Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HJR0660 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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4	4	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 660
5	5	By Jones R
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8	8	HJR0660
9	9	007621
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12	12	A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of James W. "Jim" Ayers of
13	13	Parsons.
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15	15	WHEREAS, the members of this General Assembly were greatly saddened to learn of
16	16	the passing of James W. "Jim" Ayers, a distinguished Tennessean whose legacy of business
17	17	acumen, philanthropic leadership, and unwavering dedication to rural communities will endure
18	18	for generations; and
19	19	WHEREAS, Mr. Ayers was the founder and chairman of FirstBank, which, under his
20	20	leadership and vision, grew from a single bank with $14 million in assets in 1984 to one of
21	21	Tennessee's largest financial institutions, with over $13 billion in assets and a footprint
22	22	extending across the Southeast; and
23	23	WHEREAS, born on November 19, 1943, in Parsons, Jim Ayers came from very humble
24	24	beginnings and embraced the values of honesty, hard work, and generosity and the importance
25	25	of education instilled in him by his father, who worked in a sawmill and on the family farm, and
26	26	his mother, who ran a flower shop; and
27	27	WHEREAS, a self-described entrepreneur from the time he was eight years old, Mr.
28	28	Ayers began earning money by shining shoes for ten cents a pair; at the age of ten, he was
29	29	driving a tractor on the family farm and putting in eight to ten hours of labor on the weekends;
30	30	and
31	31	WHEREAS, Jim Ayers spent a summer selling books for the Southwestern Company at
32	32	the age of sixteen; traveling to McComb, Mississippi, he joined the company's summer sales
33	33	force, staying in a boarding house while being paid ten dollars a week to knock on doors, selling
34	34	mostly Bibles; and
35	35	WHEREAS, after graduating from Parsons High School in 1961, he attended Memphis
36	36	State University, now the University of Memphis; during his sophomore year there, he married
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41	41	the love of his life, Janet Ayers, who affectionately called him "Jimbo," and started his family
42	42	before receiving a degree in accounting in 1965; and
43	43	WHEREAS, Mr. Ayers began his career in the healthcare sector before founding
44	44	American Health Centers, a network of forty nursing homes across Tennessee; and
45	45	WHEREAS, his enduring legacy in banking began in 1984 with the acquisition of
46	46	Farmers State Bank in Scotts Hill, eventually leading to his founding of FirstBank; Mr. Ayers
47	47	served as Chief Executive Officer and later Executive Chairman of FirstBank, taking the
48	48	company public in 2016, while never losing sight of the personal service and rural roots that
49	49	defined his approach to leadership; and
50	50	WHEREAS, driven by a deep sense of purpose and guided by the biblical principle, "To
51	51	whom much is given, much is expected," Mr. Ayers founded The Ayers Foundation in 1999 to
52	52	improve the quality of life for Tennesseans through education, conservation, and social welfare;
53	53	and
54	54	WHEREAS, through the Ayers Foundation, Jim and Janet Ayers's impact has been
55	55	profound, directly supporting over 20,000 rural Tennessee students by helping them develop a
56	56	plan to reach their goals, whether it be an apprenticeship, the military, a workforce certificate, or
57	57	a college degree; and
58	58	WHEREAS, Mr. Ayers's generosity extended to many of Tennessee's educational
59	59	institutions, including Jackson State Community College, where he served as an honorary
60	60	member of the Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as Bethel University, Freed-Hardeman
61	61	University, Union University, and the University of Memphis, all of which awarded him honorary
62	62	doctoral degrees; and
63	63	WHEREAS, Jim and Janet Ayers's philanthropy extended further through the creation of
64	64	the Ayers Institute at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the Ayers Children's Hospital in
65	65	Jackson, and the Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning and Innovation at Lipscomb University;
66	66	and
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71	71	WHEREAS, in recognition of the enduring impact that Jim Ayers made, Vanderbilt
72	72	University Medical Center is naming its new $500 million tower after Mr. Ayers; the Jim Ayers
73	73	Tower is scheduled to open in October 2025; and
74	74	WHEREAS, his contributions to the civic and educational fabric of Tennessee earned
75	75	him numerous accolades, including the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award from the Community
76	76	Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of
77	77	Memphis, the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America, Nashvillian of the Year by
78	78	Easterseals of Tennessee, and induction into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished
79	79	Americans and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center Hall of Fame; and
80	80	WHEREAS, Jim Ayers leaves behind an indelible legacy of integrity and probity in public
81	81	life, compassion and loyalty in private life, and diligence and dedication in all his chosen
82	82	endeavors; and
83	83	WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this General Assembly should pause to
84	84	remember the bountiful life of this exceptional public servant and human being; now, therefore,
85	85	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF RE PRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
86	86	FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
87	87	CONCURRING, that we honor the life and legacy of James W. "Jim" Ayers, reflecting fondly
88	88	upon his impeccable character and his stalwart commitment to living the examined life with
89	89	courage and conviction.
90	90	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we express our sympathy and offer our condolences
91	91	to the family of Mr. Ayers.
92	92	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
93	93	for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
94	94	the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
95	95	without House or Senate designation.