Leila Sisson Case
AMERICUS — Six past citizens of Americus and Sumter County — a hero, a husband and wife philanthropist team, an educator, a civil rights leader and a well known elected local and state official and community leader — were publicly recognized for their outstanding and exceptional contributions in the community here and far beyond.
These six outstanding citizens, all selected for the 2009 Walk of Fame nominees, were honored posthumously by the City of Americus at the historic Rylander Theatre Sunday afternoon.
They are Clarence Leonard Jordan, Ph.D., William, William B. King, Ph.D., J. Frank Myers Jr., Roy Lee and Susan Smith and Luther Story.
An engraved bronze plaque in their name and listing their exceptional contributions has been permanently affixed into the pavers on the sidewalk in front of the theater on West Lamar Street.
Ryan Young, Walk of Fame committee member, welcomed the crowd of approximately 200 gathered in the theater’s Jimmy Carter Auditorium for the event recognizing these past citizens who made significant contributions to the community as well as on the international level.
Featured speaker, Alan Anderson, another member of the Walk of Fame committee and well known for his vast knowledge of local history, recognized the six citizens nominated for the Walk of Fame, listing the many contributions each had made locally and beyond. Anderson also pointed out that a plethora of local history is available on the Internet website www.sumtercountyhistory.com.
Jordan was born in 1912 in Talbotton and died in 1969 in Sumter County. Jordan along with Martin and Mabel England, founded Koinonia Farm in 1942, that led to the partnership housing idea and establishment founding of Habitat for Humanity by the late Millard Fuller and his wife Linda Fuller, who survives. He graduated from the University of Georgia with doctoral in Greek New Testament and is author of “The Cotton Patch Gospels” series that led to the Broadway gospel musical and the February 2005 release of the film, “Briars in the Cotton Patch,” developed by Faith Fuller Umstadt of Americus.
J. Frank Myers Jr., a well known Americus attorney and local and state elected official, served two separate terms as mayor of Americus (1961-1963 and 1971-1974). He was district attorney of the Southwestern Judicial Circuit from 1965-1968 and served in the Georgia General Assembly 1949-1950. He was president of the Americus Jaycees and the Chamber of Commerce. He was the leader behind the development of an industrial park, that which now bears his name that has helped increase the local economy through the manufactured housing business and other related businesses. He was co-founder of the Georgia Southwestern State University Foundation.
Educator William B. King, Ph.D., a past president of Georgia Southwestern College, serving in that position from 1963-1978, a period that brought great growth to the institution. He presided over the transition to the four-year degree program plus graduate school that rose from a student enrollment of 593 to 2,409 with the physical plant growing from 13 to 28 buildings, increasing the value from $2.5 million to $16 million. He served as associate director for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission, chaired the department of Counseling and Guidance at the University of Georgia and served on the Lake Blackshear Regional Library board of trustees.
Local philanthropists Roy Lee and Susan Smith were well known in the community for their efforts in generously funding educational programs and scholarships at both Georgia Southwestern State University and South Georgia Technical College and were each awarded honorary degrees by both educational institutions. Roy Lee served as a trustee on the GSW and SGTC foundations, was a member of local Rotary Club and the American Legion. The Smiths were both major supporters of the Georgia Sheriff’s Youth Homes, as well as annually sponsoring “Roy Boy Days” at their home near Andersonville and funding scholarships for these youths to attend GSW and SGTC.
Luther Story (1931-1950) is a local hero and gave the ultimate contribution — his life. He dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. It was while serving in the line of fire that he was killed in action while bravely defending others. He was honored posthumously by President Harry S. Truman with the Congressional Medal of Honor, the only citizen of Sumter County to receive this high military honor.
Following recognition of the Walk of Fame nominees, Americus Mayor Barry Blount presented replicas of the bronze plaques to each of the honorees’ relatives. They included Jan Zehr of Highlands, N.C., daughter of Jordan; Helen Driggers of Ocala, Fla., daughter of King; J. Frank Myers III of Columbus, son of Myers; Debbie Smith of Americus, daughter of the Smiths, and Gwen Chambliss of Americus, sister of Luther Story.
Blount also recognized members of Americus City Council, Lou Chase, Walton Grant, Eloise Paschal, Lorenzo Johnson, Alex Saratsiotis and Juanita Wilson and Walk of Fame Committee members Alan Anderson, Judy Exley, Marcus Johnson, Linda Dowdell Pope and Ryan Young, and Charlotte Cotton, City of Americus CAO.
A reception hosted by Americus and Sumter County Arts Council followed on stage.
