The Transformation of Nashville

The Nashville we grew up in during the 1950s and 1960s was pretty much a one skyscraper,little Southern town. The L&C Tower, seen above, was as tall and as big as it got while we were attending Father Ryan.But over the last 40 years that's changed a lot!

Today Nashville is becoming a major American city. It is "Music City, U.S.A", a tourist and convention destination; a community that has finally come to understand and relish its unique position as the Mecca for Country Music (and now other genres of music, as well).

Nashville in 2009 is home to not one, but two major league sports franchises, the NFL Titans and the NHL Predators. That's something none of us would have believed possible back when we were in school on our Elliston Place campus..

There are many people who are responsible for Nashville's transformation over the last four decades, but perhaps none more so that the man pictured above. He is Eddie Jones, the long time Executive Vice President of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the last editor of the city's afternoon newspaper, THE NASHVILLE BANNER.

While working with the Chamber, Eddie helped laid a lot of the groundwork for modern day Nashville. That includes, while we were still in school in 1967, public referendum approval to allow liquor to be served by the drink in the city. The end of the old hyprocisy of "brown bagging" and private clubs, helped attract many new hotels, restaurants and businesses to town.

Eddie Jones also helped bring them here through his work to create the city's Airport Authority which has greatly improved Nashville's air service over the years along with his efforts to begin the Nashville Convention and Vistors Bureau which has helped make the city an even greater draw for tourists and conventions.

Eddie Jones died last week at the age of 85. But what he helped create here in Nashville will live on in our city for many years to come.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Eddie Jones was a long time friend and mentor of mine. We worked together at DVL Public Relations and Advertising for the last 11 years of his life.