[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 7, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1883-H1884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE REMARKABLE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JIM AYERS

  (Mr. Kustoff of Tennessee was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a lifelong Tennessean 
and a good friend of mine, Jim Ayers, who recently passed away on April 
1.
  Throughout his life, Jim Ayers wore many hats: a loving husband and 
father, a successful businessman, and a generous philanthropist.
  Originally from rural Decatur County, which is just outside of my 
district, Jim's father was a lumberman and a farmer. His mother ran a 
fabric shop and managed duplexes. They were a family of very modest 
means.
  From an early age, Jim and his siblings learned the value of hard 
work. At the age of 8, Jim decided that he was an entrepreneur. He 
shined shoes for 10 cents a pair and drove a tractor on the family 
farm.
  In 1961, Jim began college at Memphis State University, which is now 
the University of Memphis. It was there that he got married and started 
a family. In the years after graduation, Jim started working in finance 
and accounting at a nursing home company in Memphis called Care Inns.
  He quickly rose through the ranks and was eventually named as 
president. After selling the company, Jim started a nursing home in 
Parsons, Tennessee. American Health Centers grew from 40 nursing homes 
across the Volunteer State.
  By the mid-1990s, Jim decided to sell the nursing home business to 
focus on his new growing interest: community banking.
  Jim partnered with his friend to buy the Farmers State Bank in Scotts 
Hill, Tennessee, and eventually would go on to acquire First National 
Bank in Lexington. It was there that FirstBank was born.
  Serving as chief executive officer and before becoming executive 
chairman of the board, he took the bank public on the New York Stock 
Exchange in 2016. Today, FirstBank is known across the State of 
Tennessee as a good bank, a good employer, and a good community 
partner.
  However, it is Jim's work outside of the office for which he will 
truly be remembered. Jim was a man of deep faith. He firmly believed 
that, as the Scriptures state: ``To whom much is given, much is 
expected.'' It was in that spirit that Jim started the Ayers Foundation 
with the mission of giving back to Tennessee, especially to our 
children.
  For over 25 years, the Ayers Scholars Program has supported more than 
20,000 students in rural Tennessee. To help children, the Ayers 
Foundation has a footprint in 33 high schools across 21 of Tennessee's 
rural counties.
  Mr. Speaker, Jim spent much of his life making sure that every child, 
no matter his or her financial status, should have the opportunity to 
receive a good education and build a good life.
  In addition to the scholarship program, Jim established the Ayers 
Institute at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the Jim Ayers Medical 
Tower at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Ayers Children's 
Hospital in Jackson, and the Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning & 
Innovation at Lipscomb University, among other entities.
  I recently spoke with Jim's good friend, former Tennessee Highway 
Patrol Lieutenant Joey Hargrove, who traveled all across the State with 
Jim for about 30 years.
  Joey remembers the one thing that remained constant through the 
years: Jim never wanted any recognition or acknowledgement for any of 
his good deeds. Joey told me that he learned a lot about being a good 
man from Jim Ayers. Whether it be a scholarship or getting treatment at 
a medical center, Jim never wanted you to know that it was he who made 
it happen.
  The last time I sat down with Jim and his wife, Janet, who he loved 
and adored, was several months ago. Jim may have known that he was 
sick, but he didn't want that to be the topic of conversation. He 
wanted to focus on the future and what could be done for the community. 
It was never about Jim. He did everything out of the goodness of his 
heart and the genuine love for others.
  In the years to come, Jim's legacy and that of Janet will live on in 
the

[[Page H1884]]

children he gifted an education to, the patients he helped to receive 
care, and the families who will never know his impact.
  Roberta and I continue to think about Janet; his son, Jon; and all 
the family and wish them the best during these challenging times. Jim 
Ayers will be remembered for a long time in Tennessee for all of the 
good that he did for so many people.

                          ____________________