Longtime Middle Tennessee banker, philanthropist, Boy Scout council president dies at 89

Kirsten Fiscus and Kerri Bartlett, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·4 min read
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Long-time banker and philanthropist Waymon Hickman shared his mantra with a Tennessean reporter in 2001: take care of the community and the community will take care of you.

A well-known community servant, Hickman was loyal to the city he called home, his alma mater and the Middle Tennessee Council of Boy Scouts of America.

He died at home Saturday in the community he loved. He was 89.

"I have never known a better person," Hickman's longtime friend and colleague Bill Walter said Monday. He'd known Hickman for more than 40 years. "He was a super professional man. He genuinely cared for other people and was a very giving and thoughtful person. The people who worked around him and for him had the utmost respect for him."

Walter, retired CEO of Maury Regional Medical Center, said he'd never met anyone who'd contributed more to his community. He spoke of the many civic, community and professional boards Hickman belonged to in the finance, education and health fields. At one point, the two men had served together on the First Farmers and Merchants Bank board, he said.

Senator Bob Corker, left, shakes hands with Waymon Hickman during a special joint meeting between Kiwanis Club of Columbia and Noon Rotary at the Maury County Memorial Building in Columbia, Tenn., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2017.
Senator Bob Corker, left, shakes hands with Waymon Hickman during a special joint meeting between Kiwanis Club of Columbia and Noon Rotary at the Maury County Memorial Building in Columbia, Tenn., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2017.

"He was involved in many, many different organizations... He touched all aspects of this community,“ Walter said.

Born and raised in Obion County's Protemus, Hickman graduated from the Dixie School in 1952. He started his college career at the University of Tennessee at Martin thanks to an agriculture scholarship before finishing his degree at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1956, his obituary said.

After graduation, Hickman moved to Columbia, where he taught agriculture for two years before joining First Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1958.

Hickman served the bank for more than 50 years and worked his way up to president, CEO and board chair.

Brian K. Williams, current First Farmers and Merchants Bank CEO, said Hickman was the epitome of a community banker during his career, which included serving as CEO from 1991 to 2002 and then as chairman of the board from 1996 to 2005.

"Mr. Hickman's service included transformative growth in our bank’s size, geographic reach, and service lines.  Beyond the footprint of our bank, he was truly a titan in the banking industry with his leadership and influence spanning our state and our nation," Williams said.

"He had a keen understanding of the importance of the well-being of the people and communities around him and was deeply dedicated to serving and giving back across our state. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy as a leader and community servant. It is my hope and prayer that the organization he loved so much and to which he dedicated his life, will continue to serve as a fitting tribute to that legacy."

A rendering of the Waymon L. Hickman Building at Columbia State Community College in Columbia, Tennessee.
A rendering of the Waymon L. Hickman Building at Columbia State Community College in Columbia, Tennessee.

Hickman also served as chair of the Tennessee Bankers Association, was a member of the board of the American Bankers Association, director and audit committee chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and president of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

Education was of the utmost importance to Hickman, who invested in scholarships for students at the University of Tennessee and Columbia State Community College and funded scholarships for 4-H youth development, his obituary said.

Columbia State's arts building was named in Hickman's honor, because of his contributions to education. Completed in 2001, the Waymon L. Hickman Building is home to the Cherry Theater, the arts and music programs, Pryor Art Gallery and the Maury County Center for Training and Workforce Development.

Janet Smith, president of Columbia State, said the college family is saddened by the loss of Hickman and will greatly miss him.

"To speak of the connection between Waymon L. Hickman and Columbia State Community College is to speak of involvement, guidance, care, and generosity for the betterment of the community, the college, and most importantly the student and their success," Smith said.

"We are proud and honored that the building that represents our connection to the community-and one in which Mr. Hickman’s time and leadership resulted in completion-is named in his honor."

University of Tennessee women's athletics director Joan Cronan, centered, is pictured with University of Tennessee alumni at a past Kiwanis Club of Columbia meeting. Waymon Hickman, right, who has been recognized by the University of Tennessee with many honors including the Development Council Service Award in 2010, stands with now Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, a former Columbia Central student body president and football player, and president of the University of Tennessee student body in the 2004-05 school year.

Hickman previously served on the University of Tennessee's Board of Trustees and the UT National Alumni Association Board of Governors.

Hickman was also a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, where he was the longest-standing member present at the club's 100th Anniversary Luncheon in 2021.

Hickman is survived by his wife of 20 years, Helen, seven children and step-children, 11 grand children and two great-grandchildren.

Visitation with family will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Columbia First United Methodist Church with service to follow at noon. A private family burial will follow.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee banker, philanthropist served others for years before death