HARRY S. TRUMAN CLUB presented a check for $1,000 to the Bradley/Cleveland initiative. From front left are Cindy Logan, Brenda Hughes, Charlie Corn, Elizabeth Carson and Winston Prince. Back row, from left are Mike Callaway, Doug Pirkle, Jeff Moorelock, Bob Hughes and Zane Harris. Banner Photo, DONNA KAYLOR
Carson is noted as the first woman in Cleveland to be elected to a county-wide office.
Carson is a lifelong resident of the McDonald community. In 1958, just out of high school, Carson began working for the Bradley County Election Commission as a typist. The following spring, she became Bradley County Registrar-at-Large. Totaled, she worked five years for the Election Commission Office.
In 1967, Carson became a deputy court clerk for Bradley County Circuit Court Clerk Joe Talley where she served for 16 years. After Talley’s retirement, more than 600 people signed a petition requesting the Bradley County Commission to appoint Carson to fill that position.
Eventually, the County Commission appointed Harold Brooks to serve until the next available election in 1984. Carson entered the race and was elected as Circuit Court Clerk to serve the remaining two years of Talley’s unexpired term.
“People told me that this community would never elect a woman,” Carson said. “It was a lot of work, but a lot of people supported me and I was elected.”
When the two-year term was fulfilled, Carson ran again and was elected to the four-year term. Carson retired in 1990, having served six years in the position.
“I have enjoyed the 22 years that I have worked with the courts and the public,” Carson said. “The co-workers were great. It was like a big, happy family in the office.”
Jeff Morelock, a Harry S. Truman Club member and member of the BICC board as well, pointed to the role of the Truman organization.
“The Harry S. Truman Club is made up of a group of local people,” Morelock said. “The Club’s sole purpose is to help support charitable organizations in our community. As a club, we feel that BICC is certainly a well-deserving organization that does a lot of good work in our community. We also wanted to recognize Elizabeth Caron’s work and life. Therefore, the donation was made in her honor.”
BICC Executive Director Brenda Hughes thanked the Truman Club membership for supporting the BICC organization.
“We are very grateful to the members of Harry S. Truman Club for the generous donation in honor of Ms. Carson,” Hughes stressed.
For more information about BICC, call 559-1112 or visit the website at www.bicc-inc.org.
