Our Presidents - Theron Montgomery

Theron Montgomery was born and raised in Spartanburg, S.C., and attended Wofford College in Spartanburg until his schooling was interrupted by World War II service in the United States Army.

Returning from service in the European and Pacific theaters from 1944 to 1946, he completed his degree from Wofford in 1947. He went on to Duke University in Durham, N.C., where he earned a M.A. degree in 1948 and a Ph.D. in 1950. Wrote Sawyer (1983), "His desire to understand people from a broad aspect drew Montgomery to sociology as his academic field. His personality reflected his academic ability, which is also evidenced by his Phi Beta Kappa key" (p. 179).

Montgomery came to work for President Houston Cole in 1950. "For five years, students in his sociology classes benefited from his teaching ability and enjoyed his spicy candor. Friends and neighbors also soon discovered 'Monty' Montgomery's emphatic views, always laced with a delightful sense of humor" (Sawyer, 1983, p. 179).

On August 25, 1951, Montgomery married the school dietitian, Ada Bounds, originally from Tuscaloosa. "Later, homemaking and two children interrupted Mrs. Montgomery's career until 1967, when President Cole offered her another position in the materials center of the library. This led to a master's degree from Jacksonville State University and the position of director of instructional media, which she held until her husband became president" (Sawyer, 1983, p. 180).

After he came to Jacksonville, Montgomery's career grew with the school. In 1955, he was dean of the State Teachers College. By 1971, he was vice president for academic affairs. Finally, he assumed the presidency on July 1, 1981 and remained in the office until his retirement in 1986.

During Montgomery's administration, departments began seeking individual accreditation for their specific programs and the athletic teams excelled, including the All Sports award, which honored the outstanding program in the Gulf South Conference. The University purchased the historic Roebuck home to be used as the new alumni house.

Perhaps the highlight of the Montgomery administration, was the seven-month long celebration of JSU's 100th birthday. After a series of special events, the celebration culminated in the dedication of the new courtyard in front of Bibb Graves on February 23, 1983.

In 1979, the Student Commons Building was renamed the Theron Montgomery Building in his honor.