To Honor Father Hitchcock

Tommorrow (Thursday, March 26) is National Arbor Day.

To celebrate this occasion, our Father Ryan principal, the late Monsignor James R. Hitchcock will be honored posthumously by city and state leaders, along with a number of other distinguished Nashvillians who died in recent months, with memorial trees being planted in their honor near the Sunken Gardens in Centennial Park.

The event is scheduled for 11:00 AM, if you'd like to attend.

The other Nashvillians being honored in addition to Monsignor Hitchcock include Ross Alderman, Harry Banniza, Jr., Virginia "Happy" Birdsong, Robert C.H. Mathews, Jr. and Major Samuel H. Sloss, Jr.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will be attending the event which is being sponsored by Metro Public Works, the Metro Beautification and Environment Commission, the Metro Tree Advisory Committee, the Nashville Tree Foundation, the Nashville Electric Service, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division

Thanks to Jimmy Wilson of the FRHS Class of 1969 and to Dennis Corrieri and Morgan Holzapfel of the FRHS Class of 1967 for their e-mails letting us know about this event to honor Monsignor Hitchcock.

I think it is very appropriate that the memorial tree planting is in Centennial Park, so close to the old Father Ryan Elliston Place campus where he was principal for so many years.