Induction Year: 2017

John Johns

  • September 28th, 2021

John D. Johns is Executive Chairman of Protective Life Corporation. He joined Protective in 1993 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He became the Company’s President and COO in 1996; President and CEO in 2002; in 2003, he became Chairman, President and CEO, and Executive Chairman in July of 2017.

Prior to joining Protective, Johns served as General Counsel of Sonat, Inc., a diversified energy company. Before joining Sonat, Johns was a founding partner of the law firm Maynard Cooper & Gale.

Johns was awarded a B.A. degree, with honors, from The University of Alabama in 1974.

While at UA, he developed his leadership skills through membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa and service as president of the Jasons Honor Society and Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

He also received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School, both in 1978.

Throughout his career, Johns has been actively engaged in community and philanthropic service. He currently serves as a member of The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet and works as co-chair of the Campaign for UAB, which is targeting an ambitious $1 billion fundraising goal. Johns is on the corporate boards of Regions Financial Corporation, Genuine Parts Company, and Southern Company.

He has served as the Chairman of the Business Council of Alabama, the McWane Science Center, the Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America, Innovation Depot, and the Birmingham Business Alliance, the umbrella chamber of commerce organization for the greater Birmingham region.

He has also served on the boards of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at The University of Alabama, the United Negro College Fund, the Birmingham Museum of Art, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. He is Past Chairman of the national trade association for the life insurance industry, the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), and currently serves on its executive committee. He is a member of the Financial Services Roundtable in Washington, D.C. and of the National Council of the American Enterprise Institute, also in Washington, DC.

During his time at Protective, the Company and its Foundation have contributed more than $50 million to improve the quality of life in the community, including substantial gifts upon the merger of Protective Life Corporation and The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company.

Those gifts support insurance education and research at the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama; infrastructure improvements at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens; and the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance at the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, which is a joint venture with the Southern Research Institute to investigate new innovations in drug treatments.

His philanthropic work has earned him recognition by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Alabama Chapter, as Outstanding Civic Leader at the 2013 National Philanthropy Day.

In October 2013, Johns was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor owing to his ability to “roll up his sleeves immediately and work collaboratively to solve problems and accomplish public service miracles.”

He and his wife Dr. Nancy Dunlap Johns have a son James and daughter Anna Johns Hrom and son-in-law James Hrom.

Dorothy Davidson

  • September 28th, 2021

Dorothy S. Davidson is Chairman of the Board and CEO of Davidson Technologies, Inc., which has distinguished itself as an innovator in the aerospace and defense industries. The company offers a full spectrum of engineering, technical and management services for missile, rocket, cybersecurity, and strategic intelligence systems.

A native of Northern Virginia, Davidson received a BS in mathematics in 1956.

Her career started as a Research Mathematician with the US Air Force Air Staff at the Pentagon during which time she was selected for the one-year Management Intern Program.

In 1962, Dr. Davidson joined the research staff at the US Patent Office as a research mathematician where she developed algorithms to use in patent searches.

In 1965, Dr. Davidson joined private industry where she worked on Department of Defense programs in designing Command and Control and Information Retrieval systems for both field and headquarters.

During the 1970s, she began designing systems for military use within the NATO community. Within her scope of NATO support, Davidson worked with private industrial firms and research institutes for member countries on the development of weapon systems.

In 1996, she and her husband Dr. Julian Davidson founded Davidson Technologies. After the death of Julian in January 2013, she took on leadership duties at the company.

In 2017, The University of Alabama in Huntsville celebrated the grand opening of the D.S. Davidson Invention to Innovation Center (I2C) business incubator, which provides space for start-ups, innovation teams, and corporate partners to work together in an environment conducive to collaboration. The Center also helps UAH connect with federal research agencies on Redstone Arsenal and the larger high-tech community.

Dr. Davidson has been active in the community providing her time and resources in support of organizations, including the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Huntsville Symphony, the Saturn V Restoration Executive Committee, the US Space and Rocket Center, the National Children Advocacy Center, Calhoun Community College, Boys and Girls Club, and the Auburn University Museum of Art.

She has helped fund the construction of the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The Center’s mission is to honor the many Alabama engineers who worked in the missile and space programs at Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center, as well as celebrate the life of Werner von Braun, who played a crucial role in America’s space and defense programs.

In addition to Dr. Davidson’s contributions to community, science, and culture, she supports at-risk youth in Alabama. With her purchase of a 10,000 square foot home on ten acres for the Kids to Love Foundation, she has provided girls in the Huntsville foster care system with a place to receive support and guidance. She has also fully funded the Kids to Love KTech Program, which teaches skills related to advanced manufacturing, finance, automotive, and healthcare.

