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Authors
Darby,
J.N.
Darby, William J.
Davis,
Skeeter
Dean, Robert
Diel
Depp, Barbara
Deutschman, Ben
Deweese,
Charles W.
Dickinson, Maxwell
Dirugeris,
Daphine
Downing,
Sue
Draper, James T., Jr.
Dubose, Martha
Durham, Jamey
Dyer, Gary
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Authors
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Darby, William J. (1913—2001)
Dr. Darby was born in
Galloway,
Arkansas. He earned his B.S. and M.D. degrees
from the University of
Arkansas and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in
biological chemistry from the
University of
Michigan. He joined the Vanderbilt Medical School
Faculty in 1944. From 1949 to 1971 he served as chair of the Department of
Biochemistry. Dr. Darby was a professor of both biochemistry and nutrition and
president of the Nutrition Foundation. In 1972 he was elected to the National
Academy of Science. He traveled extensively in third world countries to study
nutritional problems. Interested in the history of medicine, Dr. Darby
collected early works about various nutritional problems. He was honorary
curator of the History of Medicine and Nutrition for the Eskind
Biomedical Library of Vanderbilt University to which he bequeathed his
collection of rare books on nutrition. He lived many years in Thompson Station.
Dr. Darby is considered one of the leading nutrition researchers of the 20th
century. Among his numerous technical publications are following:
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–Founders of Nutrition Science (with T.
H. Jukes), 1992
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–How Serious a Problem Is Alcoholism? (with Glenn Everett), 1985
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–Annual Review of Nutrition, 1981
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–Fermented Food Beverages in Nutrition
(with C. F. Gastineau and T. B. Turner), 1979
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–Food: The Gift of Osiris
(with P. Ghalioungui and L. Grivetti),
1977
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–Food and Science with Gwen
Lan, 1961
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–Nutrition and Diet in Health and Disease
(with J. S. McLester), 1952
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Davis,
Skeeter (1931- )
Skeeter
Davis was born Mary Frances Penick in
Dry Ridge,
Kentucky, the oldest of seven children. She began
her singing and recording career in 1953 as half of a duo called the Davis
Sisters. In 1958 she started an independent career under the guidance of Chet Atkins. In 1959 she joined the Grand Ole Opry and recorded her first top-ten record. Her song “End of the World” was the first
female country-pop crossover. Her autobiography tells her life “with humor and
vitality.” A resident of
Williamson
County, she appeared regularly at the Opry for many years. With Cathy Pelletier, she has authored
an inspiring Christmas memory.
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–The Christmas Note with Cathy Pelletier,
1997
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–Bus Fare to
Kentucky, 1993
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Dean, Robert Diel (1954-
)
A Missourian by birth and education,
Robert Dean developed his Civil War interest in
Texas and
Tennessee. While working for Word
Records in
Dallas, he joined a Civil War re-enactment group.
After his move to
Williamson
County in 1993, settling in
Franklin’s
Cottonwood, he remained interested in
the Civil War and was involved in many kinds of writing. When TNT made a TV
movie on Andersonville Prison, Dean was an extra in
it. Later, in 1996, finding a little time between jobs, he started on his book,
the story of a captured 15 year-old Union drummer boy and a bitter young
Confederate prison guard. The fact that his son was twelve at the time
influenced him to choose a teenaged protagonist and to write for a young
audience.
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Depp, Barbara
Barbara Depp,
an
Indiana native, spent some of her childhood
years in New
Jersey. She has B.S. in elementary education and an
M.A. in therapeutic recreation from
Indiana
University. She and her husband reared their two
daughters in Williamson
County where she taught fifth grade at
Scales
Elementary School. The book cited below is an aid to
teachers in developing higher-level thinking skills for students at every grade
level. Depp wrote units for upper elementary grades.
She made outdoor education her specialty and co-authored The Guide to the Scales Nature Trail.
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Deutschman,
Ben (1908-1975)
Ben Deutschman,
the son of Jewish immigrants, was born in
New York City. When he was one year old, the family
moved west. He was a schoolteacher in
Alabama, a disc jockey, a department store
buyer, publicity man for Capitol, Mercury, and Decca Records, and educational
director of Children’s Record Guild and Decca. He was a member of the National
Music Educators’ Association, the American Musicalogical
Society, the National Photo Technical Society, and the National Symphony
League. Deutschman’s novel is based on his childhood.
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Deweese,
Charles W. (1944- )
Charles Deweese
was born in
Asheville,
North Carolina. He received a B.A. degree from
Mars
Hill
College and his master of divinity and Ph.D.
degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Louisville,
Kentucky. From 1973 until 1994, he worked at the
Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. From 1995 to 1998, he
worked at Providence House Publishers in
Franklin, where he was in charge of
denominational and academic publishing. Since June, 1999, he has served as
Executive Director/Treasurer of the Baptist History and Heritage Society in
Brentwood. He and his wife, a teacher, have lived
in Brentwood since 1981.
