Drs. Jack and Linda Thomas Ensuring Support for Students in English

Alabama A&M alumnus Dr. Jack Thomas, former president of Central State University, and his wife, Dr. Linda Thomas, have established the Drs. Jack and Linda Thomas Endowed Scholarship for English Majors in the College of Education, Humanities, Behavioral Sciences (CEHBS). In 2025, the merit-based scholarship will be available for undergraduate students majoring in English.

“We have funded the Jack and Linda Thomas Scholarship for English majors since 2012,” says Dr. Jack Thomas. “But we decided to endow the $40,000 scholarship to ensure a legacy of support and funds for students in English.”

Thomas was inspired to raise funds for the endowed scholarship after meeting with Dr. Charlotte Teague, the English and Foreign Languages Department Chair, and Dr. Peter Eley, the CEHBS Dean. “Dr. Teague is energetic and deeply passionate about moving English and Foreign Language studies forward,” said Thomas. “Dean Eley fully supports her insight and leadership toward increasing the impact of the department.

Thomas received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Alabama A&M University in 1983, a Master of English Education from Virginia State University, and a Ph.D. in English-Literature and Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has held multifaceted roles in higher education, starting with Writing Center Director at Johnson C. Smith University, Professor of English at South Carolina State University, and Professor and Department Chair of English and Modern Languages at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

He also held the positions of Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Interim Dean at Middle Tennessee State University. In 2008, he became Provost and Academic Vice President at Western Illinois University. In 2011, Thomas was named the 11th and first Black President of Western Illinois University serving until 2019. Thomas was named the 9th President of Central State University in 2020 until 2023.

He has served on numerous national boards including the Marguerite Casey Foundation Board of Directors, the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education Board, the Ohio Federation for Health, Equity and Social Justice Board, the Stillman College Board of Trustees, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Board of Directors, and the American Council on Education Council of Fellows.

Despite his extensive list of professional accomplishments, Thomas is humbled and appreciative of his years as an Alabama A&M student. “I arrived at Alabama A&M University from Calhoun, Alabama, a small town in Lowndes County. I came as a first-generation student on a partial track scholarship. My mother said to me at an early age, ‘I want you to finish high school and go to college. Somebody has to do something a little different from what your father and I have done.’ They had to work in the fields and deal with the tumultuous battles of Civil Rights,” Thomas recounts. He credits his professor and mentor, Dr. Mattie Thomas with instilling in him the value of being able to write well, speak well, and think critically.

“Dr. Joe Henderson, my track coach, trained me to run well and work hard while Dr. Mattie Thomas trained me to reason with words,” he said. “I am grateful for those other professors who helped me along the way, like Dr. Bessie Jones and Professors James and Audrey Vinson.”

Dr. Thomas believes this scholarship will inspire and assist students in achieving their professional aspirations at the highest level just as he was supported during his undergraduate years. “We know that students can go anywhere in the world with a major in English,” Dr. Teague says. “Dr. Thomas’s scholarship helps to solidify the importance of supporting our English majors. STEM majors are locked into support because the sciences are associated with high-paying jobs. We need successful alumni supporters with English degrees from Alabama A&M to promote their degrees because our majors can get impressive jobs, too.”

“When alums establish a scholarship in their field, that makes a bold statement to the University, the students, the faculty, and other alumni,” Dean Eley notes. “Not only is Dr. Thomas saying he is thankful for the education he received at A&M, but he is committed to assisting current students as they complete their degrees here. The scholarship is an absolute win for everyone involved.”

In 2013, Thomas served as the speaker for the Alabama A&M University Commencement and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities under the leadership of President Andrew Hugine. He has also given lectures for the Department of English and Foreign Languages and he is the author of “Within These Gates” and a soon to be published title, “Leading Through Crisis.”