George Peabody College for Teachers
‘Brave in the Attempt’: The early history of Tennessee Special Olympics is closely tied to Peabody and Vanderbilt
Jul. 29, 2020—Under Jack Elder, EdS’73, the Tennessee Special Olympics program became recognized as one of the strongest and best managed. For athletes then and now, after five decades, Special Olympics is a chance to prove what they can do when given the opportunity.
Accolade: Mel Chin named ‘genius’ artist
Nov. 7, 2019—Visionary artist Mel Chin, BA’75, was named Sept. 25 among the class of 26 MacArthur Fellows for 2019. Given by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and known colloquially as the “genius” grant, the fellowship honors “extraordinary originality” and comes with a no-strings-attached grant of $625,000, to be distributed over five years. Chin,...
Simon Mayfield “Dick” Dickerson, BA’63: “Connected to Everybody”
Nov. 7, 2019—Simon Mayfield “Dick” Dickerson of Franklin, Tennessee, died Sept. 20. He was 79. A graduate of East Nashville High School and George Peabody College for Teachers (now Vanderbilt Peabody College for education and human development), he was president of the student body and “Mr. Peabody.” A career educator, he also was the founder and president...
Bill Yoast, MA’56, EDS’61, Legendary Coach
Aug. 20, 2019—William “Bill” Yoast, the high school coach who helped unify a racially divided Alexandria, Virginia, during the 1971 football season, died May 23. He was 94 years old. The relationship between Yoast and coach Herman Boone is the crux of the 2000 film Remember the Titans, which followed T.C. Williams High School’s 1971 integration and...