Leadership Donors
The Stones River Association honors those donors who have given a total annual gift of $500 or more to the United Way of Rutherford County. Members of this Association join a unique society of individuals dedicated to doing what matters in our community.
Because of their generosity, children are nurtured, the elderly are assisted, communities are shaped, and lives are changed. Those belonging to the Stones River Association serve as an example of caring in our community, and we thank you for your compassion.
The Alexis de Tocqueville Society
$10,000 and above
After first visiting America in 1831, a young Frenchman name Alexis de Tocqueville couldn’t help but notice that Americans were eager to help each other in times of need. He late recognized, applauded, and immortalized the voluntary spirit of Americans in his writings, Democracy in America. His admiration for the spirit of volunteerism and efforts for the common good captures of the spirit of this national society.
“I must say that I have seen Americans make great and real sacrifices to the public welfare; and I have noticed hundreds of instances in which they hardly ever failed to lend faithful support to one another.” - Alexis de Tocqueville
The Sam Davis Society
$5,000 – $9,999
A young Civil War soldier and native of Smyrna, TN, Davis was a scout who was hanged for his Confederate duties. When captured and questioned about troop movements, he is reported to have said, “I would die a thousand deaths before I would betray a friend.”
The Col. Hardy Murfree Society
$2,500 - $4,999
Col. Hardy Murfree was a Revolutionary War hero who is credited as being the namesake of the city of Murfreesboro. He fought in major battles, including Monmouth and Brandywine, earning him a land grant in Middle Tennessee. Murfreesboro served as the state capitol of Tennessee from 1811 – 1826.
The Cpt. William Lytle Society
$1,000 - $2,499
In 1811, the Tennessee State Legislature appointed a committee to select a new site for the Rutherford County seat. The site eventually chosen was 60 acres of land belonging to Captain William Lytle, a Revolutionary War hero who was described as a man of “mechanical genius, strong will, and purpose.”
The Gov. Newton Cannon Society
$500 - $999
Gov. Newton Cannon, Tennessee’s first Whig Governor and an advocate for public education, is the namesake of Cannon County and Cannonsborough, the original seat of Rutherford County that was renamed to Murfreesboro at the request of Captain William Lytle. Cannon was a contemporary of Middle Tennessee legends Andrew Jackson and James Polk.