Furthermore, she supports Girls Inc., a mentorship and empowerment program, and scholarship programs at Greengate School, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Auburn University.

Bill Battle

  • September 28th, 2021

William R. “Bill” Battle is Special Assistant to the University of Alabama President. In his current role, Battle assists University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell in a variety of initiatives that benefit both the University and the Department of Athletics. He recently completed a four-year tenure as Director of Athletics at The University of Alabama.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Battle attended The University of Alabama on a football scholarship and enjoyed a successful playing career as a three-year starter at end for the Crimson Tide under legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1960-62. Battle was a member of Bryant’s first national championship team in 1961. He was named first-team tight end and second-team defensive end on The University of Alabama All-Decade Team of the 1960s, a decade in which the Crimson Tide won three national championships.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and minor in psychology from The University of Alabama in 1963 and a master’s degree in education from The University of Oklahoma in 1964.

He coached at The University of Oklahoma, while working as a graduate assistant and worked as an assistant coach for the United States Military Academy while fulfilling a military commitment. He joined The University of Tennessee as head coach at the age of 28.

After seven years as coach at Tennessee, he left to launch and lead a number of companies that have helped universities license logos, slogans, and other intellectual property. One of those companies, Circle S Industries, grew from two companies earning $12 million in annual sales to 10 companies earning $60 million annually under Battle’s leadership.

However, the call of his alma mater proved strong and Battle joined The University of Alabama in 2013 to direct athletic operations. Battle’s vision for Crimson Tide Athletics impacted the department in numerous ways over his four-year term, particularly in recruiting top student-athletes and preparing them for life after graduation, revitalizing fundraising efforts, and leading efforts to redevelop stadiums, athletic facilities, and public plazas.

During Battle’s tenure, Alabama produced three NCAA team national championships; 11 SEC team championships; 17 NCAA individual champions; 40 Academic All-Americans; and 21 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship awardees.

A 1981 inductee into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Battle was inducted as the first member of the charter class of the National Collegiate Licensing Association Hall of Fame in 2000. He was the recipient of the 2005 Paul W. Bryant Alumni Athlete Award at The University of Alabama and was inducted into the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2008.

Furthermore, he has been honored and celebrated by the National Football Foundation, National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Battle serves as chairman of the board for The Collegiate Licensing Company, which he founded in 1981, and is now led by his son Pat. He has also served as chairman, among other roles, of Licensing Partners International and Circle S Holding Company.

In May of 2017, Battle received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from The University of Alabama and an Honorary Doctor of Law from Birmingham Southern College for his enormous impact on higher education in the state and nation.

He also serves on the boards of the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Foundation, The University of Alabama A-Club Educational & Charitable Foundation, the Crimson Tide Foundation, and the National Football Foundation.

He and his wife Mary serve as part of UAB’s Stem Cell Institute Board and are active in their support of UAB’s Department of Rheumatology. In addition to their oldest son Pat, they have another son, Mike, and daughters, Shannon and Kayla.

Dr. James Andrews

  • September 28th, 2021

Doctor James R. Andrews is one of the founding members of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, and the co-founder of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), a non-profit institute dedicated to injury prevention, education, and research in orthopaedic and sports medicine.

He continues to serve as Chairman of the Board and Medical Director of ASML Andrews is also a founding partner and Medical Director of the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He is President and Chairman of the Board of the Andrews Research and Education Foundation.

Andrews is internationally known and recognized for his skills as an orthopaedic surgeon as well as his scientific and clinical research contributions in knee, shoulder, and elbow injury prevention and treatment. In addition, he has made major presentations around the world and has authored numerous scientific articles and books.

Andrews graduated from Louisiana State University in 1963 and completed LSU School of Medicine in 1967. He completed his orthopaedic residency at Tulane Medical School in 1972. In that year, he had surgical fellowships in sports medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and at the University of Lyon in France. He has also been awarded a Doctor of Laws Degree from Livingston University, a Doctor of Science Degree from Troy University, and a Doctor of Science Degree from Louisiana State University.

He is a member of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is the past President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and also served on that board as its Treasurer and its Secretary. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Arthroscopy Association of North America as well as the International Knee Society.

In addition to holding board member positions with multiple organizations, Andrews is also on faculty at multiple institutions, including The University of Alabama Birmingham Medical School and Tulane University School of Medicine. At present, he is the Medical Director and Orthopaedic Surgeon for Auburn University Intercollegiate Athletics and Senior Orthopaedic Consultant at The University of Alabama.

Andrew’s work extends beyond college athletics where he is Senior Consultant for the Washington Professional Football Team and Orthopaedic Medical Director for the Tampa Bay Rays Professional Baseball team. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Andrews has been inducted into multiple halls of fame including the Alabama and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction. Additionally, he has been the recipient of a multitude of awards, some including the prestigious NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award that honors an individual who has provided significant leadership in the role of advocate for intercollegiate athletics and has done so on a continuous basis over the course of their career.

