Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel 3000 North Loop West| Houston, Texas 77092 August 27, 2022 Reception 6:00 pm Program 7:00 pm Tougaloo College Houston Area Alumni Chapter A Night of Jazz with a Touch of R & B Celebrating 30 Years and Continuing Our Legacy of Giving
Truly,
Felisha Stiff
We thank each of you for your continuous support to our signature event, A Night of Jazz and Touch of R&B. We hope that you enjoy tonight's event with the confirmation that your monetary contribution is helping extraordinary students become extraordinaire leaders of tomorrow.
August 21, 2022 Dear Fellow Alumni, Friends, & Supporters, I'm extending a warm welcome on the behalf of the amazing Houston Area Tougaloo College Alumni Chapter, to the 30th Annual A Night of Jazz and Touch of R&B signature event. This annual event is our chapter signature fundraising event that focus on providing scholarships to students who are from the Houston area, financial contributions to Tougaloo College, and increasing the college brand within the local area.
Our theme this year, "Celebrating 30 Years and Continuing Our Legacy of Giving", is our commitment and continuation of giving to our dear alma mater. This year we are honoring Reverend Byron C. Stevenson, Senior Pastor/Founder of the Fort Bend Church, with the Soaring Eagle Award. This award represents the spirit of a Tougaloo graduate: One who strives to make a meaningful contribution to the communities in which they live and serve, to achieve excellence in his or her profession or vocation and help those who come behind them. To demonstrate our legacy of giving, we will present a scholarship award to a student who is striving to become the next graduate of Tougaloo College. All our scholarship recipients are current students of Tougaloo College, and it's our indeed pleasure to help them achieve their goal. The scholarship is our contribution and commitment to creating the legacy of giving that will help them be one step closer to achieving their degree as a graduate of Tougaloo College.
Felisha ChapterStiffPresident
Yours
’72 MPA
Alumni Association | P.O.
Tougaloo,
JoyceSincerely,Small
The event has honored prominent visionaries across many fields with a passion for the sustainability and viability of Historically Black Colleges. They consistently demonstrate their support of minority youth in their efforts to obtain a quality education provided by these institutions. They also provide resources to assist in ensuring that these young people receive the mentoring and financial assistance needed to pursue their goals. Because of their vision and continued support of the Houston Chapter’s mission, these individuals have been presented the chapter’s prestigious Soaring Eagle Award.
As a long-standing strong TCNAA alumni chapter, your support is invaluable. Your commitment to the mission of ensuring that our institution is viable, and our students are provided a quality education speaks volumes. Your membership, including noted alumnae, Attorney Beverly Carruthers, and Trustee Marion Tresvant, have made generous donations to the chapter. Trustee Marion Tresvant’s donation has helped the chapter establish an endowed scholarship fund that will allow the awarding of scholarships in perpetuity to students attending Tougaloo College from the Houston area.
The proceeds from the event have not only provided support to Tougaloo College but has also provided scholarships to students from the Houston area attending this historical institution. Due to COVID -19 restrictions, the chapter had to suspend the event during 2020 and 2021 but has returned with renewed vigor with this year’s honoree, Rev. Byron C. Stevenson, Sr. Pastor/Founder of The Ft. Bend Church.
President, Tougaloo College National Alumni Association
Tougaloo College National Box 288 | MS 39174 | www.tcnaa.org
As you continue your efforts in supporting our institution and our student body, it is undeniable that collectively, we will continue to create tomorrow’s leaders. The Houston-Area Tougaloo College Alumni Chapter’s support helps to ensure the continued legacy of Tougaloo College by promoting higher educational achievements among our youth. Delk
Congratulations to the Houston-Area Tougaloo College Alumni Chapter on your staple fundraising event, “A Night of Jazz and a Touch of R&B.” This eloquent musical event started in the early 90s out of a vision by then Chapter President, Stanley Weakley. The event has continued with every Houston Chapter President and has become renowned over the past 30 years, bringing exposure and recognition to Tougaloo College.
