May 22, 2014
For Immediate Release
| Paul Osborne, a member of the Campbellsville University Board of Trustees and former mayor of the City of Campbellsville, was presented the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award from, from left: Dr. Frank Cheatham, senior vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Michael V. Carter, president; and Dr. Joseph Owens, chair of the CU Board of Trustees. (Campbellsville University Photo by Rachel DeCoursey) |
By Kasey Ricketts, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University presented the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation Awards to Paul Osborne, a member of the Board of Trustees and former major of Campbellsville; and Jacqueline C. Nelson, CU Student Government Association president, at her recent commencements. Both are from Campbellsville.
This is the 12th consecutive year the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards have been presented to a student and to a member of the community.
Dr. Michael V. Carter, president, explained CU was selected in 2002 to participate in this “very prestigious awards program that honors the memory and legacy of the late Algernon Sydney Sullivan through the Foundation named in his honor.”
He said there are some 61 colleges and universities in the South that are approved by the Sullivan Foundation to annually present these awards to one graduating senior and to one adult community member.
Sullivan was a lawyer, devout Christian, mediator, powerful and appealing orator, a courageous citizen during perilous times, a noted philanthropist and devoted family man, Carter said.
In the words of a friend, Sullivan “reached out both hands in constant helpfulness to others.” In 1890, three years after his death, a memorial committee was formed - former President Grover Cleveland was among the group's members. The members charged themselves with keeping alive the traits of Sullivan, Carter said.
The original group passed along the task to the New York Southern Society, which later passed on the torch of remembering Sullivan's ideals to the Sullivan Foundation formed in 1934.
Dr. Michael V. Carter, president, said Osborne has a “distinguished career in education, business and civic engagement.” He serves on the CU Board of Trustees chairing the building and grounds committee as well as serving on other board committees.
Osborne, on accepting the award, thanked the university for the honor, and he said he recommended everyone “do all you can and be the best you can be for family, church and community.”
He said he had helped people solve problems in his career in real estate. For around 25 years, he was the principal broker at Paul Osborne Realty Company in Campbellsville.
Osborne graduated from Berea College receiving his bachelor's degree in mathematics. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a master's degree in mathematics. Osborne did postgraduate work at the University of Mississippi, University of Oklahoma and Rutgers University.
He served as a math instructor at Berea College and taught at Campbellsville University for several years as an assistant professor of math.
He was also the director of Campbellsville National Bank for nearly 20 years.
Osborne served on the Campbellsville City Council from 1994 until 1999 and then became
a part of the council again in 2013 and where he is still serving. He is active in
the Campbellsville-Taylor County Trails Town Project.
He served on the executive committee of the Kentucky League of Cities.
Osborne has received awards for Campbellsville/Taylor County Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the Year and Citizen of the Year. He has served as president of the Jaycees and president of the Campbellsville/Taylor County Chamber of Commerce.
He also serves as a deacon at Campbellsville Baptist Church.
He is married to Mary Hogue Osborne; they have two children Shannon Brown and Anna Humphress and five grandchildren.
Nelson graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in history and political science and a minor in English. She graduated with an Honors Program degree and summa cum laude with a grade point average of 3.97.
At Honors and Awards Day, Nelson won the Rotary Award, Alumni Association Outstanding
Senior Award, Bobby R. Himes History Academic Award and Dr. William E. Bennett Political
Science Academic Award.
She plans to attend University of Kentucky College of Law in fall 2014.
Nelson participated in many Campbellsville University extracurricular activities such as serving as the SGA president, the university's Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Quality Enhancement Plan committee, CU's Judicial Council, SGA secretary of finance, Phi Alpha Theta community liaison and in the Honors Program.
She has also done internships with different companies and individuals. These include internships with United States Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., of Washington D.C., State Sen. David P. Givens, R-Greensburg, and Connie Phillips, Taylor County District Court judge.
Nelson holds memberships in the following programs: The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels; Pi Sigma Alpha, National American Political Science Association; Phi Alpha Theta, National History Honors Society; Alpha Chi, National Honors Society and Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
She is the daughter of Leon and Debbie Nelson, who is a 2000 CU graduate. She attends Palestine Baptist Church.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,600 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.