The man shown here is smiling because: 1) he is Henry Turley, and he's a heckuva fellow who smiles a lot anyway, and 2) he just received the 2018 Distinguished Service Award from Rhodes College during the school's 2018 commencement.
Here's what Dr. Russell Wigginton, vice president of student life and dean of students at Rhodes, had to say as he presented Henry with his award:
"A Memphis native, Henry M. Turley Jr. founded the Henry Turley Company in 1977. He is known for his inspiring vision, which has led to areas including the Harbor Town residential and commercial center, the Uptown residential development, the South Bluffs, and Downtown Memphis’ South End with the revitalization of Central Station. His appreciation for the liberal arts — from taking courses at Rhodes’ Meeman Center to his trip to Israel and Jordan with religious studies professor Milton Moreland — and his understanding of the importance of Rhodes’ investments in community partnerships are at the core of the new Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center at Rhodes. He and his wife, Lynne, have been strong advocates for the college and have attended just about every lecture related to Memphis and most events hosted by the Mike Curb Institute for Music. Through their support, the Turley Memphis Center will be a place where connections between the city and the college can grow even more impactful."
In addition to all the students receiving their bachelor's and master's degrees that morning, Rhodes also honored graduating senior Lisa R. Hsi with the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize, given to the student "who exemplifies the highest qualities of achievement, creativity, and commitment to the liberal arts and sciences." Two other graduates — Hannah M. Horsey and Andrew H. Nguyen — received the 2018 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards for distinguished accomplishments in the community while they were still attending Rhodes College.
A sad note to the day came with the presentation (posthumously) of a third Algernon Sydney Smith Award. This one was accepted by the family of Bernal E. Smith, II, well-known civic leader and former publisher of The New Tri-State Defender (and Rhodes graduate), who passed away in 2017.
