Joe M. Rodgers

RODGERS, Joe M.Age 75 of Nashville. Joe M. Rodgers, a man of faith who deeply loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his family, died peacefully at home on February 2, 2009. A native of Bay Minette, Alabama, he was born November 12, 1933, the son of Edwin Nathaniel and Charlotte Cook Rodgers. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Honey, their children, Jan Dale (Bob) and Mason Rodgers (Kelli), and their eight beautiful grandchildren, Stuart, Rachel, and Nathan Dale and Caitlin, Emily, Abigail, Julianne, and Caroline Rodgers. He is also survived by his brother, Gerry Rodgers (Peggy), and his sisters-in-law, Nell Rodgers, Mary Jane Blount, and Anne Pinkston. He was a member of Christ Presbyterian Church. Rodgers graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery where he was captain of the football team. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The University of Alabama in 1956. He served in the military as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1956 until 1959. After working in the construction industry for eight years, he founded his own general contracting firm in 1966 in Nashville, Tennessee. During his thirteen-year association with the company, it grew to become one of the largest in the nation, doing business in thirty states and with offices in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Athens, Greece; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The company was featured in Engineering News Record's top 100 construction companies in the United States for eleven of the thirteen years he served as Chairman and CEO. In 1979, he sold Joe M. Rodgers & Associates. He was involved in the founding of several successful enterprises, including American Constructors, Inc., American Endoscopy Services, JMR Investments, The RCF Group, Rodgers Business Interests, Ltd., Rodgers Capital Corporation, Rodgers Capital International, Inc., and Rodgers Properties, Ltd. Rodgers was a founder and first President of the Tennessee Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors. He later served as National President and Director of the association and on various professional engineering and construction industry boards and committees. He received the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers Man of the Year Award and was in the first class of inductees in the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. He was the recipient of the 1990 National ASCE President's Award and the 1990 Herbert Hoover Medal awarded by the nine national engineering societies. He was recognized in June 2000 as one of nine "Leaders of the Century" by Associated Builders and Contractors at the associations's 50th annual national convention. His political involvement began in the 1970s. He served as Finance Co-Chairman of Lamar Alexander's campaigns for Governor in 1974, 1978, and 1982 and as Tennessee Chairman of Citizens for Reagan in 1975 and 1976. He served as National Finance Chairman for the Republican National Committee from 1979 through 1981, Finance Chairman for the 1984 Reagan-Bush campaign, and Finance Chairman of the 50th American Presidential Inaugural Committee in 1985. Appointed by President Reagan, he served on the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board from 1981 until 1985. In 1981 and 1982, he served as Chairman of the first two President's Dinners, the largest fund raising event for the Republican cause. He was the founder and served as Chairman of Vote America Foundation. The Tennessee Republican Party named him "Statesman of the Year," and the Governor of Tennessee, in cooperation with the State Legislature, appointed him Ambassador to Europe for Trade and Economic Development in 1989. He served as a member of the Investment Policy Advisory Committee to the United States Trade Representative from 1989 until 1993. He was Chairman of The President's Forum in 1990. Appointed by President Reagan, Rodgers served his country with distinction as the United States Ambassador to France from July 1985 until January 1989. The Government of France awarded him the rank of Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Lettres, and French President Francois Mitterrand personally awarded him the rank of Grand Officier of the Legion of Honor. Following his return from France, he served on the Boards of Directors of AMR Corporation/American Airlines, Inc., Baccarat, Inc., BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., Berlitz International, Inc., Gaylord Entertainment Company, Gryphon Holdings, Inc., Lafarge Corporation, Medical Properties of America, Inc., Pricor, Inc., SunTrust Bank, Third National Bank, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Towne Services, Inc., Tractor Supply Company, and Willis Corroon plc. During a fifteen-month period of transition for the company, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Berlitz International, Inc. from 1991 until 1993. He served as Senior Counselor for Burson-Marsteller. Rodgers received Honorary Doctor of Civil Law degrees from The University of Alabama, The University of the South, and from Rhodes College. He received The Citadel Sword for Distinguished Service. He was a member of The University of Alabama's President's Cabinet and Capstone Engineering Society. He served as the first chairholder of Middle Tennessee State University's Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise from 1989 until 1999. He was honored with numerous awards, including the American Red Cross National Fund Raiser of the Year Award in 1999, Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award, the first National Exchange Club's American Enterprise Award in 1989, Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee Free Enterprise Award in 1995, Mt. Vernon Ladies Association of the Union Key to the Bastille in 1989, Multiple Sclerosis Society (Middle Tennessee Chapter) Silver Hope Chest Award in 1989, The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame's Distinguished American Award in 1988, Sons of the American Revolution (National Society) Gold Good Citizenship Medal in 1990, and YMCA Youth Legislature (Tennessee) Golden Gavel Award in 1990. Rodgers possessed a deep commitment to community service and generously shared his time, wisdom, and leadership ability with numerous civic, charitable, and religious organizations. On the local and state level, he served the American Cancer Society (1982 State of Tennessee Crusade Chairman), American Red Cross (Nashville Chapter, 1998 Chairman Fund Raising Campaign), Boy Scouts of America (Middle Tennessee Council, Executive Board member), Brentwood Academy (founding Trustee), Faith Family Medical Clinic (Advisory Board Chairman), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Girl Scouts USA (Cumberland Valley Council, Men's Advisory Board Chairman), Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (Executive Committee), Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce (1965 Clinic Bowl Chairman and 1967 President), Project 714 (now known as STARS), Teen Challenge, The Salvation Army, Sister Cities of Nashville (Honorary Chairman), Tennessee Family Institute, an affiliate of Focus on the Family (Chairman), Tennessee European Economic Alliance (member, Board of Directors), Vanderbilt Eskind Diabetes Center (member, Board of Directors), Vanderbilt University (Canby Robinson Society), and YMCA Foundation (member, Board of Directors). He also served as Arrangements Chairman of the 1979 Middle Central South Billy Graham Crusade, Chairman of Nashville Coalition Against Pornography (1989-90), Chairman of the 2000 Middle Tennessee Billy Graham Crusade, and as Chairman of Gambling Free Tennessee Alliance ... A Committee to Save Our Children (2002). Nationally, he served as Vice Chairman of the James S. Brady Presidential Foundation, Commissioner General of the U. S. Section of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, and on the American Diabetes Association's National Advisory Council, Fellowship of C