2021 Inductees

KCS Hall of Fame Class of 2021

7th Annual Kingsport City Schools Hall of Fame Ceremony: July 26, 2021

Kingsport City Schools recognized and inducted three members of the seventh class of the Kingsport City Schools Hall of Fame, during the back to school teacher Convocation event on July 26, 2021.

Established as the keystone award for former employees, the KCS Hall of Fame recognizes those individuals that have most impacted the Kingsport educational community during their careers with KCS.

NEWS RELEASE

The class of 2021 elected to the KCS Hall of Fame includes:

Mr. William A. Clark

MODERN ERA CATEGORY (RETIRED less than 25 years from induction)

Mr. William A. Clark retired in 1998 from Kingsport City Schools after 35 years in education, 31 of those years with KCS. Mr. Clark began as a social studies teacher and coach at Robinson Middle School in 1967 before becoming assistant principal. He served as principal for Jackson Elementary School before moving back to Robinson as principal. During his tenure, Robinson was chosen twice as one of the top 11 schools in national competition. In 1987 he received the KCS Outstanding Educator Award and later spent a year overseeing programs and construction of the new Washington Elementary School. Mr. Clark also received a Certificate of Merit and a Certification of Distinction from the U.S. Department of Education. He is remembered as an excellent leader, communicator, and mentor with a strong sense of professionalism and a good sense of humor. William A. Clark was elected to the KCS Hall of Fame in the Modern Era Category (Retired less than 25 years from induction).

Mrs. Anna Dickison

Modern ERA CATEGORY (RETIRED Less than 25 years from induction)

After 38 ½ years at Lincoln Elementary School, Mrs. Anna Dickison retired from Kingsport City Schools in 1998 with 42 ½ years in education. She taught 4th grade from 1959 until her retirement, previously taught as a 7th grade teacher in Portsmouth, Virginia, and a 5th grade teacher at Sulphur Springs Elementary School. While at Lincoln Elementary,, Mrs. Dickison served as a mentor for student teachers as well as her fellow educators. Stern but fair, she valued her students’ social-emotional learning in addition to their academic learning; always encouraging them to succeed by overcoming personal challenges. In her tenure, she achieved the status of Careel Level 3 Teacher, a now discontinued program, which demonstrated her exceptional teaching abilities and leadership skills. Anna Dickison was elected to the KCS Hall of Fame in the Modern Era Category (Retired less than 25 years from induction).

Mr. V.O. Dobbins, Sr.

LEGACY ERA CATEGORY (RETIRED 50 years or more from induction)

Known as “Festa” Dobbins, Mr. V.O. Dobbins, Sr. retired in 1966 from Kingsport City Schools after 31 years serving as coach, teacher, and principal of Douglass Elementary-High School. Mr. Dobbins, Sr. led the education of hundreds of Kingsport's African-American children prior to desegregation in 1966. With 40 years in education, Mr. Dobbins, Sr. began his teaching career in 1935 as a science and math teacher. He later became principal of Douglass in 1942 where he started a free lunch program to provide students food. Champion of the underprivileged, the very food provided to his students was grown from his personal garden. On June 8, 1966 Douglass School closed its doors and ceased operations, making it one of the last all-black schools in the region to close. Upon his retirement, Mr. Dobbins, Sr. witnessed 384 African-American students and 16 teachers integrate into KCS. The Douglass High School Alumni Association was formed to remind and lead school graduates and former students of the "Tiger Spirit '' which forever binds them with their African-American heritage in Kingsport. Mr. Dobbins, Sr., was also heavily involved in numerous organizations, most notably, the Kingsport Housing Authority, the NAACP, and the Central Baptist Church. In addition, Mr. Dobbins orchestrated the purchase of recreational grounds for black citizens of Kingsport and opened his home to young teachers. He was a true servant-leader, dedicated to his students and his community, aiming to bring social and economical equality to his community. The former Douglass School, now the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex was renovated and remodeled into Kingsport's multi-purpose facility housing non-profit organizations, a community space, and basketball courts. V.O. Dobbins, Sr., was posthumously elected to the KCS Hall of Fame in the Legacy Era Category (Retired 50 years or more from induction).