By: Dionne Lucas
Meharry Medical College held its 151st Convocation at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at The Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education on the College’s Nashville campus. One of Meharry’s most enduring traditions, Convocation brings together students, faculty, alumni and College leadership to formally open the academic year, celebrate academic excellence, and honor distinguished alumni whose lives and careers embody Meharry’s commitment to service.
Adding to the significance of the day was the presence of Ronald L. Meharry of Ohio, a descendant of the Meharry family and great-great-great nephew of Samuel Meharry, one of the College’s founding brothers and the central figure in the famed “Salt Wagon” story. His attendance at the 151st Convocation offered a tangible connection to Meharry’s beginnings as the College celebrates its sesquicentennial — 150 years since its founding in 1876.
For generations, Convocation has been more than an academic ceremony at Meharry. It is a gathering of the Meharry family — part celebration, part reflection and part call to purpose. In a place where faith and service have long been intertwined, the ceremony offers a reminder that achievement carries with it an obligation to use one’s gifts in service to others.
Nelson L. Adams III, M.D. ’78, chair of the Meharry Medical College Board of Trustees, returned to his alma mater to deliver the address. A board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist whose career has spanned medicine, education, community service and leadership, Adams delivered a message grounded in faith, responsibility and service that carried the cadence of a sermon and the challenge of a charge to the Meharry community.
“Be you. Authentically you. Be You, Only Better,” Adams told the Meharry community, challenging students to embrace who they are while continuing to grow into who they are called to become.
The ceremony included the introduction of new faculty and recognition of students for academic achievement, scholarships, and induction into honor societies. A Meharry faculty member was also honored for exemplary teaching, service to students beyond the classroom and a commitment to student-centered education.
Three distinguished alumni were recognized for careers that reflect excellence in medicine, dentistry, and biomedical science. Marquetta L. Faulkner, M.D. ’81, received the Axel C. Hansen, M.D. ’44 Distinguished Physician Award; Edward H. Chappelle Jr., D.D.S. ’79, received the Fred C. Fielder, D.D.S. ’60 Distinguished Dentist Award; and Patrice E. Moss, Ph.D. ’10, received the Harold D. West, Ph.D. Distinguished Biomedical Scientist Award.
The 151st Convocation added another chapter to a tradition that has accompanied generations of Meharrians as they prepared to carry the College’s mission beyond its campus.
“Convocation reminds us that the education received at Meharry has never been solely about individual achievement,” said James E.K. Hildreth Sr., Ph.D., M.D., president and CEO of Meharry Medical College. “It is about what we do with that knowledge, whom we serve and how we leave the world better than we found it. That responsibility has passed from one generation of Meharrians to the next, and it remains at the heart of who we are.”
For generations, Meharry has gathered at Convocation to set the tone for the academic year and recognize achievement. But the tradition has always asked something more: “What will you do with what you have been given?”