August 27, 2022 Dear Fellow Alumni, “Tougaloo, Eagle Queen, We love thee.”
Born, raised, and educated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Pastor Stevenson earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Southern University A&M College. After working in corporate accounting and auditing for several years and becoming a Certified School Business Manager, he publicly accepted the call to the gospel ministry in July 1994. He would soon continue his collegiate matriculation by earning the Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies from Houston Baptist University in Houston, Texas.
Still, recognizing the importance of service, Pastor Stevenson’s vision of The Fort Bend Church (TFBC), “Serving the total needs of God’s people,” has afforded him and TFBC the opportunity to serve the local church and to serve the surrounding community and world. As a community leader, Pastor Stevenson has served on several organizational boards including the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Houston Area Urban League where he currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a life member of the Southern University Alumni Association.
Pastor Stevenson is blessed to be married to his high school sweetheart and love, Mrs. Sonya Taylor Stevenson, and they are the very proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Claire Alexandra and Cydney Victoria.
Pastor Byron C. Stevenson
Ultimately, Pastor Stevenson realizes that the favor on his life is coupled with an unrestricted love for God’s people and the grace extended to him is the same grace he is motivated to use to reach others where they are—standing on Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.”
After faithfully serving 10 years in church ministry, Pastor Stevenson founded The Fort Bend Church in 2004. The church was blessed to open its current worship and administration facilities in March of 2009. Through God’s faithfulness, Pastor Stevenson’s leadership and the dedication of the membership, The Fort Bend Church was recognized as one of the “Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches in America” and the Houston Forward Times recognized Pastor Stevenson with its prestigious designation as one of Houston’s Visionary Pastors of 2013.
Houston Area Tougaloo College Alumni Chapter A Night of Jazz History
Tougaloo, Eagle Queen, We Love Thee. Mother Eagle stir thy nest. Route thine eaglets to the breezes, they enjoy the test.
Over the years, with support from alumni and friends, the chapter is proud to have provided numerous scholarships, book stipends, and emergency financial assistance to local students attending the College. In addition, the chapter has made over $100,000 in donations to the College’s Annual Fund.
In 2017, the chapter celebrated the 25th anniversary of the event. The historic Buffalo Soldiers National Museum was the venue. It was a record-setting event for attendance and charitable donations to the College. The paramount highlight of the event was the awarding of five Annell Thompson Jones Scholarships to Houston area students attending Tougaloo College. This was made possible by a generous gift from alumna, Attorney Beverly A. Caruthers. Additionally, during 2017 due to a generous gift from alumna, Trustee Marion McNeal Tresvant, the Chapter was able to establish an endowment fund that will allow it to continue to award scholarships in perpetuity to deserving Houston area students.
Countless good things start with a vision. And, so, count the Houston Area Tougaloo College Alumni Chapter’s A Night of Jazz event as one of those good things. In the early 1990s, then chapter president, Stanley Weakley, shared his vision of the A Night of Jazz event with chapter members. In Stanley’s words of passion and excitement, he said, “We have got to do something to get the name of Tougaloo College out there. We want the people of Houston to know about Tougaloo College.” And, so, the A Night of Jazz event was birthed. The first events were held in downtown Houston at the historic Magnolia Ballroom. The chapter eventually moved to other venues and, in 1995, recognized its first “Soaring Eagle” award recipient, our very own alumnus and all-time winningest basketball coach at Texas Southern University, Coach Robert ForMoreland.localalumni, the A Night of Jazz event is a labor of love and for our friends, an event they look forward to every year. Gifts and donations from the event help fund the operating budget of the College and provide scholarships to local students attending the College.
The last in-person event was held on August 3, 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually in 2020 and 2021. Although, the events were presented virtually, they were highly successful and allowed the chapter to continue its mission of providing scholarships to local students who are attending the College and to give monetary gifts to the College’s Annual Fund.
