Four streets on the East Tennesssee State University campus recently were renamed in honor of four people associated with the university, including former ETSU First Lady Martha Street Culp.
Alexander Drive, which runs between Dossett Hall and University School, was renamed Martha Culp Avenue in honor of Culp, the wife of the late D.P. Culp, who served as the fourth president of ETSU. As First Lady of ETSU, Mrs. Culp turned her attention to special needs children and served on the state’s disabilities committee and worked to establish legislation to assist children who were physically challenged. She later made the initial financial gifts for the Gray Fossil Site and the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.
Lyle Lane was renamed Nancy Dishner Lane. Dishner, a native of Erwin, holds three degrees from ETSU and served as vice provost for enrollment services. In addition to holding distinction as the founding director of ETSU’s Roan Scholars Leadership Program, she received the Distinguished Staff Award and was named to the Claudius G. Clemmer College of Education Alumni Hall of Fame. She is currently executive vice president of the Niswonger Foundation.
Flora Joy Lane, which runs behind Warf-Pickel Hall, was named in honor of Dr. Flora Joy, who founded ETSU’s master’s degree in storytelling program. Joy received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Storytelling Network in 2000. Since her retirement from ETSU in 2004, she has directed her attention to editing “Storytelling World” and overseeing the Annual Storytelling Resource Awards, as well as presenting her own storytelling seminars and workshops.
A fourth street was named for Harley “Skeeter” Swift, who played guard for the ETSU basketball team and went on to five seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the New Orleans Buccaneers, Memphis Pros, Pittsburgh Condors, Dallas Chaparrals and San Antonio Spurs.
ETSU honored the four in a luncheon on Wednesday.