Verna Hall Research Award 2016 Recipient Mrs. Bobbie Ames

Chesapeake, Virginia – November 11, 2016 - Acknowledging outstanding lifetime achievement in education and America's Christian history has been the purpose of the Foundation for American Christian Education for over fifty years. Periodically, the Foundation awards an individual of distinguished service with the Verna Hall Research Award. This year the recipient of this prestigious award is Alabama native and leader in Christian education Bobbie Mae Hackney Ames of Montgomery, Alabama.

Delegates at the "Reason for Hope" Conference held November 11-12 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, gave Mrs. Bobbie Ames a resounding ovation as they heard the story of Mrs. Ames' accomplishments in founding and establishing Christian schools, in political and community service, and in her scholarly writing for publication in Christian history and government. Conference participant, Carey Dudkovsky, Executive Vice-President of the Foundation for American Christian Education said, "Mrs. Ames' life and work are an inspiration to parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators, and scholars."

Mrs. Ames was born in Washington, North Carolina, attended Greensboro College, then East Carolina Teacher's College, now East Carolina University, majoring in Elementary Education. She married John Brewer Ames in 1950 and lived in Selma, Alabama and later in Marion, Alabama while raising their five children, Elizabeth, John Jr., David, Laurie, and Jim Hackney. Today, there are 12 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Mr. and Mrs. Ames founded Perry County Christian School in 1965, where Mrs. Ames taught and was the school administrator. She pursued graduate work in Library Science and a Masters Degree in School Administration.

Over the years, Bobbie was active in Republican political circles, having served as President of the Federation of Republican Women at the county and state levels, and as Republican National Committeewoman from Alabama, from 1968-1972.

Mrs. Ames built a library at Emerald Mountain Christian School to preserve and to assure vital and pure research with over 45,000 volumes in the collection. This valuable research source has enabled her to write for an area newspaper, The Alabama Gazette, for the last six years writing on issues of education and history from the Biblical worldview.

Today Emerald Mountain Christian School's mission has expanded into an outreach and research division called "The Hoffman Education Center for the Family." Son David Ames is the headmaster of the school with the very able help of Joanna, his wife.

The Foundation for American Christian Education commends the life and contribution of Mrs. Ames to the field of Biblical Classical education and America's Christian History and Heritage.

Press Release from the Foundation for American Christian Education.

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