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–The Power of Freedom:
First
Baptist
Church,
Asheville,
North Carolina—1829-1997, 1997
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–Defining Baptist Convictions: Guidelines for
the Twenty-first Century (editor), 1996
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–Baptist
Church
Covenants, 1990
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–Prayer in Baptist Life: A Historical Survey,
1986
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–The Emerging Role of Deacons, 1979
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–A Community of Believers—Making Church
Membership MoreMeaningful, 1978
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–Faith, Stars, and Stripes: the Impact of
Christianity on the Life History of
America, (with A. Ronald Tonks), 1976
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Dickinson, Maxwell
Maxwell Dickinson grew up at
Travelers’ Rest Farm around Arabian horses and near the area where the
Tennessee Walking Horse was being developed. Later she
lived on farms in
Williamson County. She has shown horses from Middle
Tennessee to California, where she later made her home. Her
revulsion at seeing the current mistreatment of Walking Horses led her to write
a fictitious expose of current practices in the industry.
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Dirugeris, Daphine
Daphine Dirugeris lived near Lewisburg Pike and taught at
Scales
Elementary School for several years. She wrote units for
the upper elementary grades for the work cited below. Fellow teachers remember
her for the creative energy with which she enriched both students and faculty,
especially with projects involving plants and crafts. Upon retirement, she and her husband moved to
Raleigh,
North Carolina, to be with her family.
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Downing, Sue
Sue Downing has directed Christian
education and coordinated large church children’s programs for United Methodist
churches in
Knoxville and
Franklin. She has also been a teacher at the day
school of the
Brentwood
United
Methodist
Church. She has served as the Tennessee
Conference Children’s Coordinator of the
United
Methodist
Church and is trained in special and elementary
education from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.
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–Hand in Hand: Growing Spiritually with Our
Children, 1998
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–Prayers for the Seasons of Life, 1997
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–Listening to Children, 1989
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Draper, James T., Jr.
A native Texan, James T. Draper Jr.
received a B.A. from
Baylor University and advanced degrees from Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary,
Howard
Payne
University,
Dallas
Baptist
University, and
Campbell
University. Draper served as pastor of Baptist
churches in Texas,
Missouri, and
Oklahoma. He is a former president of the
Southern Baptist Convention, trustee of the Southern Baptist Annuity Board,
vice president and president of the executive board of Tarrant
Baptist Association. Draper has served as president of the Baptist Sunday
School Board (LifeWay Christian Resources) since
1991.
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–Biblical Authority: the Critical Issue for
the Body of Christ (with Kenneth Keathley), 2001
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–Where Real Worship Begins, 1995
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–Bridges to the Future, 1994
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–Basic Bible Sermons in Psalms for Everyday
Living, 1992
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–Trusting Thy Word, 1989
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–The Unveiling, 1984
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–If the Foundations Be Destroyed, (with
Forest E. Watson), 1984
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–Authority: The Critical Issue for Southern
Baptists, 1984
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–Almost: The Conscience of a Nation, 1983
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–Colossians: A Portrait of Christ, 1982
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–James: Faith and Works in Balance, 1981
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–Ecclesiastes: Life Without
God, 1981
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–Jonah: Living in Rebellion, 1980
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–Philippians: The Believer’s Joy in Church,
1980
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–Foundations of Biblical Faith, 1979
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–I and II Thessalonians: The Hope of a
Waiting
Church, 1979
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–Titus: Patterns for Church Living, 1978
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–Proverbs: The Secret of Beautiful Living,
1977
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–Hebrews: The Life That Pleases God, 1976
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–Say, Neighbor, Your House Is on Fire,
1975
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–The Church Christ Approves,
1974
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–Job: A Devotional Study
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–O Desafio
da Palavra
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DuBose, Martha
As a child, Martha Dubose lived on
Beech Creek Road in
Williamson
County, where she attended
Grassland
School. She graduated from Harpeth Hall and Vanderbilt, and then received her master’s
degree in journalism at the
University of
Missouri before moving to
Australia, where she was a reporter
and film critic at the Sidney Morning
Herald. DuBose won an unsolicited grant from the
Australian Commonwealth Arts Ministry for achievement in critical writing.
Returning to
Tennessee in 1979, she was an editor and worked in
advertising before venturing into freelance work. In 1989, she moved to Bedford
County, where she has lived ever since, editing, ghost writing, assisting with
re-writing, as well as teaching for Motlow State
Community College. Her interest in writing a mystery led her to look at the
work and lives of other women mystery writers. The result is a study of twenty
mystery writers and how their lives reveal the backgrounds of their books.
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Durham, Jamey
Born and raised in East and Middle Tenness, Jamey Durham attended the University of Tennessee and did graduate work at Regent University in Virginia. While living in Williamson County, he garnered extensive experience as a film producer, working for Intermedia Television, based in Brentwood. He is a professor at Northwestern college in Iowa, where he teaches screenwriting, media writing, and film making. His book career was launched from the Iowa campus; it was followed up with the filming of his book..
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Dyer, Gary
(1954- )
Several years ago, living with his
family in
Williamson
County and working for the IRS in
Nashville, Gary Dyer’s surroundings
seemed quite normal. When the
Nashville office of the IRS downsized,
he applied for a post in south
Florida. His
Tennessee experience with the IRS made
his adjustment there easier, but the work was different. One result is his
mystery thriller, which is fiction but based on the inner workings of the IRS.
He writes under the pen name Vernon Gary.
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