A native of Homer, Louisiana, Doctor Andrews has called Birmingham home since 1986. He also resides part-time in Pensacola Beach, Florida. He and his wife Jenelle have six children, Andy, Amy, Archie, Ashley, Amber, Abby, and six grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys yacht racing, which includes the “America’s Cup.”

Charles Adair

  • September 28th, 2021

Charles “Eddie” Adair is a Partner in Cordova Ventures, a venture capital management company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

He began his business career as a staff accountant at Haskins & Sells, which became Deloitte & Touche. In 1973, after becoming a CPA the year before, he joined Durr-Fillauer Medical Inc. as Controller. Durr-Fillauer was a NASDAQ listed company that distributed pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to hospitals, physicians, drug stores, and other healthcare providers. His career there spanned 20 years, becoming President and COO in 1981, and serving on its board of directors. By the time the company was acquired in 1992, it had approximately $1 billion in revenues and 1,300 employees in sixteen states. He joined Cordova Ventures in 1993.

For the past 20 years, he has served on numerous public boards across the country. Currently, Adair is a member of the Board of Directors for three publicly-held companies: Tech Data Corporation, Torchmark Corporation, and Rayonier Advanced Materials. Tech Data, a Fortune 50 company, is a $34.0 billion worldwide distributor of hardware, mobility, software, and peripher­als. Torchmark is a $3.5 billion financial services company specializing in life and supplemental healthcare insurance, and Rayonier is a $1.0 billion manufacturer of cellulose chemicals.

He serves as the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Lead Director at Tech Data and the Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee at Torchmark. Previous roles at other companies include Chair of Audit and Compensation committees.

In July, he was named to the 2017 National Association of Corporate Directors Directorship 100 in recognition for his leadership while promoting the highest standards of corporate governance. In 2015 he was named Outstanding Public Company Director in Tampa Bay, Florida.

He was previously on the Board of Performance Food Group until its sale to Blackstone Group in 2008. He was also on the Board of PSS World Medical, Inc. until its sale to McKesson Corporation in 2013.

After enrolling at Vanderbilt University in the fall of 1965, he soon transferred to The University of Alabama where he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 1981.

Adair has been an active civic and community leader, particularly in efforts to improve lives through health care.

He currently serves as a board member for the UAB Health System and UAB Health Services Foundation in Birmingham. He previously served on the board of the Montgomery Area Red Cross, the Montgomery Small Business Incubator, the United Way, Leadership Montgomery, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, and others.

Adair is a member of the First United Methodist Church where he served on the Board of Trustees, Administrative Board, and the Finance Committee.

Adair has been married to his wife Ginny for 47 years. They have two children Charlie and Emily, and five grandchildren. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he has called Montgomery home since 1973.

Don Logan

  • September 24th, 2021

Don Logan has had a long and prominent career in media and sports leadership.

He and his two sons currently own the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team, Seek Publishing, and the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.)

As the largest membership organization of bass anglers in the U.S., B.A.S.S., LLC has a footprint that consists of magazines, television programs aired on ESPN2, websites, a radio show and fishing tournaments across the entire country.

Logan retired in 2002 as chairman of Time Warner’s Media and Communications Group, where he oversaw the operations of America Online, Time Inc., Time Warner Cable and the Time Warner Book Group.

As chairman and chief executive officer of Time Inc. from 1994 to 2002, Logan led the company’s magazine, book publishing, video, and music enterprise. Before that role, he served as president and chief operating officer of Time Inc. He was a member of the Time Warner Cable Board of Directors until their acquisition in June 2016.

His path to Time Inc. started in 1970 when he joined regional book and magazine publisher Southern Progress Corporation. In 1978, he was named president of its book publishing division, Oxmoor House. In 1986 Time Inc. acquired the company and Logan was promoted to chairman and chief executive officer of Southern Progress Corporation.

In 1966, Logan graduated magna cum laude from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Logan earned his master of science from Clemson University, and he has received honorary doctorates from Auburn University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Clemson University.

He currently serves on the boards of the Birmingham Business Alliance as well as many private companies.

Logan received the Henry Johnson Fisher Award in 2001, which is the highest honor in the magazine industry.

In 2003, he was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor. Then in 2004, he was inducted into The University of Alabama, College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame.

His Auburn family recognized him in March 2005, when he was presented the Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

Most recently, in March 2009, Logan was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame.

A native of Hartselle, Alabama, Don and his wife, Sandy, reside in Birmingham and have two sons, Stan and Jeff, two grandsons and three granddaughters.

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