The 12th Annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium was held virtually at 5pm, Thursday, January 13, 2022.
The Symposium program is available on the Augusta Museum of History‘s YouTube Channel and links provided through the Museum’s website and Facebook page. For more information on the Symposium, please contact the Museum at (706) 722-8454.
Honorees for 2022 are Mrs. Christine Miller Betts, Patricia and Charles Moye, and Medal of Honor recipient, Robert (Bob) Kerrey. Each will receive the Dyess Symposium’s Distinguished American Award. Chris for her role in starting the first African American Museum in the region, Pat for her community leadership in the arts, Charlie for his participation as board member and volunteer in numerous organizations, and Bob for his heroism, compassion and community service.
The 11th Annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium, held January 14th, 2021, was hosted virtually this year due to the Pandemic. Instead of being held at Augusta Museum of History it was hosted on their website, Facebook page and YouTube Channel. (You can view the symposium by clicking the image below).
The 2021 honorees were Doug Hastings, Terry Elam and Medal of Honor recipient Mike Rose. Each received the Distinguished American Award.
The 10th Annual Dyess Symposium was held January 9, 2020 honoring community volunteer Gloria W. Norwood, who co-founded two local organizations dedicated to helping an Augusta neighborhood; Frederick P. Gehle, who coordinated the Veteran’s History Project for the Augusta Richmond County Historical Society, which includes more than 850 interviews of veterans and culminated in a documentary and book; and retired U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, who received the Medal of Honor and the Silver Star for action in the Vietnam War.
On Thursday, January 10th, 2019, the Augusta Museum of History hosted the 9th annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium. Dyess, the only person to have earned America’s two highest awards for heroism, the Medal of Honor and the Carnegie Medal, was honored at this event.
Jane Howington, and Melvin Morris
This year’s recipients were Medal of Honor Recipient Melvin Morris, William S. “Billy” Morris III and Jane Howington.
On Thursday, January 11th, 2018, the Augusta Museum of History hosted the 8th annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium. Dyess, the only person to have earned America’s two highest awards for heroism, the Medal of Honor and the Carnegie Medal, was honored at this event.
This year’s recipients were former Georgia Coach Vince Dooley, Barbara Dooley and Medal of Honor recipient Col. Roger H. C. Donlon.
[Photos courtesy of the Augusta Museum]
Coach Vincent J. Dooley
For over 50 years, Vince Dooley has had a major impact on the University of Georgia, the Southeastern Conference, and on collegiate athletics across the country. Serving as head football coach at UGA from 1963-1989 and as Director of Athletics from 1979-2004, he has been a man of great foresight in charting the future of stability in helping shape the path of college athletics.
Dooley’s 25 years as head football coach earned him the distinction as the most successful coach in Georgia history. He guided the Bulldogs to a career record of 201-77-10 becoming only the ninth coach in NCAA Division in history to win over 200 games. The Bulldogs won a national championship in 1980 and six SEC Championships under his direction. He coached a Heisman Trophy Winner, a Maxwell Award Winner, and an Outland Award Winner.
Dooley has been the recipient of many of the nation’s highest athletic honors including his recognition as the recipient of the John Wooden Citizen Cup Award in 2016, the 2010 Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award in 2012. His contributions to the University were recognized in 2008 with the dedication of the Vince Dooley Athletic Complex. He is also the only person to hold the presidency of both the American Football Coaches Association and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
He has authored several books and in addition to also done hundreds of presentations and appearances. He is currently serving on two committees, The Georgia Historical Society as Chairman and the National Civil War Preservation Trust as chair of the Education committee. Vincent Dooley is from Mobile, Alabama and is married to the former Barbara Meshad of Birmingham. They have four children and have eleven grandchildren.
Barbara Anne Meshad Dooley
Barbara Meshad Dooley has been married to the legendary Coach Vincent Dooley for almost 50 years, but she hasn’t sat idly by or rode on his coattails of success. She has created her own success and identity. Though she has spent much of her life playing second fiddle to a football, Barbara has come away with rich stories that thread the fabric of her life.
Mrs. Dooley has run twice for public office, once for the Georgia Legislature and once for U.S. House of Representatives. She has been very active in Easter Seals, Special Olympics, and on the Board ofTrustees of the Winship Cancer Center.
Barbara Meshad Dooley was bom in Birmingham, Alabama where she graduated from John Carroll High School and attended Auburn University. There she obtained a Bachelor of Education Degree in Speech Therapy and Mental Retardation. She also earned a Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling.
Mrs. Dooley participated in many different clubs and activities while attending college, such as the Newman Club, Women’s Student Govemment, the American Speech and Hearing Associations, and was a member of Delta Zeta Sorority and the College Glee Club.
