Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SJR0413 Compare Versions

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

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4	4	SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 413
5	5	By Jackson
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8	8	SJR0413
9	9	007017
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12	12	A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of James W. "Jim" Ayers of
13	13	Parsons.
14	14
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 embraced the values of
24	24	honesty, hard work, and generosity and the importance of education instilled in him by his
25	25	father, who worked in a sawmill and on the family farm, and his mother, who ran a flower shop;
26	26	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, and started his family before receiving a degree in accounting in
42	42	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, the Ayers Foundation's impact has been profound, directly supporting over
55	55	20,000 rural Tennessee students by helping each student develop a plan to reach their goals,
56	56	whether it be an apprenticeship, the military, a workforce certificate, or a college degree; and
57	57	WHEREAS, his generosity extended to many of Tennessee's educational institutions,
58	58	including Jackson State Community College, where he served as an honorary member of the
59	59	Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as Bethel University, Freed-Hardeman University, Union
60	60	University, and the University of Memphis, all of which awarded him honorary doctorate
61	61	degrees; and
62	62	WHEREAS, Jim Ayers's philanthropy extended further through the creation of the Ayers
63	63	Institute at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the Ayers Children's Hospital in Jackson, and
64	64	the Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning and Innovation at Lipscomb University; and
65	65	WHEREAS, in recognition of the enduring impact that Jim and Janet Ayers have made,
66	66	Vanderbilt University Medical Center is naming its new $500 million tower after Mr. Ayers; the
67	67	Jim Ayers Tower is scheduled to open in October 2025; and
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72	72	WHEREAS, his contributions to the civic and educational fabric of Tennessee earned
73	73	him numerous accolades, including the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award from the Community
74	74	Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of
75	75	Memphis, the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America, Nashvillian of the Year by
76	76	Easterseals of Tennessee, and induction into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished
77	77	Americans and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center Hall of Fame; and
78	78	WHEREAS, Jim Ayers leaves behind an indelible legacy of integrity and probity in public
79	79	life, compassion and loyalty in private life, and diligence and dedication in all his chosen
80	80	endeavors; and
81	81	WHEREAS, it is fitting that we should pause to remember the bountiful life of this
82	82	exceptional public servant and human being; now, therefore,
83	83	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
84	84	GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
85	85	REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we honor the life and legacy of James W. "Jim"
86	86	Ayers, reflecting fondly upon his impeccable character and his stalwart commitment to living the
87	87	examined life with courage and conviction.
88	88	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we express our sympathy and offer our condolences
89	89	to the family of Mr. Ayers.
90	90	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
91	91	for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
92	92	the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
93	93	without House or Senate designation.