A Very Brief Notice: "Black Achievemant Award:" Winners Thomas W. Dortch and Former AFL Pro Solomon Brannan Jr.

An Atlanta Business Whiz, and Also A Man Who Played in Super Bowl Ever

Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., speaking to the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta (Georgia’s First!) in 2014.

BLACK HISTORY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD HONOREE  #1:   
THOMAS W. DORTCH

Thomas W. Dortch was born in Taccoa, GA in 1950 (One of my last professional jobs found me taking aerial photos of Toccoa Falls College from an ancient Cessna, in preparation for a new master-plan of the campus). Toccoa boasts normally placid Toccoa Falls, but in 1977 a torrential downpour both bloated the falls and burst a dam upstream from the Christian college, killing 39 people (mostly students), and injuring 60 more. I recall the amazement of the normally jaded national media types who covered the disaster. They were surprised by the calm manner with which the devout student body dealt with the crises. Toccoa was a segregated locale at the time Mr. Dortch was child there, he noted in his remarks.

Thomas W. Dortch, an active Democrat, used to work with Georgia Senator Sam Nunn.  He was Chairman of both the Atlanta and the National Division of 100 Black Men of America. He married his wife, Carole, when he was 36 years old. He is founder of the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame. He is currently the operator of TWD Inc. (His initials, my fuddled brain eventually realized), a consulting firm, and Atlanta Transportation Systems, Inc. Here is a nice LINK about Thomas W. Dortch’s son, “Trey.” He is a 30 year old, and a real go-getter like his old man. Trey is on the board of Cornerstone Parking, “the largest minority owned parking company in the Southeast,” and I suspect a family business. It would not be too cynical of me to note that Mr. Dortch’s Democratic affiliation may have served him well in his relationships, as a parking lot baron, with the City of Atlanta.

An artistic shot by yours truly of the 13 foot high statue of Dominique Wilkins that sits outside Philips Arena. The indispensable Mr. Dortch helped make it happen, as this LINK reveals.

All of these diverse enterprises appear to be headquartered at 230 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 530, Atlanta.  This address is half a block from the Atlanta HQ of “100 Black Men.” It is in the same John Portman designed building that is being partially remade into an extremely upscale boutique hotel, the Hotel Indigo. The salient feature of this hotel will be a lobby staircase that will cost more than most people’s houses. The exterior of this building is completely undistinguished. A picket line was stationed outside of this building for a very long time, protesting one of the hotel contractors. As a staunch Democrat, I am quite sure that Thomas W. Dortch’s sympathies lay with the workers, and not the developers.

When Mr. Dortch was presented with his award, Pastor Fredrick Russell said that the recipient had one of the “fullest bios I have ever seen.” Mr. Dortch is a cancer survivor, and has irons in many fires. His brief remarks to the assembly included a topical criticism of the racism and segregationist attitudes displayed by the current crop of Presidential candidates (not the ones from my party, mind you).  He informed us that he returned a third of his income for charitable works, and as a token of his credentials as a “man of the people” stated that he used to live in Southwest Atlanta. Many of us still do.

A 1969 Topps “4-in-!” card from 1969, Solomon Brannan Jr. is featured in the lower right corner. He was playing for the Cincinnati Bengals at the time.

BLACK HISTORY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD HONOREE #2: 
SOLOMON BRANNAN JR.

The second honoree this Sabbath was Solomon Brannan, Jr. He played College football at Morris Brown, and went on to play for the Chiefs and Jets, etc. in the AFL. He has also served as Head Football Coach at Morris Brown, as described in this LINK. My most recent brush with noteworthy Pro Football alumni was the day of Berean Calvin Lawson’s funeral, when I ran across Jake Scott in Buckhead. He was a Super Bowl VII MVP when he played for the Dolphins, and is buddies with my sister. They just attended this year’s Super Bowl together, where he was recognized. Jake is very down-to-earth for a celebrity.  Solomon Brannan Jr. just happened to play in the first Super Bowl ever, a match between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers. Here is a LINK to a nice article about Mr. Brannan that summarizes his football career. It features a comment posted by Carlton M. Byrd, not to be confused with former Berean Pastor Carlton P. Byrd.