BGA Inducts New Hall of Fame Members During Homecoming Weekend

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On Saturday, October 2, Battle Ground Academy inducted five new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame and Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition, the school honored Peter Kropp, Ph.D. as its Distinguished Young Alumnus in a ceremony held at BGA’s Sondra Morris and Robert N. Moore, Jr. ’52 Center for Arts and Entrepreneurship as part of the school’s Homecoming Weekend festivities.

“Honoring new Hall of Fame members is always a highlight of the year at BGA,” said Head of School Will Kesler. “The class of 2020 had to wait a bit due to COVID, but we are proud to have them join fellow alumni in this prestigious group. In their remarks, each inductee spoke to the instrumental role BGA teachers, coaches, and peers played in their success at BGA and beyond. Our honorees and their accomplishments reflect the influence that our environment and our teachers have on their students.”

Honorees include

Alumni Hall of Fame

Wallace Edward Lunn (Deceased), Class of 1967

While at BGA, Eddie was the co-creator, writer, and producer of the first Christian musical, Good News: A Christian Folk Musical. Throughout the years, he stayed active with BGA. He is a past president of the BGA Alumni Board and served on BGA’s Board of Trustees from 2009-17. While on the board, he served as chairman from 2012-15, leading the school through a critical transitional period.

Following his graduation from Baylor University in 1972, Eddie began his career at Boiler Supply Company in Nashville. He served as president and CEO from 1978-2007 and as chairman from 2007 until 2015. During his career, Eddie was awarded the Cleaver-Brooks Representatives’ Brooks Award. He also served as a chairman of the Tennessee Board of Boiler Rules, trustee of Belmont University, and on the boards of directors for the American Institute of Musical Studies and First Tennessee Bank. He was active in many other civic organizations, serving as president of the Nashville Kiwanis Club and the Nashville Booster Club.

Outside of his professional and civic endeavors, he was an assistant coach for BGA’s Scholastic Clay Target Program, a skeet instructor of the National Skeet Shooting Association, and a board member of the Nashville Gun Club.

Eddie passed away on January 29, 2020, surrounded by his family. He was the loving husband of Saralu Thompson Lunn for 49 years; father of Leigh Marie (Craig) Holder, and Eddie (Jordan) Lunn III; and grandfather of Eddie Lunn IV, Davidson Lunn, and Hunter Lunn.

Houston Moran, M.D., Class of 1971

Houston was active on many fronts during his years at BGA. He was a member of the Student Honor Council, vice president of FCA, a writer on the Wildcat newspaper staff, and tri-editor of the Cannon Ball. He excelled in athletics, participating in football, basketball, track, and cross country. He also attained the level of Eagle Scout while at BGA. He was honored at graduation with the Paul Guffee Award and the Tommy Brown Christian Athlete Award.

Houston graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee, where he served as president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and vice president of the Interfraternity Council. He received his doctorate of medicine from Meharry Medical College and had a private OB/GYN practice in Nashville from 1986 to 2015. He was an active member of many medical boards and organizations. Dr. Moran served on the Board of the Middle Tennessee Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a member of the Downtown Franklin Rotary Club.

The Moran family has deep roots at BGA with Houston’s great uncle, John Moran, graduating in 1890. He is married to Melanie Hasty Moran, daughter of Don Hasty ’61. All four sons graduated from BGA: Sam Houston Moran, Jr. ’04; Robert Shannon Moran ’05 (wife Megan and grandchildren Lincoln, Finn, and Sutton); Thomas Hasty Moran ’13 (wife Katlin Davis Moran ’12); and Nathan Sawyer Moran ’14 (wife Brooke). His brother, John Moran, Jr. ’68, nephews John Moran III ’96 and Jackson Moran ’98, and many cousins also graduated from the school. His father, John Moran, Sr., was a 27-year member of the BGA Board of Trustees. Houston is a past president of the BGA Alumni Board and served for 12 years on BGA’s Board of Trustees.

Rondal Keith Richardson, Class of 1987

Named “Friendliest” by his senior classmates, Rondal was the editor of the Cannon Ball and participated in track and cross country while at BGA. He was also a member of National Honor Society and Digamma. Rondal received the Bill Ross ’72 School Spirit Award at graduation.

He attended Sewanee: University of the South, graduating in 1991 with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan medallion for character. Upon graduation, he became involved in the entertainment industry in Nashville. He developed a strategy for engagement of the sports and entertainment industry at Vanderbilt University; was general manager for Wynonna Judd; and chief operating officer for Onsite Workshops.

