Donald Elkins

Funeral services for Dr. Donald M. Elkins, Dean Emeritus of the TTU College of Agriculture and Human Ecology, age 72 of Cookeville, will be held Saturday, July 27th at 11 a.m. at Jefferson Ave Church of Christ. Bro. Buddy Johnson will officiate and interment will follow in Cookeville City Cemetery. Dr. Elkins' family will receive friends Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home and again Saturday from 10 a.m. until service time at the church. Dr. Elkins died Monday morning July 23, 2013 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was born September 15, 1940 in Woodville, AL to the late Lotus Marcum and Una Troup Elkins. He began and ended his career at Tennessee Tech University—as an agronomy student in 1958 and as Dean of the College of Agriculture and Human Ecology retiring in September 2005. After graduating from TTU in 1962, Elkins earned both his master's degree and doctorate in agronomy from Auburn University in 1964 and 1967 respectively. Later in 1967, he began what would become a 28-year career at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He became TTU's dean of Agriculture and Human Ecology on October 1, 1995. Dr. Elkins authored publications, and received many awards, including being named the top agronomy teacher in the United States by the American Society of Agronomy. The National Association of College Teachers Association (NACTA) awarded him the Fellow Award and the Ensminger Distinguished Teacher Award. He was also named the Tennessee Tech University Distinguished Agricultural Alumnus by the Agricultural Foundation (1986) and the Distinguished Alumnus by the TTU Alumni Association (1989). Among his greatest rewards and accomplishments is having worked closely with students. He started a student ambassador program at both TTU and Southern Illinois University. TTU's AG/HEC Ambassador program allows outstanding agriculture or human ecology students to serve as recruiters of new students and public relations representatives for the college. Dr. Elkins was a member of Jefferson Ave. Church of Christ. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Earline Mizell Elkins (whom he married February 16, 1963 in Maryville, TN); two sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Richelle Elkins of Acworth, GA and Dan and Amelia Elkins of Normal, IL; three grandchildren, Tyler, Anna and Joseph Elkins; and brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Nancy Elkins of Madison, AL. Memorial contributions may be made to the Donald M. Elkins Ambassador Scholarship Fund, SIU Foundation, 1235 Douglas Drive, Mailcode 6805, Carbondale, IL 62901-4308, or the TTU Donald Elkins Leadership Fund, c/o Ag Foundation, Attn: Lisa Rice, TTU Box 5165, Cookeville, TN 38505, or to Happy Haven Children's Home, 2311 Wakefield Dr., Cookeville, TN 38501. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.