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Management Chair Ray Eldridge inducted into Northridge Hall of Fame

Chris Pepple | 

Northridge, a high school in Dayton, Ohio, recognizes annually their alumni who have distinguished themselves in their chosen profession. The Northridge Hall of Fame committee seeks to provide role models for the students of the area by publicly recognizing accomplished alumni and providing opportunities for the alumni and students to interact. This year’s homecoming/hall of fame weekend welcomed home Dr. Ray Eldridge, chair of the management department at Lipscomb and interim associate dean for the College of Business.

“Northridge High School invited me to come back as part of a four-day weekend tied into homecoming. They inducted six of their alumni into the Hall of Fame. As part of their tradition, we were invited to give motivational speeches to their high school students, along with students at their local middle school and three elementary schools. Members of their Hall of Fame have plaques hung in their cafeteria so students can see our accomplishments as motivation for them to continue their studies. A neighbor who coached me in Little League nominated me for this honor. I was very humbled by their tribute to me. I’m glad I can give back to this community,” said Eldridge.

Eldridge was inducted along with radio personality John Damewood, also known as John King; Robert Freund, director of technology at Fusion Graphics, Inc.; Allen Myers, leader of his own large jazz ensemble; Duane Tron, Olympic torch bearer, a corrections and probation officer, a firefighter and a Sonar and Commissary man in the Navy; and Harold Wright, an emeritus professor of Japanese. Country music’s Grammy Award winner Frank Myers returned to the school to give an informal concert during the weekend festivities. He was born in Northridge and, at age nine, starting playing the guitar and singing there.

Eldridge, who has been at Lipscomb since June, served as the dean of the Freed-Hardeman University School of Business and taught as an associate professor of management. He also had over 20 years of leadership experience as a career U.S. Army officer. He commanded at the Platoon, Company, and Battalion level serving throughout the United States and on worldwide deployments and was awarded the Legion of Merit. He previously chaired the Syracuse University Department of Military Science and the Command and Staff Department at the Army’s Ordnance Center and School. He earned the designation of Master Instructor, the Army’s highest faculty award.

Eldridge has served as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiner since 2005. He has served on the Board of Examiners for the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence and is a Certified Quality Manager/Organizational Excellence (CQM/OE). He also serves as an accreditation examiner and mentor for the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs(ACBSP). He served on the board of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce Leadership University program. His education includes a doctorate, two master’s degrees, a diploma from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and an undergraduate degree from The Citadel.

“I am forever indebted to my Northridge teachers for showing me how to dream and to my parents for giving me the confidence and opportunity to pursue my dreams. I am very excited about being here at Lipscomb now. I enjoy working with students and my new colleagues, and I look forward to helping continue the successful work of the Lipscomb College of Business. This is an exciting time to be here,” said Eldridge.