On the eve of his 80th birthday, retired U.S. District Judge Thomas G. Hull of Greeneville was presented the 2006 Distinguished Service Award by his undergraduate alma mater, Tusculum College.

The presentation was made Friday night at the annual President's Dinner held in the Chalmers Conference Center on the campus to honor major donors to the college. Present to see Hull honored were his children, grandchildren, and wife, Helge.

Presented in Hull's honor was a large decorated and inscribed birthday cake, which served as dessert for the President's Dinner entrees of steak or vegetarian lasagna. Hull did not formally address the attendees after receiving his honors but talked appreciatively with dozens of friends and well wishers afterward.

Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus Henry presented the award, which was held secret until the actual presentation, as is customary. He preceded the presentation with a summation of Hull's long career.

Henry described Hull as a "native Greenevillian" who has led "a long and distinguished career that began with his first job: delivering The Greeneville Sun" at the age of 12.

After graduation from Greeneville High School Hull joined the U.S. Army at the rank of corporal and earned several military decorations and honors in the Asian theater After his service ended, he entered college through the G.I. Bill and attended Tusculum College and the University of Tennessee, where he received a J.D. degree in 1951.

Henry described Hull's career as a Greeneville attorney, his work as a circuit judge, a state legislator, and his appointment in 1983 to the federal bench during the Reagan administration.

Henry noted that Hull, as a federal judge, "championed First Amendment rights, sought to protect the rights of African-American voters, and presided over one of the nation's first lawsuits alleging smoking-related personal injury."

He also touched on Hull's business career in banking and his extensive civic and church work in Greeneville and across the region.

Hull, Henry said, "has served many boards and organizations, including the Tusculum College Board of Trustees, the Tennessee Judicial Conference, the Greene County Economic Development Board, the Heart Association, the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, the Tennessee and Greeneville Bar Associations and other groups. A lifelong member of Asbury United Methodist Church in Greeneville, he is a family man who raised four children, and is a proud grandfather. This lover of learning and literacy supported the progress both of the Greeneville-Greene County Library and the Library at Tusculum College, the latter through a leadership-level gift to the Campaign for the Library."

Henry called Hull to receive the award with the following words from the text of the framed award document: "In recognition of all that he means to Tusculum College, the 2006 Distinguished Service Award is presented to the Honorable Thomas G. Hull on behalf of a grateful Tusculum College community on the occasion of the President's Dinner, May 19, 2006."

Hull received a standing ovation as he rose to accept the award.

Also during the President's Dinner, Henry introduced Kenneth A. Bowman, Ph.D., chairman of the Board of Trustees since October of 2005. This was Bowman's first President's Dinner as chairman. Bowman briefly thanked those in attendance on behalf of the trustees, commending them as "leaders" in Tusculum College's work.

Angel Connell, incoming president of the Student Government Association, was also introduced and addressed the group. She described her love for Tusculum College and said that the college's financial supporters present at the dinner should know they are the recipients of "heartfelt thanks from the students of Tusculum College."