dies | Tennessee State University Newsroom

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University graduate, civil rights champion and Nashville business leader Francis Guess has died. He was 69.

Guess, a Vietnam veteran who blazed the trails for justice and equal rights, served on the National Civil Rights Commission and as the first African-American commissioner for the Tennessee Departments of Labor and General Services under then-Gov. Lamar Alexander.

“Mr. Francis Guess was an outstanding graduate of Tennessee State University, and a leader in his community and country, who dedicated his life to fighting for equal opportunity,” TSU President Glenda Glover said. “The TSU family is deeply saddened to hear of his passing. To the family, we send our most heartfelt sympathies for your loss. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time.”

A Nashville native, Guess earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from TSU, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. He later completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University.

In a 45-year career as a civil rights advocate, humanitarian and a business leader, Guess served as vice president of The Danner Company, which operated Shoney’s restaurants, as well as owner and operator of Helicopter Corporation of America. He also served on numerous non-profit boards including the Nashville Convention Center Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission; Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee; Nashville Minority Business Development Fund; and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Board of Officers and Directors.

Guess received numerous awards during his lifetime for his public and civic service. In 2013, he received the Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

He is survived by his daughter, Maria Guess; his mother, Kathryn Driver; and three brothers and three sisters.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is deeply saddened over the death of Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr., a 1966 graduate of the University. He was 70. The TSU alumnus revolutionized the medial world with the creation and implantation of the Automatic Implantable Defibrillator (AID). The device detects irregular heart rhythms and shocks the heart back to life.

“Dr. Levi Watkins changed the world with his passion for medicine,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “The University family extends sincerest condolences to the Watkins family during this difficult time. Dr. Watkins not only impacted the field of medicine, but he also inspired African-Americans to become doctors as he broke down the color barrier at two of the nation’s leading medical institutions. TSU will always remember his service to others, professional achievements, and dedication to his alma mater. He leaves a tremendous legacy that will surely inspire our students and others that follow in his footsteps.”

Dr. Watkins enrolled at Tennessee State in 1962, majoring in biology and graduating with honors. He was also elected student body president at the TSU. In 1966, following graduation, he became the first African-American to be admitted to and to graduate from Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine. Dr. Watkins went onto become the first black chief resident in cardiac surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital after medical school. Watkins fought for equal opportunities in education throughout his career, increasing minority enrollment at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine by 400 percent in four years.

In February 1980, Dr. Watkins performed the world’s first human implantation of the automatic implantable defibrillator and would go on to develop several different techniques for the implantation of the device. Watkins also helped to develop the cardiac arrhythmia service at Johns Hopkins where various new open-heart techniques are now being performed to treat patients at risk of sudden cardiac death.

In 2013, Dr. Watkins retired from John Hopkins after four decades. He received the Thurgood Marshall College Fund award for excellence in medicine in 2010.

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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Tennessee State University Remembers Francis Guess, Alumnus, Civil Rights and Business Leader

TSU Mourns the Death of Medical Pioneer, Alumnus Levi Watkins, Jr.