NASHVILLE, TN — The funeral service for Rev. Dr. Julius R. Scruggs will be Friday, May 17, 2024, at noon at Oakwood University Church, 5500 Adventist Blvd. NW, Huntsville, AL. Rev. Scruggs passed away peacefully in his home on Wednesday, May 8.
“This great leader in religion and education was a loyal supporter to American Baptist College and will be greatly missed,” said Dennie Marshall, chair of the American Baptist College Board of Trustees.
Rev. Scruggs was the pastor emeritus of First Missionary Baptist Church, retiring in 2019 after 42 years as the leader of the congregation. He also was a former president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, and served on the Board of Trustees of American Baptist College, where he was a mentor and close friend of President Forrest Harris.
“Rev. Scruggs’s uncompromising voice for the Gospel and demonstrated love for people and justice is a legacy that will last for generations,” said Dr. Forrest E. Harris, Sr., president of American Baptist College.
Considered an impactful preacher, Rev. Scruggs was another icon in Civil Rights activities from American Baptist College. His daughter, Jennifer, recently represented him at the Diane Nash Plaza Dedication in Nashville. Nash was a fellow student activist in Nashville’s Civil Rights activities in the 1960s.
Scruggs graduated from American Baptist College in the 1960s and later was a faculty member in addition to his Board service. He dedicated more than 60 years of his life to meaningful Christian service and was also a generous philanthropist who made significant contributions to his alma mater and to causes of education and justice.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests you send contributions to the Dr. Julius Richard Scruggs Memorial Scholarship at American Baptist College, 1800 World Baptist Center Drive, Nashville, TN 37207 or www.abcnash.edu/give.
For more information, contact Terri Woodmore at 615-687-6970 or by email at twoodmore@abcnash.edu.
