Harvey Faircloth: Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Gilgour presents Harvey Faircloth with the Simmons Distinguished Service Award at the 2023 Commencement Ceremony

Harvey and Mary Lee Faircloth

The N. Gayle and Rowena Simmons Distinguished Service Award is one of Mineral Area College’s highest honors. It is given to a community member who has had an affiliation with the college and distinguished themselves in outstanding community service. We are pleased to be honoring Harvey Faircloth of Park Hills with this year’s award.

Faircloth served on the MAC Board of Trustees for 18 years, first joining the Board in 2005 and retiring this April. As a Trustee, he worked with three MAC Presidents, supported numerous campus growth initiatives, and most recently helped the college weather the pandemic.

His long-term service to the college has been motivated by his belief that MAC is the greatest asset of the area. Ever the supporter of staff and students, he is a familiar face at events all over campus, from academics to athletics to the arts. His dedication to the college over the past 18 years has provided a strong foundation upon which MAC can grow. He says, “I’m looking forward to what the future holds with the expansion of new buildings, curriculum and activities under the great leadership and employees we have at MAC.”

Some highlights of infrastructure improvements during his tenure as a Trustee include, Fine Arts Theater renovations, Field House seating upgrade and expansion of Allied Health facilities (2007); remodeling of the Fredericktown Outreach Center to include additional classrooms and a science lab, remodeling of science labs and expansion of student services on the main campus (2011); updates to the C.H. Cozean Library (2013); renovation of the North College Center and Fine Arts Theater Lobby (2017); construction of the William Dickerson Welding Technology Center and HVAC buildings (2022); and addition of the 80,500 sq. ft. Industry and Technology Center which will open in Fall 2023.

In addition to his service to MAC, Faircloth is an active member of the community, having served on the Central R-3 school board for 33 years; two terms on the Missouri School Board Association Board of Directors; 43 years as a Lions Club member; and a member of the Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce. He’s a member of Farmington First Baptist Church where he serves as Deacon, sings in the choir and has participated in several overseas mission trips.  Local sports fans know Faircloth from his 42 years umpiring high school and college baseball, 25 years officiating high school basketball, and as Central’s football (49 years) and basketball (31 years) announcer.

Throughout the years, he has been honored with many awards including the Missouri State High School Activities Association Distinguished Service Award (1991); KREI-KTJJ 110% Award (1999 and 2009); Park Hills Citizen of the Year (2003); Missouri Interscholastic Athletics Association Distinguished Service Award (2003); Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Award for Umpiring (2013); and the Lions Club International Melvin Jones Award.

Born and raised in Flat River, Faircloth graduated from Flat River High School in 1959, and after a semester at Southeast Missouri State University, transferred back home to Flat River Junior College (FRJC). He says the small classes and great instructors made coming home to FRJC the best decision he could have made. He later completed a Bachelor of Science and Master of Behavioral Science from The National College of Education, now National Louis University.

Faircloth credits FRJC Dean Dr. Gayle Simmons with helping him get an interview at AT&T in 1961. Thus began a more than 30-year career with the company during which he worked in offices throughout Missouri including Jackson, Hillsboro, Flat River, and St. Louis. He also was a small business owner locally as a partner in The Floor Store in Park Hills, and after his retirement from AT&T, worked part-time for Bess Photography and was the owner/operator of Harv’s Trophies.

Faircloth has been married to his wife Mary Lee, also an FRJC graduate, for 60 years. They have three children, Eric, who passed in 1989, Laurie (Mike) Hatfield, and Scott (Michelle) Faircloth; one foster daughter, Maxine (Ken) Lanman; and are proud grandparents to three grandchildren, Erika Hatfield, Baird and Ollie Faircloth.