Colonel Roger H. C. Donlon
Colonel Donlon, United States Army, was the first person to receive the Medal of Honor in the
Vietnam War, as well as the first member of the U.S. Army Special Forces so honored. He retired in 1988 as a colonel with 32 years of service in the Army.
Donlon has written two books about his experiences in the Vietnam War called the Outpost of Freedom and Beyond Nam Dong. Today Mr. Donlon lives with his wife Norma and his children in Kansas, but he is seldom home. Perhaps the remarkable thing about true heroes is that they never stop giving of themselves in the behalf of others. Besides his full-time effort directing the (William) Westmoreland Scholarship Foundation, he spends much of his time speaking to schools, veteran’s groups, and promoting patriotism.
2017 Dyess Symposium
On Thursday, January 5th, 2017, the Augusta Museum of History hosted the 7th annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium. Dyess, the only person to have earned America’s two highest awards for heroism, the Medal of Honor and the Carnegie Medal, was honored at this event.
Three were saluted for a lifetime of service to their nation, their community and their fellow citizens: Medal of Honor Recipient Lieutenant Colonel Harold Arthur “Hal” Fritz, Beverly Barnhart, an educator extraordinaire, and Ambassador Theodore R. Britton Jr.
Connor Dyess Smith, Jimmie Dyess’s daughter, was there to unveil the permanent exhibit that contains the names of new and past recipients. Connor was eight years old when her father was killed.
Lieutenant Colonel Harold Arthur “Hal” Fritz
Harold Arthur “Hal” Fritz was born in Chicago, Tll inois, and earned a degree in elementary education from the Uni versity of Tampa. He was working toward a career in veterinary medi cine when he got his draft notice in 1966. After advanced armor training, he was accepted for Officer Candidate School. Graduating as a second lieutenant early in 1967, he was assigned to the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The following year, he was sent to VIetnam and assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and by January 11 , 1969, was serving as a First Lieutenant in Troop A, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
During a firefight on that day, in Binh Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, Fritz showed conspicuous leadership despite being seriously wounded. He was subsequently promoted to Captain and awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
Harold Fritz returned to the United States in the spring of 1969. He was serving with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington, early in 1971 when a call came from the Department of the Army informing him that he was to receive the Medal of Honor. The White House ceremony was conducted by President Richard Nixon on March 2, 1971. Leaving his infant son at home, Fritz was accompanied by his father and mother, brother, wife, and elder son and daughter. Fritz reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring from the Army after twenty-seven years of service.
Fritz served as Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs from 1995-2003 and as Transportation Coordinator of the Department of Veterans Affairs from 2004-2014. He currently Iives in Peoria, Illinois, and works there at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Bob Michel Outpatient clinic.
Beverly Barnhart
Growing up in rural Indiana, Beverly Barnhart was raised around the arts, but her passion has been educating children. “I know what they need and that is firm discipline, strong teachers, and a well-rounded education to include the arts,” she sa id. She attended Central Florida Unive rsity where she received both her bachelor and master degrees.
Her career as an educator has included being an elementary, middle, and high school teacher, as well as a consultant on magnet schools in Macon, Savannah, and Albany, Georgia, and Manchester, Massachusetts.
ln the late 1970s, Barnhart helped establish C.T. Walker Traditional Magnet, A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet and John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet, where she served as the nationally recognized school’s first principal for 19 years. Barnhart was the Magnet School Director for Augusta from 1979 to 1982. She retired in 2000. Her affiliations have included Richmond County Association of Principals, Georgia Association of Secondary Principals, the Augusta Museum of History Board of Trustees, the Morris Museum of Art, and First Baptist Church of Augusta.
Barnhart has received numerous awards over her career: PTA Leadership Award in 1982, Outstanding Educator Award in 2000 from the Georgia Association of Educa tional Leaders, and Resolutions from both the Richmond County Board of Education and the Georgia Legislature for Excellence in Education in 2000.
In an Augusta Chronicle article, Joe Bankoff, president and chief executive officer of The Woodruff Arts Center, praised Barnhart for her insight, persistence and discipline that established Davidson as a template for others to follow. “It’s not the magnet schools for math and science at the top of the heap. It’s the arts. And Barnhart ‘blazed the trail’ for infusing arts into the classroom.”
Theodore R. Britton, Jr.
Ambassador Theodore R. Britton Jr. was born on October 17, 1925, in North Augusta, South Carolina.
His family relocated to New York City in 1936. Britton left high school in January of 1944 to join the U. S. Marine Corps where he served in the Pacific Theater during World War ll. After being discharged, he enrolled at New York University until the beginning of the Korean War. Britton was then called to active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps where he served until May of 1951. He then resumed his studies at New York University and graduated with his B.A. degree in banking and finance in February of 1952.
