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	— T U V —
Talbott, Frederick E. Taulman, James E. Terry, Irene Phelps Thach, Sharon V. Thomas, Deborah E. Thompson, Patti Roberts	Thorndike, Jonathan Toalston, Art Towery, Twyman Tubb, Kristin O'Donnell Tyska, Tasha Tyson, W. Stan	U Vaden, Evelyn Cutler VanLiere, Donna

Talbott, Frederick E.

Frederick Talbott grew up in Petersburg, Virginia, listening to storytellers. He earned degrees in journalism at Florida Southern and the University of South Carolina and received his law degree from the latter. He has been an award-winning journalist for newspapers and magazines. He taught humor to White House speechwriters and wrote for “Saturday Night Live.” Talbott became professor for the practice of management at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt. He has spoken widely on motivation, communication, and leadership—and the use of comedy in all these areas. He came to Williamson County in 1993.

–Churchill on Courage: Timeless Wisdom for Persevering, 1996
–Shakespeare on Leadership: Timeless Wisdom for Daily Challenges, 1994

Taulman, James E. (1937 - )

Jim Taulman has written over 1,000 articles, as well as lyrics for a dozen anthems during his 25-year career as a pastor. He was also an editor at both the Baptist Sunday School Board in Nashville for 13 years, and at the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, where he edited Baptist History and Heritage. Since 1999, he has edited Tennessee Baptist History. Since 2003, Jim has operated Familystories-4-U to help interested persons publish their family story and history. Jim was born in Glencoe, Oklahoma, grew up in Tulsa, and resides in Franklin.

–My Word: Tall Tales by a Taulman, 2005
–Never Tell anyone Anything You Can Get Them to discover for Themselves , 1990
–Help! I Need an Idea, 1987
–Encouragers: The Sunday School Worker's Counseling Ministry, 1986
–Comprender y Aconsejar, 1989

Terry, Irene Phelps

Irene Terry grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and as a young girl moved to Nitta Yuma, a cotton plantation near Oxford, Mississippi, that had been in her family since her ancestors traded jewels to the Native Americans for it. She was educated at Belhaven College in Jackson. For years she opened her home to Ole Miss students and faculty. Her interests include southern culture, music, dance, antiques, and helping people. She moved to Brentwood and opened an antique shop in Franklin.

–Faulkner, Ghosts and Local Folks: Conversations at the Compson House, 1987

Thach, Sharon V. (1946- )

A native of Colorado, Sharon Thach lived in many areas and attended Southern Illinois University and other schools before receiving her doctorate from Michigan State University. She taught at Michigan State University and at Cleveland State University. She then became a professor in the School of Business of Tennessee State University. A specialist in supply chain in international marketing, she has published numerous articles and monographs in journals. Her books spring from her studies in linguistics. When not on her extensive travels, she has been living in Franklin.

–Grammar of Kpelle, 1981
–Dictionary of Kpelle, 1981

Thomas, Deborah E. (1953 - )

One of those Renaissance people of many skills and interests, Deborah Thomas has lived in many parts of the United States as a wife of a naval engineer and has pursued many interests in both education and the arts. Her interest in children’s literature grew from her experience of home schooling her two children, both now successful attorneys. She has also followed her interest in watercolors and embroidery. The subject matter for her book grew from toy bears she was making first for friends, then as a sort of cottage industry. When she began to think up stories about the bears, she shifted her focus into writing. She now lives in Franklin and expects to bring out a series.

–The Bramble Thicket, 2004

Thompson, Patti Roberts

Patti Roberts is a recording and concert artist who appeared for several years on the Oral Roberts television specials, as well as the regular weekly telecast. She was married to Richard Roberts, the son of Oral Roberts, but later married John Thompson. She and her two daughters lived in Franklin during the 1980s.

–Dance of the Broken Heart: A Family Love Story (with co-author John Thompson), 1986
–Ashes to Gold (with co-author Sherry Andrews), 1983

Thorndike, Jonathan (1959 - )

Dr. Thorndike has taught interdisciplinary courses on literature and history in the expanding Belmont University Honors Program. Originally from Michigan, he was teaching persuasive and research writing in Wisconsin when he began assigning research work on Supreme Court cases. This work led to his interest in the first case, 1965, in which the Supreme Court took up the evolution versus creationism issue. The Great Decisions series, in which his book is published, is designed to present law cases in layman’s language so that the general public can easily understand the arguments on and import of the subject.

– Teapot Dome Scandal Trial, 2001
–Epperson vs. Arkansas: the Evolution vs. Creationism Debate, 1999

Toalston, Art

Born and reared in Alliance, Ohio, near Akron, Art Toalston majored in speech and journalism at Bowling Green State University and taught those subjects in high school for two years before entering journalism. After a few years of general work, he became Mississippi’s first full-time religion writer and worked in that capacity for the Jackson Daily News for more than five years. Following a year and a half at a Baptist seminary, he became news coordinator for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board in Richmond. He later became editor of the Baptist Press, the news service for the entire denomination.