The chapter is excited to resume the in-person event for 2022. It will reunite alumni and friends in the spirit of fellowship and a renewed commitment to support Tougaloo College and all of our HBCUs.
Tougaloo College is a private, coeducational, historically black four-year liberal arts, church-related, but not a church-controlled institution. It sits on 500 acres of land on West County Line Road on the northern edge of Jackson, Mississippi. In Good Biblical Style, the Amistad, the famous court case that freed Africans who were accused of mutiny after they killed a part of the captor crew of the slave ship Amistad and took over the vessel, begat the American Missionary Association. The American Missionary Association begat Tougaloo College and her five sister institutions.
Tougaloo College has gained national respect for its high academic standards and level of social responsibility. The College reached the ultimate demonstration of its social commitment during the turbulent years of the 1960s. During that period, Tougaloo College was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, serving as a safe haven for those who fought for freedom, equality, justice, and the sanctuary within which the strategies were devised and implemented to end segregation and improve race relations. Tougaloo College's leadership, courage in opening its campus to the Freedom Riders and other Civil Rights workers and leaders, and its bravery in supporting a movement — helped change the state's economic, political and social fabric of Mississippi and the Asidenation.from its social commitment, Tougaloo College has continued to strive to create an environment of academic excellence and a campus of engaged learners. The administration and faculty continue to challenge students to be prepared to take advantage of opportunities available in a global economy and to become leaders who will effect change. Partnerships and networking relationships have been established with many institutions such as Brown University, Boston College, Tufts Medical and Dental Schools, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, New York University, and other international programs.
Tougaloo College History
In 1869, the American Missionary Association of New York purchased five hundred acres of land from John Boddie, owner of the Boddie Plantation, to establish a school for the training of young people "irrespective of religious tenets and conducted on the most liberal principles for the benefit of our citizens in general." The Mississippi State Legislature granted the institution a charter under Tougaloo University in 1871. Courses for college credit were first offered in 1897, and in 1901, the first Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded to Traverse S. Crawford. In 1916, Tougaloo University's name was changed to Tougaloo College.
Tougaloo College Houston Area Alumni Chapter ReverendSALUTESByronStevenson Soaring Eagle Recipient 30th Annual A Night of Jazz and Touch of R&B Celebrating 30 Years and Continuing OurLegacy of Giving Felisha Stiff - President Teresa McCoy - Vice President Howard Bartee - Secretary Shirley Evans - Treasurer Janice Adams Felicia Gilbert Bettye Lawrence David Miller Dr. Tophas Anderson Louis Gilbert Barbara Love Josephine Rice Edward Bell Cassandra Harris Marvin Love William Rice Beverly Caruthers LaDonna Harris Marjorie Millender Marion Tresvant Raven Elliott Dr. Vincent Harris Emleigh Mitchell Stanley Weakley Dr. Donnie Evans Leroy Hayes Lemond Mitchell Frances Whiteurst Ed Adams Shirley Carson Evans Hosea James Beverly Miller
