Legacy of TSU alum, adjunct professor Getahn Ward continues through scholarship

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A year after his death, Getahn Ward continues to be remembered, and those who were close to the Tennessee State University adjunct professor do not expect him to be forgotten.

Sunday, Dec. 16, was the one-year mark of Ward’s death. He was a longtime adjunct in TSU’s Department of Communications and a proud alum of the university. He was also a business reporter at The Tennessean for nearly 20 years.

Shortly after his death, a scholarship in the Communications Department was set up in Ward’s name, and the department’s multimedia newsroom was also named after him.

The new scholarship is the first endowed scholarship in the history of the department.

“This scholarship represents a man who devoted much of his life to the field of journalism and to the education and success of students at Tennessee State University,” said Dr. Tameka Winston, Communications Department chair, and associate vice president of Research and Institutional Advancement.

Dr. Karen Dunlap, a former TSU adjunct professor and colleague of Ward, said the impact he had in the classroom and in the community as a reporter is “lasting.”

“He left an excellent impression,” said Dunlap. “The scholarship is important because it is a name that will remain before students. And they will learn about him; they will have a model in him as they go forward as journalist.”

Dwight Lewis, a former Tennessean editor who worked with Ward, agreed.

“He gave his all,” said Lewis. “I hope students will look at his life and say, I want to be like Getahn Ward.”

To contribute to the Getahn Ward Endowed Scholarship Fund, visit

https://epay.tnstate.edu/C20204_ustores/web/classic/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=401&SINGLESTORE=true.