SHREVEPORT, La. — Centenary College of Louisiana has announced the establishment of the John Garrett Ratcliff Endowed Chair of Philosophy following a $1 million gift from John Garrett Ratcliff and Joy Fair Ratcliff.
The chair was established in memory of the couple’s son, Thomas Kalford Ratcliff, who lived from 1994 to 2021. According to the college, the gift honors Thomas’s passion for philosophy, social justice and the fight against homelessness and the criminalization of poverty and race.
Thomas Ratcliff was remembered by family and friends as a deeply loving individual who was drawn to philosophy, religion, and sociology. His family’s gift aims to ensure his values regarding oppression and advocacy endure at the institution…