Click PLAY Above to Hear Today's Podcast: Welcome to an upbeat and heartwarming episode of The Roundtable on WGNS with host Chip Walters, celebrating the incredible life and legendary legacy of Dr. Ed Kimbrell, the founding father of the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Mass Communications program. Joined in-studio by Beverly Keel, the current Dean of the MTSU College of Media and Entertainment, the conversation is a beautiful stroll down memory lane, filled with laughter, fond recollections, and profound gratitude. They reflect on how Dr. Kimbrell, who passed away in late February 2026, fundamentally shaped the career paths of thousands of students and laid the groundwork for internationally recognized programs, such as the Recording Industry major. The discussion highlights his iconic presence, booming voice of authority, his famous Media Law class, and his fierce devotion to challenging his students while instilling them with the unshakable confidence to excel on the world stage.
Following the first commercial break, the second half of the show introduces touching phone-in segments from notable MTSU alumni whose national trajectories were directly influenced by Dr. Kimbrell’s guidance. Graphic design powerhouse Linda Davis shares how she transitioned from an eager student intern to a veteran of seven Olympic Games and major NHL broadcasts under his wing. Renowned veteran journalist John Lewis Pitts joins the conversation from Mississippi, reflecting on how Dr. Kimbrell had a rare gift for making every single student feel like they were the only person in the room who mattered. The show closes on a delightfully unique note with Sarah Elizabeth Hickman, who penned his official obituary and shared a humorous story of how Dr. Kimbrell’s likeness was permanently immortalized as a cast figure for a Native American chief exhibit in a Georgia museum.
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