JSU Mourns Loss of Dr. Effie W. Sawyer
Dr. Effie W. Sawyer, author of The First Hundred Years: The History of Jacksonville State University, 1883-1983, died December 18, 2006 in Meridian, Mississippi.

A native of Kemp County, Mississippi, Dr. Sawyer was employed by Jacksonville State University as the executive secretary to Presidents Dr. Houston Cole and Dr. Ernest Stone. Dr. Sawyer attended evening classes and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in general business with two minors, English and economics. In 1984, she received the honorary doctorate presented by JSU President Dr. Theron E. Montgomery.

Dr. Sawyer spent over two years researching university records, exploring through photo archives, and interviewing faculty members to chronicle the history of the university in The First Hundred Years: The History of Jacksonville State University, 1883-1983. Her experience as a faculty member and student provided a personal glimpse into the growth and changes of the university from its beginning as the State Normal School to a teaching college to the current university. She included biographical portraits of each of the university's presidents, countless photos, personal letters, and financial records of the institution.

The First Hundred Years: The History of Jacksonville State University, 1883-1983 is available online at http://www.jsu.edu/depart/library/chanticleer/First_Hundred_Years/.

Services for Dr. Sawyer were held December 20, 2006, at DeKalb United Methodist Church. Dr. Sawyer was 86 years old.

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