Having raised more than $160 million dollars for charitable partners both locally and around the country over the last two decades, he currently serves on Sewanee’s board of trustees and as the senior entertainment and donor relations liaison for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, managing nonprofit engagement for close to one hundred musicians, athletes, and artists. Rondal was named one of Nashville’s Top 25 Most Beautiful People in 2016 by Nashville Lifestyles in honor of his work for Middle Tennessee.

Sports Hall of Fame:

Susannah Ives Dennis, Class of 2009

Sooz was a standout throughout her BGA girls soccer career, leading the team in goals scored each season. She was named All-District, All-Region, and All-State all four years, and she was a member of the Region III Olympic Development Team (2004-09) and attended the U-20 Women’s National Team Camp in 2009. Sooz was the Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year in her junior and senior seasons and was also team captain for those years. In her junior season, she helped lead BGA to a state championship. While at BGA, she was a member of the National Honor Society and participated in basketball and track. Her mother, Kathleen Swanton, was a teacher at BGA from 2006-2016.

Sooz played collegiate soccer at the University of Georgia, where she received her bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences and her master’s in kinesiology – sports management and policy. The summer before her senior year at UGA, Dennis played for the 2011 National Champion Atlanta Silverbacks semi-professional women’s soccer team.

She currently serves as a territory manager for Becton, Dickinson & Company. She is married to Megan Dennis, and they reside in Portland, Ore.

Maurice Lamont Turner, Class of 1996

Lamont had an impact on some of the greatest BGA football and basketball teams in the modern era. In football, he was the 1995 Team co-captain and the defensive MVP of BGA’s 1995 state championship game. The 1995 team posted BGA’s best record ever with a perfect 15-0 season while also beating Goodpasture, the 1995 2A State Champions in the regular season. In his high school career, his football teams had a combined record of 50-4 as his 1992 team made a championship appearance as well. He played in the 1996 Tennessee vs. Kentucky All-Star game and was named All-State, All-Midstate Defensive MVP, Region MVP, All-County, Nashville Civitan Club Sportsmanship Award Recipient, Wildcat Award (Team’s Best Defensive Player) Winner, and the Knoxville News Sentinel’s No. 16 Top College Football Prospect for Tennessee. In 2018, he was named to the Nashville Interscholastic League’s Football All Decade Team (1990s) for greater Nashville. He played on BGA’s 1993 (33-0) and 1994 (33-4) state championship basketball teams. He also played baseball and wrestled at BGA in his early years, and he received the Paul Guffee Award at graduation.

Lamont went on to attend Vanderbilt University, where he played football and served as team captain in 1999. He was named to Vanderbilt’s Dean’s List and to the SEC All-Academic team in 1998 and 1999 while graduating in three years. He was selected to play in the 1999 Blue Gray All-Star Game. Lamont graduated with a bachelor’s in human organizational development with a focus in leadership and signed as an undrafted free agent with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns in 2000.

Lamont worked as a medical device sales representative for almost 20 years with Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Lifecell, and Tela Bio. He currently serves as a transcultural consultant and an executive coach, and he is the author of WINNING Beyond The Scoreboard, As The UNDERDOg – The Final Score Is What Counts! His second book, regarding how the South can heal its Civil War wound of white supremacy without canceling culture, will be released in 2022.

He is the son of the late Mr. Jessie Turner, Jr. and Mrs. Ida Turner. His brother, Jessie Turner III, graduated from BGA in 1992. Turner and his wife Yuberky have two daughters, Mia and Leia, and live in Franklin.

DISTINGUISHED YOUNG ALUMNUS

Peter A. Kropp, Ph.D., Class of 2008

During his time at BGA, Peter served as senior class president and Honor Council President. He participated in football, cross country, and track, and he was a member of the National Honor Society and Digamma. Peter received the inaugural Robin Altshuler Achievement award his senior year at BGA. At graduation, he was also honored with the Durwood Sies Leadership Award.

Peter received his undergraduate degree from Colgate University and his doctorate from Vanderbilt University. He is currently the chair of the Career Development Committee for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), with the National Institute of Health. He is also a committee member for the National Postdoctoral Association’s Resource Development Committee.
His mother, Abigail Kropp, is a former teacher at BGA and a member of the school’s Faculty Hall of Fame. His sisters, Sarah Kropp Pearce ’05 and Catherine Kropp ’10, both attended BGA. Peter and his wife, Holli Loomans-Kropp, live in Gaithersburg, Md.

Local sports radio personality and BGA graduate George Plaster ’77 served as emcee for the event. Alumni Association President Sterling Smith ’84 welcomed guests.

Established in 1889, Battle Ground Academy is a coeducational, college preparatory school for grades kindergarten through 12th grade. More information on the school can be found at www.battlegroundacademy.org.