Johnson City Schools honors district Hall of Fame inductees

Johnson City Schools will induct seven district and community leaders into its Hall of Fame, featuring accomplished graduates, civic leaders and award-winning educators. A ceremony to honor the newest members will occur at 10 a.m. on Oct. 3 inside the Science Hill High School auditorium, according to a press release from the district. These individuals represent a wide range of contributions to Johnson City Schools as educators and alumni. Through their dedication, leadership and service, each honoree has made a significant and lasting impact on students and the Johnson City Schools community, according to the release. The Class of 2026 will become the fourth class inducted into the Johnson City Schools Hall of Fame, joining previous honorees from the Classes of 2019, 2020 and 2024. Legacy Category (Pre-1970) Mildred Goines devoted 41 years to education and the students of Johnson City, leaving a lasting legacy across generations. A 1937 graduate of Langston High School, Goines began her career in education after attending Swift Memorial Junior College and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Tennessee A&I State University, now Tennessee State University, in 1949, followed by a master's degree in 1970. During her distinguished career, she taught music, library and other subjects at Douglass, Dunbar, Science Hill and Henry Johnson Elementary School, as well as serving students throughout Johnson City. Mary Hardin McCown dedicated her life to preserving the history of Johnson City, Washington County and Science Hill High School, becoming known as the "matriarch of history" in Washington County. A member of the Science Hill Class of 1907, McCown served as Johnson City's official city historian and was a longtime member of the Tennessee Historical Commission. In the 1930s, she supervised a Works Progress Administration project to organize and preserve historic records dating to the 18th century in the Washington County Courthouse. She also helped protect the legacy of Oak Hill Cemetery through her leadership of its association and worked tirelessly to document the history of Science Hill through correspondence with former faculty and staff. C. Howard McCorkle dedicated 42 years to Johnson City Schools as a teacher, principal and superintendent, leaving a lasting mark on the district he called home. A 1927 graduate of Science Hill High School, McCorkle became principal of Science Hill in 1948 before being named superintendent in 1956, a position he held for 18 years. During his tenure, he oversaw significant growth and transformation, including the construction of two elementary schools, the Liberty Bell complex and a new Science Hill High School. He also led the district's 1961 reorganization of its junior high schools, establishing North Junior High and South Junior High to serve a growing student population. Tradition Category (1971-2000) Jerry Cole dedicated nearly six decades to education, including 40.5 years of service to Johnson City Schools, making a lasting impact through leadership, innovation and a commitment to excellence. He began his Johnson City career as band director at Science Hill High School, where his bands earned numerous state and national honors during his 14-year tenure. He later served as principal of Henry Johnson Elementary School before becoming Assistant Superintendent in 1989, a position he held until his retirement in 2000. As Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Cole oversaw major construction and expansion projects, including Mountain View, Lake Ridge and South Side Elementary Schools, Indian Trail Middle School and the expansion of Towne Acres Elementary School. He also helped usher Johnson City Schools into the digital age by playing a key role in creating the district's first website in the late 1990s. Elvin Little devoted nearly four decades to education, coaching and athletics in East Tennessee, including 29 years of distinguished service to Johnson City Schools. Little spent 19 years at Science Hill High School from 1960-79, establishing himself as one of the most successful coaches in the school's history. His Science Hill teams won 525 games, 14 district championships — including 10 consecutive titles from 1968-77 — and six regional championships, while making five appearances in the state tournament and finishing as state runner-up in 1968 and third in 1967. Following his coaching career, Little served as Science Hill's Athletic Director from 1979-83 before moving into district leadership as Interim Superintendent of Johnson City Schools from 1983-84 and Assistant Superintendent from 1984-89. Modern Category (2001-Current) Cathy Glenn dedicated 36 years to Johnson City Schools, serving as an innovative and award-winning teacher who inspired generations of students through creativity, curiosity and hands-on learning. Beginning her career at South Side Elementary School in 1970, Glenn later taught at Cherokee Elementary, Liberty Bell Middle School and Fairmont Elementary School, where she spent much of her career teaching fifth and sixth grade science. Recognized as both a school-level and Tennessee Teacher of the Year, Glenn created award-winning environmental programs, including an after-school environmental club at Liberty Bell, and helped establish the James H. Quillen Memorial Tree Museum at Winged Deer Park. A lifelong advocate for innovative learning, she also participated in NASA programs, was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to study education in Japan and helped introduce technology into the elementary classroom through an early 21st Century Classroom initiative. Matt Rice, a 2007 graduate of Science Hill High School, has built an exceptional career that began on the Hilltopper baseball diamond and has taken him from professional baseball to the highest levels of the legal profession. A standout catcher at Science Hill, Rice went on to star at Western Kentucky University, where he became the program's all-time leader in hits and RBIs and earned numerous academic and athletic honors. Following his record-setting college career, Rice was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB Draft with the 300th overall pick and played professionally in the Rays organization. After his baseball career, Rice earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, graduating first in his class, and went on to clerk for Judge Sandra Ikuta of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas before joining Williams & Connolly LLP. He later returned to Tennessee, serving as Solicitor General from 2024 until 2026.