Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1886 - 1980 (93 years)| Name | Thomas Jackson “Jack” LANCE [4, 5] | |
| Prefix | Dr. | |
| Suffix | Sr. | |
| Birth | 31 Jan 1886 | Choestoe, Union County, Georgia  [6, 7] |
| Gender | Male | |
| Education | He held educational degrees from Young Harris, class of 1908, Emory and the University of Georgia, and received his doctorate from Oglethorpe University [4] | |
| HIST | of Murphy, North Carolina He had resided at Cherokee Nursing Home since the latter part of 1977. The President’s mother, Mrs. Lillian Carter of Plains, attended the funeral, as did Georgia Lt. Gov. Zell Miller, a former student of Dr. Lance. He has a half-sister and several half-brothers. At death- he had 11 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Dr. Lance had a distinguished career in various fields of community service, but had been retired for several years. He was president of Young Harris College for eight years, having graduated there in 1908, taught language and served as head of the English Department. He served in many areas of education in Georgia, and was a former supervisor for Georgia schools. He was superintendent of schools in Calhoun and Waynesboro, and also had served as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Georgia. In religious leadership, he was a long-time Sunday school teacher, and was a lay delegate to the General Conference of Southern Methodist Church. He had served as chairman of the Georgia Board of Revenue and the Advisory Council of Personnel Unemployment Compensation for Georgia. He was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention several times since 1932, and was a former chairman of the Townes County Draft Board and Selective Service System. He also was a former president of the Association of Georgia Junior Colleges and was a member of the 50 Year Club of the Teachers of Georgia. He did graduate studies at Emory University, received his AD degree from the University of Georgia in 1913, and his AM degree in 1917. He came to Calhoun, Georgia, for a two-year term as superintendent of public schools in 1942. He went with the Georgia Department of Education in 1944 as state school supervisor, where he served until his retirement. His mother told him he was born early on that January morning in 1886, and that he was about 6 inches long and weighed between 3 1/2 and 4 pounds. Another obituary gives his birth day as 31 Jan 1886, in Choestoe, Georgia, and shows that he is 93 years of age. He was given an honorary Ph.D from the Oglethorpe University in 1936. He served as principle of the Hopewell Georgia High School, from 1908-1910; was a teacher of languages at Young-Harris College, 1911-1912; Head of the English Department, 1914-1916. THROUGH MOUNTAIN MISTS Early Settlers of Union County, Georgia Their Descendants...Their Stories...Their Achievements Lifting the Mists of History on Their Way of Life By: Ethelene Dyer Jones Dr. Thomas Jackson Lance, President of Young Harris College, 1930-1942 Dr. Thomas Jackson "Jack" Lance (31 Jan 1886 - 27 Jan 1880) President, Young Harris College, 1930-1942 Among great persons who have gone out from Union County and served mankind with dignity and unselfishness, we must applaud Dr. Thomas Jackson Lance, educator and humanitarian, who was president of Young Harris College during the difficult times of the Great Depression Years, 1930-1942. Thomas Jackson Lance was the first of twenty children born to his father, James Washington Lance (1861-1940). Jim Lance, as his father was known, was a farmer at Wolf Creek, north of Vogel State Park in Choestoe District, Union County, Georgia. The mother of Thomas Jackson, better known as Jack, was Virginia Jane L. Henson (1863-1916). Jack, their firstborn, was born January 31, 1886. It is possible that the young boy had a memory of his grandfather, the Rev. John Lance (1834-1890), who was brutally murdered by moonshiners after returning from a preaching assignment. Jack's father, Jim Lance, spent much time and effort trying to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice. That story has been adequately covered in Charles Hill's excellent book entitled Blood Mountain Covenant. Since Jack Lance's family was so large, it seems somewhat of a miracle of the mountains that he was able to get an excellent education and become the shining light among educators that was his calling. After a long and useful life of 94 years, Dr. Thomas Jackson Lance died January 27, 1980. I was able to access the eulogy given at the time of his memorial service by the Rev. Edgar A. Padgett of the Calhoun, Georgia United Methodist Church. From this tribute I learned much about the man whose life was marked by selfless service to others. Being from a large family, and the eldest of the children, early on Jack Lance learned to bear his weight around the farm on Wolf Creek. His full siblings, born to his mother, Jane, were Juan Bascomb (1888-1958), Lena Mabel (1891-1946), Sarah Theodosia, "Docia" (1894-?), Luther Edgar (1897- ?), Fannie Lee (1900-?), Carter Paul (1903-?), Homer E. (1906-?) and Mary Emma Louis (b/d 1908). Jack's father, when Jack's mother, Jane, died, married Melissa Spiva. Jack's half-siblings from this marriage were Elbert, James C. known as Jay, Auburn, Champ C., Bruce M., Charles F., Johnny W., Donald Ray, Grace Jane and Betty Jean (died as infants), and Bobby Gaynell. From his early life Jack Lance was taught the virtues of hard work, honesty, kindness, good manners, and a love for education. After having learned what he could in the one-teacher schools of Choestoe, and at the knees of notable teachers and preachers there, Jack Lance went to Young Harris College for further education. The college took him in, giving him work on the farm to earn his way. He was an exceptionally gifted student. He graduated from Young Harris in 1908, with high honors. From Young Harris, he continued his education at the University of Georgia where he earned both