Russell Martin Kerr '38
(Year Awarded--1998)

Russell Martin Kerr is a man who gives it his all, whether it be as a Davidson student, as a pastor, as a citizen of his community, or as a Davidson alumnus. As a student, he participated in band, soccer, and track, as well as the Philanthropic Literary Society. Among his claims to fame from student days is his participation in the first intercollegiate soccer game in Charlotte, when Davidson played Duke in Memorial Stadium. He graduated cum laude from Davidson with a degree in English.

He did graduate work at Princeton Theological Seminary and Erskine College. As the son of a pastor and the father of a pastor, it comes as no surprise that he served as theologian, teacher, counselor, diplomat, mediator, historian, scholar, and advisor for Philadelphia Presbyterian Church in Mint Hill for thirty years, longer than any other pastor in the history of that church.

During his tenure, he saw the congregation size more than double and several new buildings built. He also wrote a history of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church. As a community leader, he served as a volunteer fireman for 20 years with the Mint Hill Fire Department. As a Boy Scout leader, he received the organization's Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor for adult volunteers.

Despite the business of his life as pastor and community leader, he has never refused the call of alma mater. He has served on the Alumni Association Board, served ten years with the Annual Fund, acted as chairman of the Annual Fund Leadership Council, and served as a committee member for the Sixtieth Reunion. When he was class chair for the Annual Fund in 1993-1994, over 71 percent of his classmates participated. Most recently, he agreed to serve as the Class of 1938 class notes secretary.

Because you have made the world a better and brighter place to be; because you inspire others to your high standard of service; and because you make Davidson proud to claim you as her own, and the Alumni Association presents this Alumni Service Award to you, Russell Martin Kerr, on the occasion of the Class of 1938's 60th class reunion, October 24, 1998.