Getahn Ward, a noted journalist and educator, died on December 9 in Nashville, Tennessee, after a brief illness. He was 45 years old. Ward was a business reporter for The Tennessean and a long-time adjunct professor at Tennessee State University in Nashville.
A native of Liberia in western Africa, Ward came to the United States in 1991 and became a U.S. citizen in 2014. He began work at The Tennessean in 1998 after working for the now shut down Nashville Banner. He also taught journalism classes at his alma mater, Tennessee State University.
Tameka Wilson, chair of the department of communications at Tennessee State University, said that “he was one of the kindest individuals that I have ever met. Getahn was a stellar professor and the department will never be able to replace him.”
The Getahn Ward Memorial Scholarship has been established at Tennessee State University. The scholarship will be awarded to a journalism student each year. The scholarship has been funded by the university, The Tennessean, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Gannett Foundation. It is the first endowed scholarship in the department of communications at Tennessee State University. Professor Wilson added that “this scholarship represents a man who devoted much of his life to the field of journalism and to the education and success of students at Tennessee State University.”
Getahn’s passing leaves a void in the universe. Such an outstanding human being. So glad our paths crossed.