托马斯·F. 弗里曼的遗产

他是一位伟大的老师, debater and philosopher coach that propelled the 德克萨斯南方大学 Debate Team to world class status.  

Dr. 托马斯富兰克林弗里曼，托马斯F. 弗里曼荣誉学院, 于6月6日去世, 2020年，到6月27日他就101岁了, 他死的那个月. 除了是一个杰出的演说家, 他也是一位受人尊敬的教育家，为托大服务了80年, 也是荷勒姆山浸信会的牧师. He was survived by his wife Clarice, who herself is 103 years old now. They have three children; 托马斯·F. Jr.卡特和卡特博士. Carlotta和几个孙子.  

许多伟人都师从他. 弗里曼, like Barbara Charline Jordan, the first African American elected to the Texas Senate; Dr. 马丁·路德·金. 听医生说. 弗里曼’s lecture at Morehouse College, when the latter was there as a Visiting Professor in 1947. 两位博士的生活也有相似之处. 弗里曼和博士. 马丁·路德·金. 他们都是敬业的教育家和热情的传教士. Both have mastery of the use of the spoken word to move the audience.  

另一位著名的人物，他的教练是. 弗里曼 was Hollywood star Denzel Washington, who spent time with Dr. 弗里曼 while preparing for the role of a debate coach at a small Texas college in the movie “The Great Debater.”  

Dr. 弗里曼 showing his awards and memorabilia to Hollywood actor Denzel Washington.  

The 德克萨斯南方大学 debate team came to national and international prominence 70 years ago under the leadership of Dr. 弗里曼. The TSU Debate Team won hundreds of awards and trophies when he was the debate coach. 学生 who joined the Debate team not only went through rigorous training in oratory skills, 也提高了他们的写作技巧.   

Dr. 弗里曼 received his Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Union University, his Bachelor of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological Seminary in MA, 并获得了芝加哥大学的哲学博士学位, 伊利诺斯州. 他在奥地利和非洲做过一段时间的博士后工作. 在他的教育生涯中，他获得了无数奖项. In 2018, he was the inaugural recipient of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s History Makers Award – Living Legend. In that same year, TSU won the HBCU National Speech and Debate Championship Tournament. 2017年，博士. 弗里曼 was the recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) highest hoor in Washington D.C., for his impact and influence as an outstanding scholar and educator.  

Dr. 1990年，弗里曼在德克萨斯南方大学辩论队. 

Dr. 弗里曼 held many faculty and administrative positions at TSU and elsewhere. In 1966 he was the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1972, he was the first African American adjunct faculty and Lecturer at Rice University . 他曾在弗吉尼亚联合大学任教. 弗吉尼亚州劳伦斯维尔的保罗学院等.  

他长期担任辩论教练, 作为教师, 和管理员, 为他赢得了无数荣誉博士学位, such as the Doctor of Humane Letters from Eastern Massachusetts University in 1980 and 2000, and the Doctor of Divinity from Bishop King Theological Seminary in 2002. He was a recipient of prestigious awards such as the American Performance Theatre Award in 1992, 休斯顿城市联盟, 玛格丽特·罗斯·巴内特领导奖, 也是在1992年, 1995年获得马丁·路德·金鼓乐大奖, Educator of the Year Award presented by the Black Caucus of the 德州议会 in 1995, 2000年为黑人传统基金会举办的休斯顿山火项目, and the Trail Blaze Award from Houston Community College System in 2003.  

博士的火焰. 弗里曼的遗产比以往任何时候都更加耀眼, especially at two institutions at TSU; the world-renowned Debate Team, 托马斯·F. 弗里曼荣誉学院.  托国立辩论队继续. 弗里曼’s legacy of academic excellence under the leadership of Dr. Gloria Batiste-Roberts, who continues to lead the team to more success and accolades.  它每年吸引25到50名学生, the best of whom compete internationally during the spring semester.  Dr. Batiste Roberts led the Debate Team to perform virtually at the national “We Are One” Biden Harris pre-inaugural event last January 19, 2021. Dr. Batiste-Roberts还担任托马斯·F. 弗里曼荣誉学院.  

Dr. Gloria Batiste-Roberts, Director and Head Coach of the TSU Debate Team.  

盖茨博士的另一项伟大遗产.  弗里曼 is the creation of an 荣誉学院, named after him, the 托马斯·F. 弗里曼荣誉学院. It oversees the academic programs of some of the best and brightest of the university and in the country.  

托马斯·F. 弗里曼荣誉学院 was created by the TSU 校董会 in 2009, under the presidency of Dr. 约翰·鲁德利和教务长博士. 阳光明媚的俄亥俄州保护博士. 弗里曼的不朽遗产是对未来领导人的激励.   Dr. 2009年至2011年，弗里曼担任创始院长. Dr. Humphrey Regis于2011年至2014年担任院长. 他后面跟着一位医生. Elizabeth Brown-Guillory as Interim Dean from 2014-2017, then by Dr. 黛安·杰米森-波拉德于2017年至2023年担任院长. 目前的代理是博士. 小赫克托·米兰达. 

虽然在2013年正式退休, 他经常参加荣誉学院的许多活动, especially the Fall Induction ceremonies where he leads the oath-taking of new 弗里曼 Scholars, when they are formally accepted into the fold of the 荣誉学院.  

博士最后一次参加活动的照片. 弗里曼参加荣誉学院的活动. 和我一起来的还有退休院长. 黛安·杰米森·波拉德也于2023年10月4日去世. 照片拍摄于2019年.

自成立以来，托马斯F. 弗里曼荣誉学院 has produced countless professionals in the field of medicine, 药店, 科学, 法律, 业务, 还有艺术. 它继续成长和创新. The 荣誉学院 senior thesis program is one of the few HBCU Honors thesis programs in the country. It has its own online digital journal to globally showcase the scholarly works of 弗里曼 Scholars, 叫做《弗里曼研究杂志.  

托马斯·F. 弗里曼荣誉学院 has positioned itself at the forefront of academic excellence at TSU. The graduating class for Spring of 2023 was led by 弗里曼 Scholars; Class Valedictorian, Noraliz罗德里格斯, Class Salutatorian and the celebrated outgoing President of the 学生会协会 Dexter Maryland, recipient of the 2022 White House Initiative HBCU Scholarship Program.                                            

在托国立追求卓越学术的最前沿. 引领2023年毕业班的左起是:马里兰州的德克斯特, 2022年SGA会长, 致告别词的Devansh Chadha (BA 金融), 荣誉学院代理院长赫克托·米兰达, Jr.以及毕业班致告别辞的诺拉丽兹·罗德里格斯(生物学学士).  

2019年，托马斯. 弗里曼荣誉学院 moved into the new Library and Learning Center, 一个现代, 最先进的学习设施. 这所学院位于3号街^rd 一层，有一尊博士的半身像. 弗里曼. 这件艺术品是委托给他的. Jesse Sifuentes，由前院长. 黛安·杰米森·波拉德和家人. 此外，毗邻荣誉学院的是一个房间. 弗里曼的纪念品. 很快荣誉论文也会在那里.  

博士的半身像. 弗里曼住在以他的名字命名的荣誉学院.