The Chattanooga Central High School Alumni Association announces the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, Classes of 2020 and 2021.
Induction to the Hall of Fame takes place annually as part of the school’s Senior Day program. Inductees have distinguished themselves after graduating in their chosen career. They are recognized leaders in their community and their actions favorably reflect upon Central High School. This year’s class joins the 81 previously inducted members of the Hall of Fame.
Due to event cancellations in 2020, both classes were recognized on May 14 in the school’s gymnasium.
Buffy Hoge is the president of the alumni association (Central class of 1974).
“As with every Hall of Fame class we honor, we had an amazing group of inductees, all of whom embody the central spirit in their own individual way,” Ms. Hoge said. “Our inductees for 2020 and 2021 span over five decades, demonstrating how great and expansive Central’s alumni are.”
The 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees:
- James "J. B." Collins (CHS Class of 1935)
J.B. Collins’s father was a Chattanooga plumber and J.B. expected he would follow in that line. As a result, he said he was content with being just a C student at Central High, where he graduated in 1935.
But then John Chambliss, founder of Reflection Riding in Lookout Valley, had a talk with his father, who was his plumber. Chambliss, who served as a trustee at King College in Bristol, Tennessee called J.B. in and told him he had a lot of promise. He said he wanted to sponsor his education.
J.B. jumped at the chance. "I told myself that I was going to do something and not let down that man who had put his confidence in me. I really applied myself and wound up as the valedictorian." J.B. graduated from King College in 1940, and returned home to cover a few sporting events for the Chattanooga News Free Press afternoon newspaper.
He began going on special assignments - including scouting out the strange goings-on with serpents at the extremely rural Dolly Pond Church of God. He said, "Those people really embraced me and let me take lots of pictures. But I never embraced their snakes." He published a booklet on his serpent adventures.
He also went up to Athens in August of 1946 for what was later referred to as "The Battle of Athens." The battle was an all-night fight between the corrupt ballot-box stuffing County administration, and GIs coming back from World War II who wanted an honest government.
Mr. Collins worked many years at the Chattanooga News-Free Press, where he was the City Hall reporter. The City Council meeting room was later named the J.B. Collins Room in his honor. He had a popular Sunday column about the interesting goings on at City Hall that only ended when the two Chattanooga newspapers merged.
Mr. Collins passed away on May 19, 2021 — just five days after being inducted — at the age of 103.
- Hon. David Y. Copeland III (CHS Class of 1948)
After graduating from Central High School in 1948, Copeland attended classes at McKenzie Business College. He married his wife, Mary, in 1950, and went on to serve in US Army Artillery Battalions during the Korean War.
Mr. Copeland worked for and later owned Ace Shade and Awning Company before founding Copelands Inc. metal fabrication in 1964. Always one to try new things, he learned how to auctioneer, became a square dance caller, and even acted in plays while on the board of the PTA at Westview Elementary
Mr. Copeland’s political involvement began when he co-managed the campaign of Lamar Baker for US Congress in 1966. Then in 1968, he was elected to the Tennessee State Legislature where he served for the next 24 years, until retiring in 1992.
He was recognized as the father of the Tennessee Constitutional Amendment nicknamed the Copeland Cap. This measure proposed a Tennessee Constitutional Spending Limit in 1977 to balance the budget, constrain growth in spending, and require front-end budgeting of new programs. From 1997-2005, David was a member and later chair of the Baroness Erlanger Hospital board of trustees.
Mr. Copeland passed away June 5, 2019.
- Cecil E. Stokes (CHS Class of 1991)
After graduating from Central High School in 1991, Cecil Stokes attended Carson-Newman University where he received his BA in English with an Emphasis in Southern Women Writers. Cecil Stokes used his degree to enter the entertainment field and founded his own company, Tentmakers Entertainment, in 1999.
Cecil is an executive producer/writer/producer/director. He has worked on over 500 cable television shows for networks such as A&E, Court TV, DIY, ESPN, Food Network, HGTV, History Channel and Turner. For his television programming, he won multiple awards including the New York Film Festival, the Communicator Award, dozens of Tellys and an Emmy. Cecil’s award winning documentaries include A MAN NAMED PEARL and CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. Cecil also co-created and produced the feature film OCTOBER BABY. Cecil has also written, produced and directed over 100 national commercials.
Most recently, Cecil and his son founded “Boone and Me,” a speaking ministry encouraging Christians to foster and adopt. Cecil now works for the Global Orphan Project in Houston where he and his son advocate for orphans and vulnerable families in Texas.
- Dr. Doug E. Williams (CHS Class of 1977)
Doug Williams, Ph.D graduated from Central High in 1977 and went on to graduate summa cum laude at the University of the South in Sewanee. He earned his doctorate in economics from Northwestern University, where his studies focused on labor economics and industrial organization.
Mr. Williams has since returned to Sewanee. He now is the Frank W. Wilson professor of economics as well as the school’s treasurer and vice president for finance and operations.
