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LAWSON
STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
3060 Wilson Road
Birmingham, AL 35221
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Geri Albright
Director of Public Relations
(205) 929-6315
(205) 370-8201
galbright@lawsonstate.edu
Lawson
State Foundation Establishes Hall Endowed Scholarship
Keynote Speaker Donna Brazile Presents First
Contribution to Fund
BIRMINGHAM, AL, MAY 7, 2010 - When the annals of time are turned, the wson
State Community College Foundation Gala 2010
will have marked two significant milestones
– the establishment of the Dr. Ethel H.
Hall Endowed Scholarship to provide student
scholarships and the recognition of the 60th
Anniversary of Lawson State Community College.
Approximately 900 persons, including the Lawson
State family, sponsors, corporate and community
partners, elected officials and other guests
were present to support the Foundation efforts
and celebrate the legacies of service.
“What a wonderful and breathtaking night
this has been. Seldom am I lost for words, but
you got me tonight,’ said Dr. Ethel H.
Hall, Vice President Emerita of the Alabama
Board of Education. “I want to thank you
individually and collectively because I’ve
learned from you. You’ve helped me to
do my job. Dr. Ward and Lawson State –
Thank you for letting me be a part of this family.”
Dr. Hall, who has served as a member of the
Alabama State Board of Education since 1987,
was Vice President from 1994 to 2004, and ultimately
honored with the distinction of Vice President
Emerita by fellow board members.
Dr. Perry W. Ward, president of Lawson State
Community College who has had the opportunity to
serve under the leadership of Dr. Hall, spoke
of her profound influence on Lawson State and
our lives. “Dr. Hall has had an impact
on us all either directly or indirectly with
her wisdom, with her grace, her knowledge and
skills in working with people in a variety of
situations. “
Dr. Ward also announced the creation of the
Dr. Ethel Harris Hall Scholarship fund that
will serve both campuses, Birmingham and Bessemer," and said, "that all the students who come through
the hallowed halls of Lawson State to know that
there was an outstanding board member who had
significant influence.”
Several speakers traveled from various locations
to share their personal and professional recounts
of Dr. Hall. Remembering and reflecting on those
days were Mrs. Ann McMillan, community volunteer;
Dr. Joe Morton, Alabama State Superintendent;
Dr. Freida Hill, Chancellor, Alabama Community College System
and Dr. Fred Gainous, former Chancellor, Alabama
Community College System. A surprise participant
was Walter Turner, local businessman and Lawson
State alumnus, who credited that wonderful ‘short
lady’ for her influence in his life.
The evening gala featured keynote speaker Donna
Brazile, who is a CNN Political Strategist,
university professor and an author. Brazille,
who deeply believes in the importance of education,
was one of the first to commit to the Dr. Ethel
H. Hall Endowed Scholarship with a personal
check in the amount of $500.00. “You are
sitting among a giant, someone who is not just
known in the state of Alabama, but also throughout
the country,” Brazile said. “Her
(Dr. Hall’s) service to education has
been tireless, her devotion to education, inspring
and of course, she is the in the words of the
poet Maya Angelou, a phenomenal woman.”
As a special gift to Dr. Hall, New South Books
announced that the publication date of her soon
to be released book, “A Memoir of the
First African-American to Preside Over the Alabama
Board of Education” would be July 2010.
“Dr. Hall, your book is going to be a
tremendous success and I can’t wait to
tweet it and to put it on my Facebook page,”
said Brazille. “I hope that you sign my
book and I want to make sure that my students
at Georgetown know of your life and your commitment
to education.”
An echo in Brazile’s message was the importance
of education. She identified the $2 billion
dollars for community colleges over the next
four years and the $40 billion dollars for pell
grants contained in the Health Care and Education
Reconciliation Act. “President Obama supports
community colleges. He understands that community
colleges are building the workforce of tomorrow
as well as retooling the workforce of today,”
she said. “This is a reason to celebrate.”
“Because of my love for education, because
of my dedication to help train the next generation,
I’ve been honored to have taught at the
University of Maryland, College Park; Georgetown
University, where I am today; Harvard’s
Institute of Public Policy, Rutgers University.
Education is my passion; it’s what I believe
in, it is what I am willing to work hard for,”
said Brazille.
Repeating one of her grandmother’s favorite
verses in Galatians, Brazile said, “Don’t
grow weary in doing good,for in due time, you
will reap the harvest if you don’t give
up. My friends for 60 years (at Lawson) you
have provided a way out of nowhere. You have
provided so many with a passport to their dreams,
said Brazile. “Tonight I hope you join
me in dedicating yourselves to ensuring that
the next 60 years will not be so hard, that
you too will make a donation to the Ethel H.
Hall Scholarship Fund.”
"This is our moment and our time to do what’s
right and to keep education our number one priority.
And to make sure that every child gets a head
start and a healthy start in life," said Brazile. "If you did
all of that, then Ethel Hall will say that her
work is complete but her journey will continue.
Thank you to Lawson State.”
In the Foundation appeal, Board Director Robert
Dickerson thanked Brazile for her remarks and
for the check. He also, on behalf of the Foundation
President, Tim Lewis, and the entire Board,
thanked all in attendance for their support
of education and the Lawson State Foundation.
“Your support will continue to give young
people the opportunity for education and to
be educated at Lawson State,” Dickerson
said.
About Lawson State Community College
Lawson State Community College a public, two-year,
multi-campus college, opened its doors in 1949
offering trade programs for students throughout
the state. Today, through mergers and campus
additions, Lawson State now offers a variety
of degrees and certificates to a diversified
and growing student population. Over its sixty-year
history, and especially in recent years, the
College has significantly increased enrollment,
expanded the curriculum, enhanced relations
with business and industry, and improved the
college’s capital outlay. The college
now enrolls approximately 8,000 credit and non-credit
students on campuses in Birmingham and Bessemer.
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