educational Specialist degrees from the University.

“My experiences as a student were such that I had a difficult time disconnecting myself from the campus,” he jokes.

Darren is a past President of the Alumni Association and served on the Alumni Association Board of Governors.

“I was introduced to a lot of people who were giving back to JSU on a high level. Those experiences convinced me to make a commitment to support JSU financially,” he says.

He encourages other alumni to get involved and become donors as he has. 

“I think if people make an effort to get involved with JSU, they will find that involvement entertaining and uplifting. We are all obligated to support our alma mater to ensure that we have a top-notch institution available for our younger generation,” says Darren.

To some, she was the “Little General.” According to former Jacksonville State University President Dr. William A. Meehan, she was “not large, but definitely in charge.”

On Thursday, October 23, 2014, former JSU personnel director Miriam W. Haywood, one of JSU’s most enthusiastic lifelong fans and supporters, was laid to rest. She passed away on October 19 at the age of 89.

Although she was small in stature, Mrs. Haywood leaves some mighty big shoes to fill at JSU. She worked for the university for more than 35 years and remained a very active alumna her entire life, making numerous lasting contributions to her alma mater along with her husband, James, also a JSU retiree who is now deceased.

The Haywoods started the Honorary Coaches Club, which evolved into the present Gamecock Club/J-Club. Mrs. Haywood also served as the JSU cheerleader sponsor for a decade and started the Gamecock Chicks, a group of females that functioned as pep squad, campus hostesses and tour guides.

A Lifelong Legacy of Giving
In addition to their time, the Haywoods made many large and small monetary contributions to the university. Perhaps the most significant was their personal commitment to help finance the educations of many young people.

While Mrs. Haywood was the cheerleader sponsor, she and her husband often financed airfare for the cheerleaders to travel to away games. The couple provided the university’s very first Cocky mascot suit in 1966. They purchased many items for the university, from the Good Luck Gamecock and the American flag at the stadium to the dogwood trees surrounding Bibb Graves Hall.

The Haywoods were instrumental in raising funds for the construction of the university’s marble monolith on Pelham Road and spearheaded a successful drive to raise money to re-establish the athletic training table for the football team. As their final gift to the university, they loved so dearly, the Haywoods bequeathed their estate to JSU.  A fountain is in front of Angle Hall to honor their legacy and love of Jax State.

Mrs. Haywood was a charter member of Alpha Xi Delta, JSU’s first sorority, and the first Alpha Tau Omega fraternity Sweetheart, having helped establish the chapter. On November 20, 2009, the Haywoods were presented the Jimmy Bryan Award during the Jacksonville State University Athletic Hall of Fame banquet. They received the award for their exemplary contributions and years of dedication to the success of JSU athletics.

Ward Pell, the widow of former JSU football coach Charley Pell, was particularly close to Mrs. Haywood. In fact, in 1979, when the Pells relocated to the University of Florida so that Coach Pell could lead the football program there, the newly retired Haywoods followed them to Gainesville.

Mrs. Pell says knowing Mrs. Haywood was like having a mother, a best friend and a sister all in one. As they did with many other families, the Haywoods adopted the Pells and their children as their own.

“They adopted us in ’69, and God knows we needed it,” Mrs. Pell recalls with a laugh.

“She was just such an incredible individual. She did like to supervise and tell folks how to do things, which is why she’s often referred to around the J Club as the ‘Little General,'” Mrs. Pell says.

“She and James helped a lot of young people go to college at Jacksonville State. They subsidized scholarships; they did anything that was needed to take this school to the next level. They were so caring of young people and the education of young people.”

Kaci Ogle, JSU’s alumni director, remembers Mrs. Haywood as the backbone of the Football J-Club, without whom the organization will never be the same.

“For years she cooked meals and desserts for [the club’s] monthly meetings. She absolutely loved those guys,” she says.

“She was a very proud Gamecock and wanted everyone else to show their pride as well. She will be greatly missed!”

Dr. Meehan recalls the Haywoods’ shared enjoyment of cooking. Mr. Haywood served as JSU’s dining services coordinator and was known for his lavish culinary spreads. Mrs. Haywood could be counted on to decorate for each occasion.

“Both Miriam and James loved to cook. They even had their home remodeled so they could have his and her kitchens. Miriam was famous for her banana pudding among other wonderful dishes.

Many of the men in Gamecock family will say they have never had better banana pudding than Mrs. Haywood’s,” he adds.

“I know that we would not have the Coxwell Room and the adjacent players honors court without her leadership. She was a ‘Bantam Hen’ and one heck of a Gamecock! She will be greatly missed,” Dr. Meehan says.

Funeral services for Mrs. Haywood were held in Jacksonville. Many in attendance wore JSU red as a tribute to their friend and sang in unison as the JSU fight song and “I’ll Fly Away” played during the recessional.

May we all live our lives as did Miriam Haywood-full speed ahead wearing Gamecock red!

In 1988, Gary made the decision to start taking classes at JSU. He did not have a reliable car or a big bank account. What he did have was charisma, work ethic and dedication. By 1991, Gary held three top university leadership positions at one time: first chief justice of the Student Government Association, certified peer counselor and resident assistant of a dorm.

Originally from Gadsden, Alabama, Gary says JSU was his only choice. He remembers struggling, but he was determined to complete his college career. He became known as the guy who pushed a baby stroller around campus. With his young daughter in tow, he walked into the Office of Financial Aid for help, asking for work study and any other financial assistance available to keep from having to return home. These steps were the beginning of his journey at JSU.

Gary became very active on campus and grants and scholarships started to ease his financial burdens. He worked at the student center and university library, and he dived head-first into student activities.

“This is what got me through it,” Gary says. “It’s as if somehow I made it through all the cracks and was favored. I wanted to finish what I started, and, by the grace of God, I did.”

Because he is so appreciative of the opportunities he received at JSU-those things that made it possible for him to complete his educational goals-Gary never thought twice about giving back to the university as soon as he could. After completing his undergraduate degree, he became a lifetime member of the JSU National Alumni Association; later becoming the second president of the then newly formed Black Alumni Chapter.

In 2008, Gary went against the grain and decided he did not want to wait until he was 50 or older to donate to his alma mater. He became a very young scholarship provider and endowment holder of the university. Becoming a lifelong link-and beyond-in the chain that would connect him to JSU and allow him to begin helping students, was his new goal.

“The two scholarships are my commitments while still living and the endowment is my long-term commitment to the university after I’m gone,” Gary says. “I remember and am very thankful for the opportunities I had while I was there. I am giving back. As soon as you are in a position to give back, you too should consider adding a link to the chain of support at JSU,” Gary says.

When Gary’s daughter chose a college, Shaquana (Shay) Gregory followed in her father’s footsteps and came to JSU. Elated with her decision, Gary says although he once pushed his daughter around campus, he never pushed her to choose JSU. He also jokes that he was happy about her college choice because he did not want to pay for her to go anywhere else!

Taylor, 90, went through ROTC at JSU and was commissioned second lieutenant in 1956, the year he graduated. His beloved wife, Adrienne, also attended JSU for three years in the 1950s.

Taylor worked his way to assistant vice president at a construction company prior to purchasing his own construction company, H&F Construction, with a partner in 1972. The company handled projects in 22 states.

Since his retirement more than 30 years ago, Taylor has done some consulting and keeps entertained by numerous hobbies-including football games. “I love football,” he says. “JSU football has really come alive, and it is an exciting time for the program. I wanted to help and would really like to see them be even more successful.”