Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) recently recognized a distinguished group of alumni for their outstanding contributions to education, public service, health care and community leadership as part of its 2025 Halls of Fame and Alumni Awards.
Dr. Melinda Turner (’10, ’24) received the Dr. Charles Holland Distinguished Alumni Award for her leadership in faculty development at LMU’s DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine and her enduring commitment to student and institutional success. The Dr. R. Martin Peters Young Alumnus Excellence Award went to Bridgett J. McMahan (’15), president of Broadway Electric Service Company, of Knoxville, and an accomplished legal and corporate executive known for her advocacy and leadership in the skilled trades.
Inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame were Dr. Brenda Graves (’79, ’99, ’00), a veteran teacher and mentor who helped shape future educators through her work in Claiborne County Schools and LMU’s School of Education, and Sam McCollough (’71), a longtime educator, coach, and policy advocate whose efforts continue to impact teacher benefits and alumni engagement.
The Professional Hall of Fame honored Mitchell Cosby (’84), the longest-serving living commissioner in Claiborne County and a dedicated public servant; Darryl W. Edmondson (’79), a former judge and legal mentor who served Union County for over three decades; Joshua R. Engle (’09, ’18), a leader in simulation-based medical education and quality assurance at LMU-DCOM; and Dr. Robert J. Wilmoth (’97), a physician and LMU faculty member known for his community health care leadership and mentorship.
The Nancy Rogers Leach Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Phyllis Curry Ely (’69) and Nellie Crumbley Cooper (’62) for their longstanding dedication to the Zeta Tau Kappa alumnae community and their instrumental roles in establishing the ZTKAA Endowed Scholarship, which recently reached its $50,000 goal.
The awards were presented during LMU Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 11, as part of a weekend filled with campus traditions, reunions and celebrations recognizing the university’s alumni and their ongoing impact.
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or email at admissions@LMUnet.edu.
