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by Tawny Aguayo, Student Contributor

IMG_9783When looking at the history of Alice Lloyd College, you will see many faces that have played a major role in its growth over the years. Few, however, are more familiar than that of our very own Dr. Jerry Wayne Slone, Associate Professor of Business.

He was born February 24, 1958, in Ary, Kentucky, to his parents, Claude Bartlett and Jessie Niece Slone. Upon graduating from high school in Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1976, he was faced with the decision of where to attend college. Jerry already had deep roots established at Alice Lloyd College through his paternal grandparents; his grandfather is none other than Commodore Slone, the man responsible for constructing a large majority of the campus buildings and the name behind ALC’s new Commodore Slone Business and Technology Center. Slone was drawn to ALC through his search for a connection to his heritage and his grandparents.

“My grandparents firmly believed in two things: God and education,” he said.

Jerry graduated from ALC in 1978. He then attended the University of Kentucky, earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1979, and a Master’s in Business Administration in 1981. Throughout this time, he was able to utilize ALC’s Caney Cottage, a housing facility for ALC graduates pursuing further education at University of Kentucky.

Upon graduating from the University of Kentucky, he returned to ALC in the fall of 1981 to take on a teaching position. A few short years later he became a licensed Certified Public Accountant and began working for other CPAs and eventually the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet.

In 1986, Jerry decided to pursue a degree in law at the University of Louisville.

“When I left my position at ALC, I knew I was leaving the most rewarding job I had ever had,” Jerry said. “My goal was to practice law until I was forty and then return to ALC to teach.”

He earned his Juris Doctor in 1989 and returned to Hindman, Kentucky, to practice law with Bill Weinberg, Randy Campbell, and Randy Slone. He became a partner at the firm in 1993 and opened his private practice in 1998, which he still maintains today.

IMG_9862In 2001, at the age of 43, Jerry was offered a full-time position as a college instructor by ALC’s Academic Dean, Mary Lee James.

Thirteen years after Dean James’s phone call, Slone can still be found bestowing wisdom and knowledge upon ALC students.

“My parents told me that knowledge is the one thing that no one can take away from you,” said Jerry. “Get as much of it as you can.”

His hard work at ALC earned him both titles of Alumnus of the Year and Teacher of the Year. However, when asked what he believed to be his greatest accomplishment, a diploma or award was not the answer.

“Besides my children, I see people’s achievements as a song, and I enjoy having the opportunity to put a note in their song,” Jerry said. “Most people will live their life and have little possibility to have a positive impact on people. I get that opportunity each and every day.”

Jerry recently completed his Doctorate in Education from the University of the Cumberlands. As a man with many titles under his belt, we could not help but ask Slone what his next adventure will be.

“Some people enjoy traveling, some enjoy mountain climbing, and some enjoy sports. I enjoy the classroom experience,” he replied. “I don’t know what my next academic experience will be, but there will certainly be one.”