Troy University students will be recognized for their achievements during the University’s annual Honors Convocation at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, in the Claudia Crosby Theater on the Troy Campus.
Dr. John Ed Mathison, a retired United Methodist minister and founder of John Ed Mathison Leadership Ministries, will serve as the keynote speaker for the convocation.
Among the awards to be presented are the Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching, presented to an outstanding faculty member, and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards, given to a senior male and female student and to a distinguished faculty or staff member.
The Ingalls Award is given annually to the teacher on the Troy Campus who has “most diligently, effectively and cheerfully conducted his or her classes during the current academic year.” Students nominate faculty members for the award, and a committee of students and faculty advisors selects the recipient.
The Sullivan Award, which is presented at select colleges and universities throughout the United States, recognizes recipients for their excellence of character, humanitarian service and spiritual qualities. The award has been presented annually at TROY since 1981 with nominations for the awards coming from students, faculty and staff.
In addition, students from each of the University’s five colleges will be recognized for their achievements, including those inducted into various honor societies.
Dr. Mathison retired in 2008 after serving 36 years as senior minister of Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery. At his retirement, Frazer had eight Sunday morning worship services at the Atlanta Highway campus — three traditional, three contemporary, one Hispanic and one Chinese. Frazer televised its worship services nationwide each week with INSP network, reaching about 40 million homes. They were also cybercast live and carried on local radio and television.
Under his leadership, Frazer grew from 400 members to 9,000 and had the largest Sunday School attendance for United Methodist churches in America. In 2006, The Church Reporter magazine recognized Frazer as the 25th most influential church in America.
Following his retirement, Mathison and his board of directors established the John Ed Mathison Leadership Ministries, which involves preaching, teaching, conferences and seminars, focusing on training pastors and lay persons to be leaders impacting the world for Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. He also records a daily one-minute audio devotion, writes a weekly inspirational blog which has a large readership and has written 11 books.
Mathison has served as platform speaker for the National Conference of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and platform speaker for the National Hi-Y Tri-Hi-Y Conference at Black Mountain, NC. He has been a seminar speaker at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove.
The son of a United Methodist minister, Mathison holds a bachelor’s degree from Huntingdon College, a bachelor of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology, a master’s degree from Princeton Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry degree from Candler School of Theology. He also has honorary doctorate degrees from Asbury Seminary, Huntingdon College and Birmingham Southern College.
He and his wife, Lynn, have three daughters, Vicki, Lauren and Clay, and one son, Si. They are also the proud grandparents of eight grandsons, Eddie, Robert, John, David, Will, Thomas, Mat and John Thomas and two granddaughters, Catherine and Margaret Healey.
