Arts and Heritage Council honoring two Clarksvillians for their work in art history
The Clarksville Arts and Heritage Council presented two lifetime achievement awards to two Clarksvillians who have made outstanding contributions to the community’s artistic and historic heritage on Friday, Dec. 2.
Cleo Hogan, attorney and expert genealogist, received the Lifetime Achievement in Heritage award, presented by Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden, and Dr. Gail Robinson-Oturu, Austin Peay State University professor emerita of music, received the Lifetime Achievement in Heritage award, presented by Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts.
Hogan collects the records and stories of Clarksville’s past
Cleo Hogan has devoted much time and talent to preserving Montgomery County’s history.
He served as co-compiler of two volumes of Cemetery Records of Montgomery County and was a contributor to Wallace Cross’s two books on Montgomery County Civil War regiments. Through his expertise in genealogical research, Hogan has published historical treatises on families originating in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. He has actively supported historical organizations in Montgomery County. He was a charter member and served as president of the Valentine Sevier Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and as Chancellor of the Tennessee Society of the SAR.
He is a graduate of Clarksville High School, Austin Peay State University, and the University of Memphis Law School.
Robinson-Oturu uses her talents to serve the community
Soprano Gail Robinson-Oturu has a distinguished record in performance, education, scholarship, and service. Praised for her artistry, interpretation, and technique, her voice has been heard on local, national, and international stages.
A review of her performance with the London Symphony Orchestra noted, “She seemed more than an accomplished performer; she became an elemental force, primal yet infinitely refined. She held her audience rapt.”
Her teaching has garnered much recognition, including the Florida Council for the Advancement and Support of Education Professor of the Year in 1988 and a national silver medal winner from CASE that same year.
She chaired Austin Peay State University’s music department from 2005 to 2009. Robinson-Oturu rechartered the Clarksville Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. She then designed a service project that won the national service award for the chapter. Her academic achievements include research on African-Americans in the mainstream of the classical arts began with her appointment as visiting scholar at Harvard University
Dr. Robinson-Oturu’s leadership and support of the Clarksville Community Concert Association has been crucial throughout her years in Clarksville. In 2020, she was awarded Austin Peay State University’s Clarksville Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Faculty Award for Community Service.
A native of Washington, D. C., Robinson-Oturu earned her bachelor’s degree and master of music education (vocal emphasis) from Howard University and her doctor of philosophy from New York University. She retired from Austin Peay State University in 2021 with the title of Professor Emerita.
The Clarksville Arts and Heritage Council works to foster creativity in our community and to preserve and honor Clarksville’s history.
This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Arts and Heritage council honors two people in art history
