Last spring, big news spread that the Sterick Building downtown, the 1920s neo-Gothic skyscraper that was once the South’s tallest building, was sold to ECS alumnus and current ECS dad, Stuart Harris (’95), of Constellation Properties. In March, Harris navigated a complicated century-old lease agreement to purchase The Sterick, distinguished as the 2024 Best Real Estate Dealmakers Deal of the Year by the Memphis Business Journal. 

The History

In the Roaring ‘20s, Memphis was on the move with a booming commodities economy and a bustling downtown. Many buildings were under construction, beginning to carve the skyline of the Bluff City we appreciate today. Fort Worth-born Ross Sterling, founder of Humble Oil Company (a predecessor of present-day Exxon-Mobil) and later governor of Texas, brought his architect son-in-law, Wyatt Hedrick, with him to Memphis to examine the real estate market and get in on the ground floor of this growing economy. In search of the busiest intersection of the city, the two Texans landed on the corner of Madison and Third Street (now B.B. King Boulevard) but found resistance to the sale of the property. 

Wealthy Memphis merchant Napoleon Hill built his mansion on this corner lot years before, and his heirs were not keen to surrender it. So, the two parties agreed to a deal: Sterling and Hedrick would build and own the structure on this property, but the Hill family would own the land, leasing it to the owner of the building for 99 years, after which time, the building title would transfer to the Hill estate, “in good working order,” according to the contract. With an agreement inked, the Texans razed the mansion and set to work. Fifteen months and twenty-nine floors later, Sterling and Hedrick, whose merged names identify the skyscraper, The Sterick, was open for business. 

When The Sterick was completed in 1930, it was the tallest building in the South, later called the Queen of Memphis for its commanding size and impressive neo-Gothic architecture. Its stone and concrete exterior with elaborate hand-carvings by local artisan Christie Cut Stone Company also makes it stand out downtown.

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written by Ashley Nearn in March 2024

A Story of a Special Friendship between Two Sons & Their Fathers

Two class of 2021 ECS alumni and teammates since fourth grade are both headed to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament this week, Kam Jones with Marquette and Thomas Kizer with Samford. The friendship forged on the courts of AAU tournaments did not end with their last game as ECS seniors at the Tennessee State Division II-A Final Four. It continues today, as this seemingly unlikely pair encourages one another to live out the faith lessons their coaches and dads imparted to them.

How It Started

Basketball introduced Kameron Jones, currently a leading scorer for the Marquette men’s basketball team, and Thomas Kizer, who last year earned a coveted spot as a walk-on at Samford, when they were just 10 years old. Kam and Thomas got to know one another when they played on the same AAU basketball team, the War Eagles team coached by Thomas’ dad, Dr. David Kizer. Kam’s dad, Kevin, joined the team as an assistant coach.

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An Inspiring Story of Perseverance

In a world where only 5.6% of high school baseball players advance to play in college1  and a staggering .03% of Little Leaguers make it to the major leagues, Brent Rooker is living proof that big league dreams do come true!

After three years of trying to get his big break — bouncing back and forth between the majors and minors, getting traded twice and claimed on waivers — Brent continued to work while waiting for his opportunity. In 2023, Brent earned an everyday spot in the lineup with the Oakland A’s and on July 11, 2023, made his MLB All-Star debut!

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Morgan Cox (2005) is a five-time Pro-Bowler and Super Bowl Champion, and his #53 ECS jersey was retired recently in a special half-time ceremony on Legends Field. Morgan currently plays for the Tennessee Titans and is in his 14th year as a long snapper in the NFL. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and appeared in 165 games and 10 postseason contests. In 2011, Morgan earned the Ravens’ Ed Block Courage Award after returning from a significant injury suffered in 2010. In college, Morgan played in 38 games as the primary long snapper for the Tennessee Volunteers while earning his accounting degree.          

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His subjects have ranged from Apple CEO Tim Cook to Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett to famous American actor Chuck Norris.

His credits include the top national and worldwide publications: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business Week, Travel + Leisure, Garden & Gun, Golf Digest and Zeit Magazin (published in Germany).

Undoubtedly, Houston Cofield’s resume is impressive. He uses his art form of photography to document the key influencers of our time – and more importantly for him – he writes his own narrative of the American South.

One could say that it all started at the ECS Eagle’s Eye newspaper in 2006.

But perhaps it really started three generations ago.

Houston’s paternal grandfather and great grandfather were studio photographers in Mississippi and photographed renowned Southern author William Faulkner throughout his life.

"Having that in the background growing up was really special. I was never planning on being a photographer, but I find it kind of ironic that here I am doing the same thing now.”

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