Remembering the Blessing of Effective Leadership

                                                              Dr. Otis L. Floyd

The philosopher Terry Pratchett once said, "Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?" Is it time for the name of Dr. Otis Floyd to be spoken and remembered in McNairy County and especially at Adamsville High School? Who is this man and what did he do that needs to be recalled and acknowledged?

Otis L. Floyd was born in 1928 in Bethel Springs, Tennessee. He graduated from a segregated high school and later attended Tennessee State University, a historically African American university in Nashville, Tennessee.  

After graduation Mr. Floyd became a a respected educator for the segregated African American schools in Hardin and McNairy counties. In 1976 he joined the Tennessee Department of Education, serving as an assistant commissioner under the leadership of Dr. Sam Ingram, Commissioner of Education in the Governor Ray Blanton Administration. An interesting side note is that Dr. Ingram was once principal of Adamsville High School. 

Dr. Floyd moved into the position of Commissioner of Education when Dr. Ingram resigned to take the position of president of Middle Tennessee State University. It was during the last months of the Blanton administration, while Dr. Floyd was Commissioner, that he would make a significant contribution to Adamsville High School. 

You see, this year, 2022, marks the fortieth graduating class at the new Adamsville High School facility located on Highway 64 West. It also marks the fortieth year of the great benefit the students of AHS received because of the actions of Dr. Otis Floyd. In 1979 Dr. Floyd  contacted Mr. Estel Mills, the superintendent of education for McNairy County Schools, and informed him that there was approximately a million dollars that was unobligated at the state level. This money was available to be used for a 9th-12th grade vocational educational facility. McNairy County had just voted for a half cent sales tax for the improvement and construction of  the schools in the county. Mr. Mills quickly latched onto the opportunity. This was perfect timing for the construction of a vocational wing which would greatly enhance the new construction at AHS, which was completed and ready for the 1981-82 school year. What a blessing for so many students and teachers over the past forty years! 

In 1980 Dr. Floyd joined the administration at MTSU as vice president. In 1986 he became the president of Tennessee State University and served in that position until 1990. Later in 1990, he was named chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents and continued in that role until his death on May 19, 1993. He was the first African American to serve in this capacity.

Dr. Floyd has never received proper recognition for his effective and timely leadership in McNairy County. And as time has marched on the name of Otis L. Floyd and the magnitude of this great contribution is fading from the public consciousness. Great leaders like Dr. Floyd are not concerned with their legacies. They are about doing good whether they are thanked or even remembered. This McNairy County native from Bethel Springs is an example of what Jesus taught in Mark 6:4, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and with his own people and in his own home." It may be time to speak his name in a formal way and pay homage to a man who did so much to promote  education in McNairy County and throughout the state. 

Fortunately in 1997 the Tennessee College Public Relations Association established the Otis L. Floyd Jr. Award for Excellence in Administration in his honor.

He was a gentle and kind man, known for his vision, understanding, wisdom, and integrity. He was able to transcend segregation, poverty, and limited opportunities as an African American to accomplishment a great amount of good for all people in his sphere of influence during his lifetime. 

Remember, I believe that we are all leaders regardless of our position.