60 / 64
58 / ’southern
CLASSNOTES
the animals on her family’s
farm and had a knack for telling
stories. Survivors include her
husband and a sister.
Sam Harrison Allen III ’67
of
Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 2, 2015.
Allen served as a special agent
of the FBI for 28 years, following
in his father’s footsteps. After a
brief assignment in El Paso, Texas,
he served in the Washington,
D.C., field office from 1974-86,
and then joined the Knoxville FBI
office, where he worked until his
retirement in 2002. He excelled
in legal and firearms instruction of
law enforcement professionals.
Allen earned a J.D. from the
University of Mississippi School
of Law and was admitted to the
Mississippi Bar. He interrupted his
legal studies in 1969 to enlist in
the U.S. Army, where he achieved
the rank of first lieutenant, served
in Korea, and received the Army
Commendation Medal. He
is survived by his wife; three
daughters, including
Melissa Allen
Foster ’94
and
Jennifer Allen
Kuhn ’97
, both of Knoxville; and six
grandchildren.
Linda Carter Gill ’68
of
Montgomery, on Sept. 13, 2014.
Gill was a longtime organist
and assistant director of music
at Montgomery’s First United
Methodist Church. She had been
a prominent figure among church
musicians for well over four
decades, serving nine churches
as organist. Gill received master’s
degrees in choral conducting
and organ performance from the
University of Alabama. Long active
in the American Guild of Organists,
she also had worked as director of
the Montgomery Chorale and of
the Montgomery Master Singers.
Survivors include her husband,
a son and daughter, and six
grandchildren.
Thomas Leon Precise ’68
of
Birmingham, on Oct. 29, 2014.
Beginning in 1969, Precise served
his entire career as a minister
at Canterbury United Methodist
Church in various capacities,
ranging from youth director to
ministerial supervisor. He received
a master’s degree in Christian
education from Emory University’s
Candler School of Theology. He is
survived by his wife; sons,
Scott
Precise ’96
and
John Precise ’99
,
both of Birmingham; a brother,
Rev. Clyde “Bud” Precise ’59
of
Birmingham; two sisters; and four
grandchildren.
In
Memoriam
Friend
Glenn Ireland II
, a former longtime
Birmingham-Southern trustee, an
executive at Vulcan Materials Co., and a
philanthropist in Birmingham, passed
away on Feb. 7, 2015. He was 88.
Ireland served in various capacities
at Vulcan, the construction aggregates
company his family founded. He
worked in a number of executive roles
and was also on the board of directors.
He was also a leading advocate for
mental health. He founded Glenwood
Mental Health Services and also was
appointed commissioner of mental
health for the state of Alabama in 1979.
After earning a bachelor’s in business
from the University of Virginia, Ireland
received advanced degrees from the
University of Virginia Graduate School of Business Administration, the University of
Illinois’ College of Commerce and Business Administration, and the Harvard University
Business School.
He was awarded a Doctor of Humanities from Birmingham-Southern in 1982 and a
Doctor of Laws from UAB in 1989.
“Glenn always said that every association he ever had with BSC and Neal Berte [now
president emeritus] was a joy and a delight; he felt privilege to be involved there,” his
wife, Mallie, said. “He was an active trustee and was committed to helping students
receive a quality education.”
He was also involved in many civic organizations, including the Alabama Department
of Youth Services, the Crippled Children’s Foundation, the Alabama Division of the
National Council on Alcoholism, the President’s Committee of the Alabama Chamber
of Commerce, the Mental Health Association of Jefferson County, and Children’s of
Alabama. His civic and academic awards included the Alabama Jaycees Lurleen B.
Wallace Award for outstanding service to the field of mental health; the Baylor School
Alumni Distinguished Service Award; and the Huxley Institute Achievement Award. He
was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 1982 and the Alabama Business
Hall of Fame in 1999.
Ireland and his family were also active in the philanthropic community. As generous
donors, they supported many scholarships at BSC, especially the Mallie and Glenn
Ireland II Scholarship, established in 1995. Memorial donations may be made to
the scholarship at the Office of Institutional Advancement at BSC, Box 549003, 900
Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35254.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters; 10 grandchildren, including
Glenn
Ireland Drennen ’02
and
Katharine Drennen ’04
, both of Birmingham; and 16 great-
grandchildren.