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Committee grants permission for county monument to Jethro Sumner; members request clarity on DAR involvement
Summary
Sumner County's General Operations Committee voted to allow a proposed courthouse monument honoring Jethro Sumner to proceed to commission while asking staff to answer questions about the Daughters of the American Revolution's (DAR) role and wording before final approval.
The Sumner County General Operations Committee voted Dec. 1 to grant permission for a proposed courthouse monument honoring Jethro Sumner to be sited in the courthouse circle and authorized staff to pursue grants and private funding for the project.
The mayor presented a rendering and an initial plan for a monument roughly 6 to 7 feet tall, saying the county will pursue Tennessee grant programs and private funds and that the project would "cost taxpayers nothing." He also said the county will apply for grant funding in January and bring the item to the full commission after legislative review.
Commissioner Jones raised concerns about possible involvement of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), citing historical exclusionary practices at the national level and asking whether local chapters and the monument language would reflect inclusive membership and values. "They have a racist background... they didn't allow black members until 1977," Jones said, and asked for confirmation whether the DAR would be named on the monument or otherwise tied to the project. The mayor and other committee members said the county is the applicant for the grant and that the DAR is not expected to be the project sponsor; the mayor said he did not think the DAR's name would appear on the monument. Committee members asked staff to secure a DAR representative or clear information by the full commission meeting so members could vote with that context.
The committee signaled support for the monument's concept and an unveiling event planned for July 8 that would include readings and a parade, but asked that staff provide written confirmation about funding sources, sponsorship and any verbiage that will appear on the monument before the commission acts. The committee's approval at this meeting was permission to pursue the project and to advance grant applications—not final design or funding acceptance.
Next steps: county staff will pursue grant applications in January, obtain clearer statements about sponsor/partner roles (including whether DAR will be credited on the monument), and return the project to the commission for final consideration.
