ETSU now has an updated place to honor its outstanding alumni.
A wall on the first floor of the Culp University Center, an area that has been used to honor distinguished graduates since the 1970s, has been remodeled to allow for the presentation of more alumni. It will be dedicated on Saturday, Oct. 19, during Homecoming.
A section of the wall has been bricked over, three murals have been placed and enough space to honor alumni for the next 30 to 40 years has been added.
“What we’ve done is updated and replaced a previously existing area that was being used for outstanding alumni recognition,” said Bob Plummer, executive director of the ETSU National Alumni Association.
There had been a wooden and metal framework in place since the 1980’s that was used to hold prints, not plaques of outstanding graduates.
The old pictures were sent to a company in Illinois where they were transferred to metal plaques that wouldn’t be subject to fading or other damage like a paper print is, Plummer said.
The new wall was the direct result of a gift from General Shale Products Corp., which is based in Johnson City.
“A gentleman who is on the alumni board, Mr. Richard Green, a member of the class of 1973, is president of General Shale Brick and we were in discussions about what we were going to do to replace and upgrade that wall as far as the recognition,” Plummer said. “Mr. Green committed to providing brick and the technical support to help us create a bigger area for display.”
The three murals, one depicting the ETSU logo, one with the opening verse of the alma mater, In the Shadow of the Mountains, and one depicting an eagle flying over the mountains with an American flag draped in the background, are the work of General Shale Products Corp. brick sculptor, Johnny Hagerman. He said brick sculpting has been around a long time.
“This art form dates back to when brick was first developed. There are pieces in the Middle East that date back 2000 years,” Hagerman said.
The idea for the mural of the eagle flying over the mountain didn’t originally have an American flag in the background; Hagerman added that after 9/11.
“What I was interested in was something patriotic,” Hagerman said. “I submitted a different drawing for this and it just evolved and I thought, wouldn’t this be nice?”
Plummer said the location for the alumni wall was picked because it is the area of the campus most seen by students and visitors.
“That location is where we take every prospective student. We do orientations, we run significant community events in that auditorium and in all those activities people walk by that wall and we felt like that would be one of the most visible places to honor our most prominent and successful alumni,” Plummer said.
The criteria for a person to receive the outstanding alumni award are as follows earned one or more degrees from the university, demonstrated significant accomplishments in their chosen field of work, demonstrated good community service, made a commitment to the university, donated time, energy or money to the National Alumni Association, become someone that others would want to emulate. Only one man and one woman can receive the award each year.
Plummer said that he thinks the alumni wall is a very important edition to the university. “We’re tickled to have it. It’s a great point to showcase these special people that have all traveled the same halls and walked the same paths that students walk today,” he said. “It’s good for us to have examples, to put some light at the end of the tunnel.

Author