Congratulations to Tougaloo College Houston Area Alumni on a successful 30th Annual A Night of Jazz with a Touch of R&B In Loving Memory of my mother, Marva Adams Optimum Personal Care Home is an Assisted Living Type B community licensed in Texas and located in the Missouri City/Sugar Land area of Southwest Houston. Our community consists of two senior personal care homes nestled amongst three acres of manicured gardens and landscaped grounds. We offer a wide variety of quality, hands on services and amenities and several lifestyle options including assisted living, respite care, and hospice care. Our customized senior assisted living facility is transforming the way short term memory loss patients are treated by caring for them within a personal home instead of large, impersonal, institutional memory loss unit.* Optimum Personal Care Mr. Bobby G. English, Jr. 1110 Lakeview Drive, Sugar Land, Texas 77478 https://optimumpersonalcare.com/281.565.4144
Houston Area Alumni Members
Robert Moreland
Chapter Charter
Dr. Terralon J. Cannon, Dr. Thomas Porter, Dr. Tanya Washington Stephens, Dr. Carmen HallWhiting, Dr. Donnie Evans, Dr. Glenda Coleman, Dr. Vincent Harris, Dr. Clyde McMorris Houston Area Alumni Physicians
Sylvia Bolling, Author and Founder
Former President, Texas Southern University
Rising Eagle Award, C. J. Lawrence, Esq Attorney/Partner of Lumumba & Associates
Reverend Dr. Ralph Douglas West
Aldine Family Hope Center/Buckner Children and Family Services
Earl Cummings
The Church Without Walls
Pastor Emeritus, Founder, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Eaglet Award, Alexandria Kessee Soaring Eagle Award, Atty. Beverly R Caruthers, 1987 Thomas Joyner, Jr., President The Tom Joyner Foundation Soaring Eagle Award, Sybil Wilkes Co-Host, The Tom Joyner Morning Show
Anthony Hall Former City Attorney, City of Houston Soaring Eagle Award, Marion McNeal Tresvant CEO, PerryLee Home Healthcare Services
Christian Athletes
Former Basketball Coach, Texas Southern University
Pastor, Founder, Brookhollow Baptist Church
Dr. Tophas Anderson III
Reverend Dr. William A. Lawson
Dr. Priscilla Slade
30th Annual Night of Jazz with a Touch of R&B
Tougaloo College Board of Trustees
George Thomas General Manager, KTSU FM Radio Station
Dr. Beverly Hogan Tougaloo College - President
Reverend Dr. Dennis Young Missouri City Baptist Church
Former VP of Public Affairs, Time Warner Cable
Rising Eagle Award, Eric Anderson Metro Director for Greater Houston Fellowship
Tougaloo College National Alumni President 2009 Bob Nicholas
Former News Anchor, KPRC Channel 2
Marvin Love, Barbara Love, Judge William Rice, Josephine Rice, Leroy Hayes, David Miller, Beverly Miller
Houston Area Alumni Chapter
Pamella Thorne
Dennis S. Sweet, Esq.
Tougaloo College
“Past Soaring Eagle Award Honorees”
Soaring Eagle Award, Rev Dr. Joe Ratliff Pastor, Brentwood Baptist Church
C-STEM Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Director
30th Annual S
Wishes to Congratulate Tougaloo College Houston Area Alumni Association on it’s 30th Annual A Night of Jazz ! Missouri City Baptist Church 16816 Quail Park Missouri City, Texas 281-835.6310 Dr. Dennis W. Young, Pastor www.mocitybc.org
TougalooCollegeHoustonAreaAlumniChapter30thAnnual A Night of Jazz with a Touch of R & B Gold Sponsors Marion Tresvant Perrylee Homes Health Care Services, Inc. Silver Sponsors Dr. Tophas Anderson Dr. Vincent and Cassandra Harris Missouri City Baptist Church Weakley and Associates Blue Sponsors Optimum Personal Care Attorney William and Josephine Rice Magnolia Sports Promotions, LLC
TougalooCollegeHoustonAreaAlumniChapter30thAnnual A Night of Jazz with a Touch of R & B Special Contributions Marion Tresvant Tophas MissouriBrentwoodAndersonChurchMajoriaCourseCityBaptishChurch Special Thanks Tougaloo College Office of Institutional Advancement Ensemble Theatre Brentwood Baptist Church Creative Concepts – Printing Academy Awards Joe Carmouche – Musical Guest Stages Theatre Special Guests, Family, Friends, and Supporters
I. Hail to Thee our Alma Mater Dear to us thou art; Sun and moon and stars beloved, Bless thy loving heart. Chorus Tougaloo, Eagle Queen, we love thee, Mother Eagle, stir thy nest; Rout thine eaglets to the breezes They enjoy the test. II. Hero cannot love this country More than we love thee; Though he die upon the altar, We would die for thee. III. For thine inspiration, Mother Though thy sons depart For the rainbow’s end, forever We will bless thy heart.
JonathanHendersonBrooks
Alma Mater
Tougaloo, Eagle Queen