Bri tton worked at Carver Federal Savings and Loan Association from 1955 to 1964. From there, he became president of the American Baptist Convention and a leader in the non-profit housing field. Britton joined HUD in 1971 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology. As the HUD official managing international research, his volunteer program for the U. S. Information Agency attracted favorable attention. Britton was nominated by President Gerald R. Ford to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and Grenada and as the U. S. Special Representative to Antigua, Dominica, St. Chri stopher-Nevis-Anguill a, St. Lucia and St. Vincent on November 17, 1974. Britton was elected as vice-chair of the Group on Urban Affairs at the Pari s-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 197 1, and later as president.
Upon retirement, Britton was honored by the City Councils of Newark, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. He was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal on June 30, 2012, in recognition of his services with the U.S. Marine Corps’ Montford Point Marines. Britton is a Life Member of the Second Marine Division, Montford Point Marine Association, and the Association for Intelligence Officers. Britton has served as Honorary Consul General for the Republic of Albania since 2006. He is also the Honorary Chairman of KristaI University in Tirana, Albania where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law degree in 2009.
Ambassador Bri tton is married to the former Vernell Elizabeth Stewart of Jacksonvil le, Florida. The Brittons live in Atlanta.’
On Thursday, January 7th, 2016, the Augusta Museum of History hosted the 6th annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium.
For 2016, three were saluted for a lifetime of service to their nation, their community and their fellow citizens: Medal of Honor recipient Army Sergeant Sammy L. Davis, Judy Woodruff, an American television news anchor, journalist, and writer, and one extraordinary citizen of Augusta: Dr. Julius S. Scott, Jr.
On Thursday, January 8th, 2015, the Augusta Museum of History hosted the 5th Annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium.
This year’s event recognized four individuals for a lifetime of service to their nation, their community and their fellow citizens: Medal of Honor recipient Barney Barnum, Susan Eisenhower, and Augustans Brian and Neita Mulherin.
For more photos from the 2015 event visit our photo page.
4th Annual Symposium held January 9, 2014
At the 2014 symposium there was a surprise. In addition to the three recipients that had been previously announced, the Dyess Symposium creators Perry and Connor Smith were honored with the award as well.
Gen. Jeff Foley, (retired) interrupted the unveiling of the trophy with this years names to reveal the surprise addition of Perry and Connor.
Here’s a link to the story posted on the Augusta Chronicle’s website.
Each year one or more individuals receive the Dyess Symposium’s Distinguished American Award. For 2014, the announced recipients who were saluted for a lifetime of service to their nation, their community and their fellow citizens were Medal of Honor recipient Al Rascon, and two extraordinary citizens of Augusta: Ann Boardman and Dick Daniel.
Lieutenant Colonel A. J. Dyess, US Marine Corps Reserve, grew up in Augusta Georgia. Dyess earned the Carnegie Medal when he saved the lives of two women when he was a teenager. Dyess, an Eagle Scout and a strong swimmer, dove into the surf during a big storm off the coast of South Carolina at Sullivan’s Island. Out of sight for a period of time, he emerged through the heavy surf with both women in tow.
The Carnegie Medal was established in 1904 and is awarded to civilians who, at great risk to their lives, rescue or attempt to rescue someone in grave danger.
After graduating from Clemson in 1931, Dyess returned to Augusta. He joined the Marines in 1936. In February, 1944, on Roi Namur, Dyess went behind enemy lines to save four wounded Marines. He was killed the next day while leading his men as they attacked a Japanese pillbox. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously. At the time of his death, Dyess was a battalion commander in the 4th Marine Division.
The recipients for 2015 have already been announced.
Connor Dyess Smith, Jimmie Dyess’s daughter, will be in attendance. Connor was eight years old when her father was killed.
Questions? Please contact Major General Perry Smith, US Air Force (ret.) at genpsmith@aol.com or tel 706 3999754.
Three individuals were honored with the Symposium’s 2013 Distinguished American Award at the 3rd annual symposium held January 10, 2013. Medal of Honor recipient Thomas G. Kelley, Governor Carl Sanders, and combat veteran and major league pitcher, Lou Brissie. Each, in his own way, has given a lifetime of service to this nation and to his fellow citizens.
Sponsorships at various levels are needed. A sponsorship form is available for download by clicking here.
The Augusta Museum of History hosted the second annual Jimmie Dyess Symposium on January 12, 2012. D. Douglas Barnard Jr. and Maj. Bruce P. Crandall received the symposium’s Distinguished American Award.
Barnard served in the Army during World War II and was a congressman from 1977 to 1993. He played a major role in the creation of the Community Foundation of the CSRA and the Wounded Warrior Project of the CSRA, which is now known as the Augusta Warrior Project.
Crandall received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the 1965 battle of la Drang Valley during the Vietnam War. He was portrayed in the 2002 movie We Were Soldiers.
Questions are welcome. Please contact Nancy Glasser at 706-722-8454 or email her at amh@augustamuseum.org.