2010

WEEK OF I - I l - J o l 0 --~~~~~~----- ECCC auditorium dedicated to honor Thrash special to the star

which began and ended at ECCC. He was select( d Acad– emic In~tructor of'thc Year in 1987 and reCl ived an award for teaching excellence at the annual NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Confer– ence in 1989 at the Uni– versity of Texas in Austin. In 1992, 9,e was selected to participate in the annual Lamplighter Program, which recog– nizee:; the state's out– standing community and junior college instruc– tors. He also partici– pated in the Mississippi Community College Fel– lowship Program at Mis– sissippi State University in 1998. In addition, Thrash was recognized as the College's Humanities Teacher of the Year in 1999, an annual program sponsored by the Missis– sippi Humanities Council in celebration of Arts and IIumanities Month. During his lecture, Thrash !':poke on "The Impact of Rev N.C. Clarke on Newton County, Mise:;." The Rev. Clarke, a great, great grandfather ofThrash, was the founder and first pastor of Clarke-Venable Baptigt Church in Decatur. Clarke Memorial

tion and Gamma Nu Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta at Mississippi State University. Thrash was awarded lifetime membership in the Mississippi Jaycees and the 1 aycee Interna– tional Senate. He was presented numerous Distinguished Service awards during h is tenure as Area Vice President of the Mississippi Jaycees. He served in the Mis– sissippi National Guard and was a member of the Decatur Country Club Board of Directors for more than 30 years. Thrash was a grad– uate of Newton High School, ECJC and Mis– sissippi State University, where he received bach– elor 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. MeHssa is married to Rober t Carleton and they haveonechild, Hob, and reside in Union.

DECATUR- A long– time faculty member at East Central Community College has been recog– nized with the dedication of an auditorium in his honor Newton Hall , Room 60 is now officially known as Thomas W. Thrash Auditorium, honoring the late educator for his 40 years of service at ECCC. The College's Board of Trustees approved the name change at its September 2009 meeting. "It is most appropriate that we name the audito– rium in memory of Mr. Thrash," said ECCC President Dr. Phil A. Sut– phin. "He was an out– standing instructor who lived and breathed East Central Community Col– lege, as evidenced by his long and successful career. He also taught many classes in the same auditorium that will now bear his name." Thrash, who died on Sept. 6, 2002, served as chairman of the Social Science, Education and Business Division in addition to teaching social science classes. He received numerous awards throughout his career,

Thomas W. Thrash

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 of wartime posters provided by the Institution's Traveling Exhibition Services. The exhibit made its Missis– sippi debut at East Cen– tral in September 2001. He was a member of Decatur United Methodist Church, the National Council of Instructional Administra– tors. Mississippi Faculty Association for Commu· nity and Junior Colleges. ECCC Alumni Associa-

APPEARED IN:

CARTHAGINIAN ----------- NEWTON COUNTY APPEAL ---- SPIRIT OF MORTON ------------------ MERIDIAN STAR ----------------

NESHOBA DEMOCRAT ---------- SCOTT COUNTY TIMES --------

WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL -----

CLARION-LEDGER -------------