–Lamp unto My Feet: A Verse-a-Day Devotional, 1997

Towery, Twyman

Born in Fayetteville and reared both there and in Chattanooga where he also attended the university, Twyman Towery started out in business psychology. Then, he earned a Master’s degree in medical and hospital administration. He taught at Tulane in New Orleans, where he earned a doctorate in organizational psychology, working with the faculties of both Tulane and the University of New Orleans. After teaching and working in the corporate hospital world, he came to Brentwood in 1986. He has developed Towery Communications, an organizational consultant firm. He has spoken frequently and put out a newsletter, The Towery Report and also worked in the area of mediation.

–The Wisdom of Wolves: Nature’s Way to Organizational Success, 2000
–The Power of Eagles: Nature’s Way to Individual Accomplishment, 2000
–The Male Code: Rules Men Live and Love By, 1992

Tubb, Kristin O’Donnell (1971 - )

Kristin Tubb was born and raised in Athens, Tennessee. In elementary school, she won a reading competition in which the prize was a telephone interview with Madeline L’Engle, of A Wrinkle in Time fame. Tubb was hooked into writing and began entering contests soon thereafter; she had a piece entitled “How I Would Improve My School” printed in the local newspaper after winning in her age bracket. Tubb received a Bachelor of Communication and Master of Arts from Auburn University. After teaching public speaking classes at Auburn, she moved to Nashville where she wrote grants and did special event fundraising for Nashville’s Table and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She then became the Director of Marketing for PureSafety, an online training company. Tubb became a full-time freelance writer in 2002, writing for The Tennessean and for children’s magazines such as Spider, Cricket and Highlights for Children. She also works with Dalmatian Press, crafting activity books for their licensed characters. Tubb lives in Franklin.

–Freedom from Cruel and Unusual Punishment, 2005
–Powderpuff Girls Spiral Activity Book, 2004

Tyska, Tasha (1969-)

Tasha Tyska, pseudonym Tasha Alexander, former resident of Franklin, now lives in Chicago. In South Bend, Indiana, this daughter of philosophy professors grew up “completely surrounded by books.” Tyska earned a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 and lived in Wyoming and Connecticut before moving to Tennessee in 2004. Tyska’s degree included a concentration in Medieval Studies in which she focused on history and literature.

–Tears of Pearl, 2009
–A Fatal Waltz, 2008
–Elizabeth: the Golden Age, 2007
–A Poisoned Season, 2007
–And Only to Deceive, 2005

Tyson, W. Stan (1930- )

Born in Davidson County, W. Stan Tyson moved to Williamson County in 1975 after he retired from a 24-year career in the U.S. Army with the rank of colonel. He has been a substitute teacher and served as the manager of the Lynwood Utility District. Tyson has taken part in community life in a number of positions: a member of the Franklin Kiwanis Club, for twelve years a member of the Williamson County Board of Zoning Appeals, and for six years a member of the County Commission, representing the ninth District, a Veterans Service Officer for the county, and a Highway Commissioner for the NW District.

–Catch the Spirit: A Sesquicentennial History of Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 1848–1997, 1997
–Those Were the Glory Years: A History of West End High School 1937–1954, 1996

—V—

Vaden, Evelyn Cutler (1920- )

Evelyn Cutler Vaden was born in Lockport, Illinois. She married Leonard Wilson Vaden of Franklin and moved to Williamson County in 1945. She has worked with the United Church Women of Franklin and Williamson County, and she has been active in church and family events, gardening, and participating in the College Grove Senior Citizens Center. Vaden has given generously of her writing talents to help others write their life stories.

–Corn Bread & Sweet Milk, An Autobiography (as related by J. Glenn Brown, co-author), 1998
–History of Epworth United Methodist Church, 1984

VanLiere, Donna (1966 - )

VanLiere came into writing by means of radio and theater. Born and reared in northeastern Ohio, she took part in high school and college plays and speech teams. At Cedarville University, she majored in broadcasting and theater. Married and living in Middle Tennessee, she continued in broadcasting but found herself being asked to write a variety of documents: productions for charity events, sketches for conferences, musicals, a hospital annual report, computer software instructions. One day she realized that she was an accomplished professional writer, so she decided to choose her own genre—stories. Her second book won the Silver Angel Award and her third was made into a television movie for the 2002 Christmas season.

–The Angels of Morgan Hill, 2006
–The Christmas Hope, 2005
–High Calling: the Courageous Life and Faith of the Space Shuttle Commander Rick Husband (with Evelyn Husband), 2004
–The Christmas Blessing, 2003
–The Christmas Shoes, 2001
–Sheltering Trees: the Power, Promise, and Refuge of Friendship, 2001
–They Walked with Him, 2001

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