<BillNo> <Sponsor>
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 402
By Crowe
SJR0402
006989
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A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of James W. "Jim" Ayers of
Parsons.
WHEREAS, the members of this General Assembly were greatly saddened to learn of
the passing of James W. "Jim" Ayers, a distinguished Tennessean whose legacy of business
acumen, philanthropic leadership, and unwavering dedication to rural communities will endure
for generations; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ayers was the founder and chairman of FirstBank, which, under his
leadership and vision, grew from a single bank with $14 million in assets in 1984 to one of
Tennessee's largest financial institutions, with over $13 billion in assets and a footprint
extending across the Southeast; and
WHEREAS, born on November 19, 1943, in Parsons, Jim Ayers embraced the values of
honesty, hard work, and generosity and the importance of education instilled in him by his
father, who worked in a sawmill and on the family farm, and his mother, who ran a flower shop;
and
WHEREAS, a self-described entrepreneur from the time he was eight years old, Mr.
Ayers began earning money by shining shoes for ten cents a pair; at the age of ten, he was
driving a tractor on the family farm and putting in eight to ten hours of labor on the weekends;
and
WHEREAS, Jim Ayers spent a summer selling books for the Southwestern Company at
the age of sixteen; traveling to McComb, Mississippi, he joined the company's summer sales
force, staying in a boarding house while being paid ten dollars a week to knock on doors, selling
mostly Bibles; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from Parsons High School in 1961, he attended Memphis
State University, now the University of Memphis; during his sophomore year there, he married
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the love of his life, Janet Ayers, and started his family before receiving a degree in accounting in
1965; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ayers began his career in the healthcare sector before founding
American Health Centers, a network of forty nursing homes across Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, his enduring legacy in banking began in 1984 with the acquisition of
Farmers State Bank in Scotts Hill, eventually leading to his founding of FirstBank; Mr. Ayers
served as Chief Executive Officer and later Executive Chairman of FirstBank, taking the
company public in 2016, while never losing sight of the personal service and rural roots that
defined his approach to leadership; and
WHEREAS, driven by a deep sense of purpose and guided by the biblical principle, "To
whom much is given, much is expected," Mr. Ayers founded The Ayers Foundation in 1999 to
improve the quality of life for Tennesseans through education, conservation, and social welfare;
and
WHEREAS, the Ayers Foundation's impact has been profound, directly supporting over
20,000 rural Tennessee students by helping each student develop a plan to reach their goals,
whether it be an apprenticeship, the military, a workforce certificate, or a college degree; and
WHEREAS, his generosity extended to many of Tennessee's educational institutions,
including Jackson State Community College, where he served as an honorary member of the
Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as Bethel University, Freed-Hardeman University, Union
University, and the University of Memphis, all of which awarded him honorary doctorate
degrees; and
WHEREAS, Jim Ayers's philanthropy extended further through the creation of the Ayers
Institute at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the Ayers Children's Hospital in Jackson, and
the Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning and Innovation at Lipscomb University; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of the enduring impact that Jim and Janet Ayers have made,
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is naming its new $500 million tower after Mr. Ayers; the
Jim Ayers Tower is scheduled to open in October 2025; and
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WHEREAS, his contributions to the civic and educational fabric of Tennessee earned
him numerous accolades, including the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award from the Community
Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of
Memphis, the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America, Nashvillian of the Year by
Easterseals of Tennessee, and induction into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished
Americans and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Jim Ayers leaves behind an indelible legacy of integrity and probity in public
life, compassion and loyalty in private life, and diligence and dedication in all his chosen
endeavors; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting that we should pause to remember the bountiful life of this
exceptional public servant and human being; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we honor the life and legacy of James W. "Jim"
Ayers, reflecting fondly upon his impeccable character and his stalwart commitment to living the
examined life with courage and conviction.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we express our sympathy and offer our condolences
to the family of Mr. Ayers.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.