TJF, helping as many people as humanly possible.

We launched the foundation with a book scholarship for high school seniors going to college. It had no name at first, but with some of his funds going into the scholarship, and with him being an incredible man that I had the pleasure of hearing stories about all of my life, it was only right to name the scholarship after my great-grandfather, Adolphus Dixon.

He was born in a small village known as Brooklyn, Illinois. Mr. Dixon was a hardworking guy who held a variety of jobs, such as a school janitor, packinghouse worker, and a bartender. Mr. Dixon was well ahead of his time, as he was a single parent to a young daughter. That young daughter is my grandmother, Inez Joiner. She saw a father who was often without a job, but never without a sense of “this door is closed, but keep on knocking”. He told his daughter that the key to getting out of poverty was hard work and education. He inspired his daughter. No matter how tired he was, he listened to her read EVERY NIGHT, even on weekends. His philosophy was “if you’re going to succeed, continue until the goal is accomplished”. He was at Inez’s school for every function that he could attend. Her father continued to help his daughter finish her schooling and select a college. My grandmother graduated four years later from Delta State College in Cleveland, Mississippi. Mr. Dixon journeyed from Illinois to see his daughter receive her degree. He didn’t stop there, he said keep reading and go on. She, then, received her master's degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. Unfortunately, Mr. Dixon was diagnosed with stomach cancer and his sunset came June 28, 1988. He is gone, but never forgotten, with his quest to keep his daughter reading. That is why we are pleased to offer this scholarship in my great-grandfather’s name and honor.