Leadership Tri-County recognized a former beloved University of the Cumber-lands professor, faculty athletic representative and director of academic advising with a luminary award during its 2026 Leader of the Year banquet Thursday.
Luminary awards are memorial tributes by the organization to outstanding leaders from our region, who are no longer with us.
Dr. John Broome spent nearly three six decades at the University of the Cumberlands and First Baptist Church of Williamsburg dedicating his life to faith, family and service.
Broome, who died in 2025 at the age of 90, was a devoted husband to his beloved wife Mavis Broome. She preceded him in death in 2017.
Starting in 1966, Broome shaped the lives of more than 7,000 students as a pro-fessor of history and religion at Cumberlands. His 48-year-career included roles as director of academic advising, athletic eligibility coordinator, Black Student Un-ion advisor and sponsor for the Young Democrats.
He personally arranged schedules for over 15,000 students and was known to nev-er forgot a name, even decades after graduation.
His honors included the Distinguished Teaching Award, SGA Honored Professor Award and the 2018 Honorary Alumnus Award.
In addition, he transported students and fans to events, mentored students and fac-ulty in their faith, and helped generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in schol-arship funds. The Mavis F. Broome Endowed Scholarship Fund continues to assist students from Southeastern Kentucky.
Beyond campus, Broome served faithfully at First Baptist Church as a deacon, trustee and Sunday School teacher.
“Being a husband, father, and professor constituted his primary identity – after, of course, being a follower of Jesus Christ. His influence for good will continue through the lives of those who received the benefits of his life’s work,” his family shared.
Broome’s three daughters, Kim White, Erica Harris and Shelleigh Moses, and other family members accepted the luminary award on his behalf.
“We are deeply touched by this recognition from Leadership Tri-County; it is a beautiful tribute to a man who lived his life with the same integrity and dedication he taught his students every day,” said Harris, executive director for alumni rela-tions at Cumberlands. “Dad believed that true leadership was found in service, and it means so much to us that his legacy continues to serve as a guiding light for fu-ture leaders. This honor is a meaningful reminder to our family that his character and service left an indelible mark on the region he loved so dearly.”
(Editor’s Note: University of the Cumberlands Communications and Marketing contributed to this article.)
