Helen Mays Bowman recently retired as language arts teacher in Johnson City Schools, having previously taught in schools of Washington and Sullivan Counties and of Kingsport City.  She is now assistant professor, area of education, at Milligan College.

 After classroom and remedial teaching, Mrs. Bowman self-originated a literature-based instructional program that achieved national and are-wide recognition, as well as two Tennessee School Boards Association awards.  During her career, she received three system-wide Teacher of the Year awards, conducted state-wide workshops and served on state committees for language arts, and presented at conventions of International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English.

Mrs. Billie Jean Chrisman was born and reared in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and graduated from Central High School.  She earned B.S., M.A., and Ed.S. degrees from MTSU.  Her teaching career spanned forty-three years in area high schools:  Woodbury Central, Murfreesboro Central, Murfreesboro Oakland and Murfreesboro Siegel.   Prior to the Hall of Fame, Mrs. Chrisman’s honors include being selected four times as the Outstanding Secondary Teacher (Rutherford County), receiving the Jaycee Outstanding Young Educator (1971), and recognition from MTSU’s College of Education (1971).  Her greatest hope is that she has been a positive influence in her community.   Mrs. Chrisman’s current spare time is spent presenting ACT reviews at Siegel and playing competitive tennis.

Susan Gendrich-Cameron received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  She earned her masters of Education and Education Specialist degrees at MTSU.  During her career in the Murfreesboro City Schools she taught kindergarten, second grade and developed the first English as a Second Language program.  She was dedicated to helping international families acculturate to the American way of life.  For her work with the ESL program she became the 1984 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and a finalist for National Teacher of the Year.  In 1993 she joined the team to design the Break the Mold School Program for Cason Lane Academy as Assistant Principal and became Principal in 1996.  The school was the first to implement year round education in Tennessee as well as many other innovative concepts under her leadership.

David Brown Parrish knew the day he went to first grade in Gallatin that he would teach--despite being often "closeted" for excessive talking.  He graduated Salutatorian, Outstanding Senior and Class President.  World War II took him to the Phillippines and brought him home with a Combat Infantry Badge, Six ribbons and a Bronze Star.  Two degrees from Peabody College prepared him to teach at East Junior, Bailey, and West End in Nashville and Nurenberg American High School in Germany.  After 36 years of teaching and 20 God children, volunteering began.  In December, 2005 he celebrates his 80th year.

Mrs. Ferrell Smith graduated from public schools in Greensboro, Alabama, received her BS degree from Alabama College, ME from University of Montevallo (formerly Alabama College) with further studies as UT/Knoxville, Tennessee.  Ms. Smith taught thirty-eight years:  seven in Alabama schools and thirty-one in Maryville, Tennessee, City Schools in kindergarten.  Mrs. Smith served as kindergarten chairperson for three school systems (Maryville, Alcoa, Blount County), 1975-1976, chairperson for Maryville City-wide kindergarten teachers group, 1981-1999, and kindergarten lead teacher at John Sevier Elementary, 1983-2000.  Mrs. Smith serves her church/community through singing in choir, taking communion to shut-ins, being a reader at Mass and volunteering to help feed the needy.

Mildred Hunt Ribble was next to the youngest of eight children born to Price and Lou Hunt on a farm in Warren County, Kentucky on January 29, 1904.  Her educational years were spent in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  She later received her AB degree at Brenau College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1925 and graduated from Bowling Green Business University in 1926.  She came to Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee in 1927 and taught at Hay Long High School for 46 years.  She married David Ribble in 1949 who later died in 1960.  She retired from teaching in 1973.  She established a commercial education department at Hay Long which became known throughout the area as producing some of the best prepared students entering their prospective fields.  She was also instrumental in forming a high school band at Hay Long and regularly attended their concerts.

Frances Smothers was born and raised in Franklin County, Tennessee and graduated from Huntland High School in 1951.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Belmont College in 1955,  served as President of the Baptist Student Union, XAN Society, and was elected Miss Belmont.   Her teaching career was with Franklin Special School District as a first grade teacher.  She taught at Franklin Elementary School from 1972-1990 and continued her career at Moore Elementary School from 1990-1994 when she retired.  Throughout her teaching career she was a Career Ladder II teacher, assistant teacher of the Singerland Multisensory Method to teachers, the first “Teacher of the Year” at Moore Elementary, and an after school tutor of students and a mentor of new teachers and student teachers.