the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa National Scholastic Society. His doctor of philosophy degree came later, but the information of where he earned it is not presently available to this writer. He wanted to teach. His career as an educator included classroom instruction at Hopewell High School, at Richmond Academy in Augusta, at Young Harris College, and then as an administrator for 13 years, serving as superintendent of schools in Waynesboro, Georgia. His Alma Mater, Young Harris College, having already his record as a student and as a professor there, tapped him as president of the college. He served admirably in that capacity during some difficult years, beginning in 1930 and continuing through 1942. I wish the span of this short article could list all the hardships he faced in keeping the small mountain college above-board financially and operable during some of the darkest years of America's Great Depression. Suffice it to say that his hard work, faithfulness and industry during that span of his career saw him inducted into and honored by the Kappa Phi Kappa National Honor Society for Distinguished Educators. Of that period of Dr. Jack Lance's career, the Rev. Edgar A. Padgett wrote: "He lived with deficits as his daily companion, but managed to keep Young Harris alive, serving the needs of so many who without it would have had little, if any, chance for a college education… Dr. Lance always found a way to help a deserving student stay in college. Many of our most distinguished citizens of Georgia have testified that they owe their start in life to Dr. Lance who inspired and encouraged them to keep trying, with the assurance of his help." Thomas Jackson Lance married Annie Rose Erwin who graduated from Young Harris in 1913. To them were born four children: Thomas Jackson, Jr., Robert, Alice Rose, and Thomas Bertram, "Bert." Many will recognize the name of Bert Lance as a cabinet member during the time Jimmy Carter was president of the United States. From Young Harris, in 1942, the Lance family moved to Calhoun, GA and there the children were reared. He was superintendent of schools at Calhoun for two years, 1942- 1944, and then he began a sixteen year tenure with the State Department of Education in Atlanta as a state school supervisor, having as his goal improving the quality of education for every public school student in the state of Georgia. It was said of Dr. Lance that he had a phenomenal memory, even into his later years. He never forgot a name, a face, a favor, a verse of Scripture, an experience. From his rich well of experience he could recall where he had met people and what they did. He loved his family, his home, and the classroom. Although many years of his illustrious career were spent in school administration, his first love was teaching. It has been said of him that the "moments of illumination" when a student "sees" through a problem and has an epiphany of insight were, for him, thrilling and emotional experiences. Considering the "opportunites" this country boy had to become "somebody," they were slender, indeed. But mountains were a challenge to him, and doing good was his second nature. "Lives of great men all remind us, /We can make our lives sublime,/ And, departing, leave behind us / Footprints on the sands of time." So wrote poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. So lived Educator Dr. Thomas Jackson Lance. c2008 by Ethelene Dyer Jones; published August 21, 2008 in The Union Sentinel, Blairsville, GA. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. [Ethelene Dyer Jones is a retired educator, freelance writer, poet, and historian. She may be reached at e-mail edj0513@windstream.net; phone 478-453-8751; or mail 1708 Cedarwood Road, Milledgeville, GA 31061-2411.] Husband THOMAS JACKSON LANCE Born: 31 JAN 1886 - Marr: - Died: - Father: JAMES WASHINGTON LANCE Mother: VERSIA JANE L. HENSON Other Spouses: Wife ANNA ROSE ERWIN Born: - Died: - Father: Mother: Other Spouses: Children 1. THOMAS JACKSON LANCE, JR. Born: - Died: - 2. ROBERT LANCE Born: - Died: - 3. ALICE ROSE LANCE Born: - Marr: - FRANK McAFEE Died: - 4. THOMAS BERTRAM LANCE Born: - Marr: - LaBELLE DAVID Died: - Husband THOMAS JACKSON LANCE Born: 31 JAN 1886 - Marr: - Died: - Father: JAMES WASHINGTON LANCE Mother: VERSIA JANE L. HENSON Other Spouses: Wife ANNA ROSE ERWIN Born: - Died: - Father: Mother: Other Spouses: Children 1. THOMAS JACKSON LANCE, JR. Born: - Died: - 2. ROBERT LANCE Born: - Died: - 3. ALICE ROSE LANCE Born: - Marr: - FRANK McAFEE Died: - 4. THOMAS BERTRAM LANCE Born: - Marr: - LaBELLE DAVID Died: - [2, 3, 4, 5, 6] | |
| Occupation | noted educator, religious, community and civic leader | |
| Religion | Calhoun First United Methodist Church, Calhoun, Georgia, where he was a long-time leader [4] | |
| _UID | DB5F6488609047A4AF0EAE292207D2FD8DD4 | |
| Death | 27 Jan 1980 | Cherokee Nursing Home [8] |
| Burial | 28 Jan 1980 | Fain Cemetery, Calhoun, Gordon County, South Carolina [4] |
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| Person ID | I162701 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 28 Dec 2023 | |
| Father | James Washington “Jim” LANCE, b. 31 Mar 1862, Union County, Georgia d. 1940 (Age 77 years) | |
| Mother | Virginia Jane L. “Verissa/Versia” HENSON, b. 1 Nov 1863 d. 1916 (Age 52 years) | |
| _UID | DDCF8169B05E4BA1AFA22550B35B2B50DF0C | |
| _UID | DDCF8169B05E4BA1AFA22550B35B2B50DF0C | |
| Family ID | F110876 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | Annie Rose ERWIN, b. 7 Feb 1894, Union County, Georgia d. 16 May 1988, in a Rome, Georgia, nursing home (Age 94 years) | |||||||||
| _UID | 0CAE41934DAF4160B6BDB5E450F5646C4CE2 | |||||||||
| _UID | 0CAE41934DAF4160B6BDB5E450F5646C4CE2 | |||||||||
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| Family ID | F110874 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||
| Last Modified | 28 Dec 2023 | |||||||||
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