Dan and Carolyn Thomas will be celebrated as the 26th and 27th recipients of the Clyde W. Smith Junior Leadership Award this Tuesday when the Tullahoma Board of Education holds its October meeting. 

In August, the Tullahoma City Schools Board of Education nominated and unanimously approved the Thomases as this year’s Clyde W. Smith Junior Leadership Award recipients. This honor is named after the former school board chairman, who died in 2010, and recognizes individuals connected to TCS with strong ties to the community and education. Tuesday’s reception is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. at the TCS Administration Building, located at 510 S Jackson St., and the regular school board meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. 

“At first, it was kind of a shock when we learned that we would be receiving this award,” Dan said. “Gigi Robison (Tullahoma Board of Education member) called us and said she had some Board news to share. It was a surprise. We are so grateful for this award.” 

“It really was a shock,” Carolyn added. “It’s humbling. I guess you could say it was a humbling shock when we received this news. It is hard to believe and truly an honor that we are this year’s award recipients.”

While Dan grew up in Tullahoma, Carolyn is from Chattanooga, and the couple met when they both attended and graduated from Lipscomb University. They would marry and move briefly to Tullahoma before leaving and teaching in Marietta, Georgia. However, the Thomases would return to Tullahoma in the late 80s, where Carolyn taught at Robert E. Lee Elementary School. 

“I just remember how much joy I had coming back to Tullahoma,” Carolyn said. “I loved the students in Cobb County, but with a big school district, it was stressful. Coming back to Tullahoma, it was a lot less stressful, and the teachers and staff were just happy. It was such a pleasant environment and experience, and I loved teaching in Tullahoma.” 

While living in Tullahoma, Dan coached the seventh-grade girls basketball and taught at Harris Middle School in Shelbyville. He would return to TCS when he joined East Junior High School as the boys basketball coach and taught sixth-grade math and social studies. 

“At Bedford County is where I learned how much respect everybody has for Tullahoma City Schools,” Dan said. “All of the coaches around the area – Franklin, Lincoln, Moore and Bedford counties – they all really wanted to beat Tullahoma. They had heard all about the academic excellence here and about the scholarships that athletes were getting, so they really wanted to beat Tullahoma.” 

While at East Junior High, Dan was instrumental in helping the district establish Kool Kids, an extended school program for students and families. He was also involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at East and remains active in the school’s organization. 

As a teacher, Dan taught more than academics; as he put it, he taught Life 101. Inspired by legendary UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden and Lipscomb University coach Don Meyer, Dan would incorporate their words into his lessons. Those teachings resonated with his students, including one sixth-grader, now an assistant principal at Jack T. Farrar Elementary School. 

“As a student, I remember learning about Coach Wooden’s Laws of Life – a concept Mr. Thomas brought into our classroom every day,” said Dr. Megan Hardy. “At the start of each class, he took time to share life lessons that have stayed with me ever since. Now, as an educator myself, I often reflect on the values I learned from him. First, I learned that teaching students how to be kind, honest, and true to themselves is just as important as teaching them how to read, write, and multiply. Second, I learned that I must model the behaviors I hope to see in my students. Mr. Thomas did exactly that. He was always calm, collected and unwavering in his support for us.” 

At Robert E. Lee Elementary School, Carolyn taught first, third and fourth grades. While she has many fond and sometimes hilarious memories, seeing a student learn and retain knowledge was her favorite part of teaching. 

“When they would work and work and then finally get it, that was not only so great for them, but me as well,” Carolyn said. “It is a really rewarding feeling when those moments occurred. That has to be one of the most positive memories for me.” 

Both Dan and Carolyn retired from teaching following the 2011 school year. However, the impact they made in the classrooms is still felt by their former students and several community members, including Tullahoma Board of Education member Gigi Robison. 

“Both of my children were fortunate enough to be taught by Dan and Carolyn Thomas,” Robison said. “They have stayed in our community and continue to stay active, and they love Tullahoma City Schools. You would be hard-pressed to find people who grew up in this town who did not have one of them or both of them as teachers. Their contributions to Tullahoma City Schools have been incredible, and I am excited to celebrate them at this Tuesday’s meeting.”