2009

ECCC Auditorit1m named for longtime faculty tnember The naming of a school auditorium in memory of a longtime faculty member was approved at the September 2009 meeting ofthe East Central Commlllity CollegeBoard ofTntst- ees. The auditorium, located inNewton Hall, will now be known as the Thomas W. Thrash Auditorium. to honor his 40 years of service on the Decatur campus. A ceremony officially naming the facility has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15 in the auditorium. A reception will follo\V the dedica– tion program. " It is most appropriate that we name the auditorium in memory ofMr. Thrash," said ECCC President Dr. Phi\ A. Sutphin. ''He was an outstanding instructor \\ho lived and breathed East Central Community College. as evidenced by his long and successful career. He also taught man) classes in the same auditorium that will now bear his name:' Thrash, who died on Sept. 6, 2002, served as Chairman ofthe Social Science, Education and Business Di\ ision in addition to teaching social science classes. He received numerous awards throughout lus ca reer, which began and ended at ECCC. He was selected Academic Instructor of the '\ear tn 1987 and received an award for teaching excellence at the annual NlSOD (National Institute for Staffand Organizational Development) Conference in 1989 at the Unive~ity ofTexas inAustin. In 1992. hewas selected to participate in the annual Lamplighter Program. which recognizes the state's outsland ing commw1ity and junior college instruct01s. He also partici– pated in the Mississippi Community College Fellowship Pro– gram at Mississippi State University in 1998. ln addition. Thrash was recognized as the College's Humanities Teacher of the Year in 1999, an annual program sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council in celebra– tion ofArts and Humanities Month. During his lecture, Thrash spoke on "The Impact ofRev. N.C. Clarke onNewtonCowJty, Miss." TheRev. Clarke, a great, great grandfather ofMr. Thrash. was the founder and first pastor of Clarke-Venable Baptist Church in Decatur. Clarke Memorial College in Newton was later named in his honor.

Thrash also served as campus coordinator for the Smithsonian exhibit, "Produce for Victory: Posters on the American Home front, 1941-45," a collection ofwartime post– ers provided by the Institution's Traveling Exhibition Ser– \ices. The exhibit made its Mississippi debut at East Central in September 200 I. He was a member of Decatur United Methodist Church. the National Council oflnstructional Administrators. Mississippi Faculty Association for Community and Junior Colleges, ECCCAlumni Association and Gamma Nu Chapter ofPhiAlpbaTheta at Mississippi State University. Thrash was awarded lifetime membership in the Mississippi Jaycees and the Jaycee International Senate. He was presented numerous Distinguished Service awards during his tenure as Area Vice President ofthe Mississippi Jaycees. He served in the Mississippi National Guard aud was a menl– ber ofthe Decatur Country Club Board ofDirectors for more than 30 years. Thrash was a graduate ofNewton High School, ECJC and MSU, where he received bachelor and master's degrees. He completed additional studies at MSU and the University of Southern Mississippi. He began his teaching career in 1962 at East Central. Thrash was married to the former Jeanette Beevers and they had two daughters, Mev and Melissa. Mev and her husband Robbie Knight have two children, Kelsi and Logan, and they reside in Meridian. Melissa is married to Robert Carleton and they have one child. Hob, and reside in Union.

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