From Sewanee’s website:
Mr. Williams’ academic research focuses on the market for lawyers and affirmative action policies. He is also involved in examining land use change on the Cumberland Plateau with Robin Gottfried. Mr. Williams has co-authored two studies examining the economic impact of living wage legislation: A 1997 study of the Los Angeles proposed living wage ordinance and a 2000 study of the Santa Monica proposed local minimum wage. In addition, Mr. Williams has published studies on anti-poverty policy and the market for lawyers.
From 1997 to 1999, Mr. Williams served as the economist for the City of Milwaukee where he advised city officials on regional economic, tax, pension, collective bargaining and other policy issues. Mr. Williams’ teaching interests include labor economics, law and economics, industrial organization and econometrics.
- Charlynne Harris Fry (CHS Class of 1954)
Charlynne Harris Fry graduated from Central High School in 1954 as Miss Central, having completed a distinguished time both in and outside of the classroom. She then attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., majoring in music education and minoring in English.
She began teaching at Lookout Valley Jr. High School, where she would end up starting the choral and instrumental departments, as well as conducting Summer Band Camps, taught general music to all 300 students once a week. Mrs. Fry was also faculty representative and cheerleading sponsor, and she directed the concerts and dramatic plays, supervised the parade activities, including constructing floats for the Chattanooga parade, and wrote the school’s Alma Mater.
In 1960, Mrs. Harris married Admiral Vance Fry, fellow Purple Pounder and Mr. Central Class of 1954. He was inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 1993.
Mrs. Fry is a National Certified Teacher of Music and has been recognized for 50 years of teaching, and was named Music Teacher of the Year twice by the Chattanooga Music Teachers Association (1986 and 1999). In 2005, she was named a Chattanooga Woman of Distinction. She continues to be active in her church community as well as within the Chattanooga Music Club and the Steering Committee for the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium.
The Frys regularly support 15 charities and provide scholarships to multiple organizations, including two Central High Fine Arts scholarships which are awarded to graduating seniors each year.
More on the Fry family can be found at: https://centraldigest.com/showcase/2019/12/16/vance-and-charlynne-fry-54-leave-a-lasting-legacy-of-service-at-central-high-school/.
The 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees:
- Bene Wesley Hammel (CHS Class of 1960)
Bene Hammel was a concert organist extraordinaire. He studied organ and pursued his concert career beginning at age of 16, when he performed numerous recitals sponsored by the American Guild of Organists. At the age of 18, Bene won first prize in the National Organ Competition. He graduated from Central High in 1960 and went on to receive his degree in Music theory and composition from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
He served as adjunct professor of Organ at Bryan College, where he was bestowed an honorary doctorate of music.
Some of Mr. Hammel’s favorite performance venues were New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and Washington D.C.'s National Cathedral. He was featured recitalist during the Inaugural Organ Concert at Cincinnati's famous music hall. In his 42 year career, he performed hundreds of concerts and conducted hundreds of church organist workshops and master classes in all 50 states, Canada and Mexico.
In 1985, Mr. Hammel met the love of his life Marti, while performing concerts in the Seattle area. They performed together in concerts across the U.S. and Canada for 15 years. The Hammels were the only husband-wife duo who performed simultaneously on two organs.
In May 1999, Mr. Hammel suffered a stroke that left his right side paralyzed. Eventually, he slowly regained his speech and was able to walk with the assistance of a cane. He played organ at his Church’s worship services using only his left hand. Sadly, in 2011 Mr. Hammel developed pneumonia, passing away in July of that year.
- James “Jimmy” Alderman Shuptrine (CHS Class of 1960)
Jimmy Shuptrine entered Central in 1956 from Brainerd Jr. High, and by graduation in 1960, was band captain for both school and military bands, as well as a member of the Swing Band.
Mr. Shuptrine entered the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1960, but his college career was interrupted by the success of The Cumberland Trio.
Mr. Shuptrine played bass on the locally popular folk group that appeared on the brink of national fame by their appearance on national television (Hootenanny) in January 1964.
TCT signed recording contracts with Chet Atkins at RCA and then RIC Records, only to see RIC declare bankruptcy before their initial album release. (See full story at http://www.cumberlandtrio.com/history/).
He eventually completed his studies at UT, receiving a BS in psychology. Mr. Shuptrine married in 1966 and moved back to Chattanooga, eventually becoming the executive VP of Vincent Printing. In 2007 he was inducted into the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Hall of Fame. He was also a licensed pilot for 26 years.
Mr. Shuptrine continued to perform with TCT at special folk music concerts (many performances on Youtube) for decades. He died at his home on Signal Mountain on Jan. 19, 2015. Jimmy Shuptrine was survived by his wife, Barbara, children Scott Shuptrine and Susan Shuptrine Lewis, step-sons Scott and Tony Davis, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is buried at the Chattanooga Memorial Park Cemetery.
Jimmy’s brother, Hubert Shuptrine (CHS class of 1954), a nationally acclaimed watercolor artist, was inducted into the hall of fame in 2017.