Surrounded by his family and many friends, Ernest L. Chism, former Shelby County School Board member, two-term Germantown alderman, and longtime principal of Germantown High School passed away late September 2, 2016 in Memphis, Tennessee. Chism was 77 years old. Known for his folksy humor, colorful personality and “tell-it-like-it-is” approach, Chism earned a well-deserved reputation throughout the county and state for his honesty and integrity. He is considered by many to be one of the founding leaders of the modern-day Germantown community. Besides the many public offices he held and 28 year Germantown High School principalship, Chism was actively engaged in numerous community, church and civic affairs. Born in 1939 in Hayti, Missouri to Ollie and Bertha Chism, Ernest was the youngest of 12 children, eight brothers and four sisters. For whatever his small country schools may have lacked in sophistication, they made up for in opportunity. By the time he had graduated, Chism had achieved the distinction of being the president of both the senior class and the student council. Equally involved in sports and other extra-curricular activities, he served as the captain of the football team, earned honors as an all-state tackle, and was named best supporting actor for his role as Chief Sitting Bull in the school’s production of Annie Get Your Gun. This nascent multitalented leadership ability served as a precursor of what was ahead for Chism in his adult career. He decided early on to enter the teaching profession. Chism received his bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University while on a football scholarship and then went on to receive his masters from the University of Memphis. One of his initial teaching assignments was as an art teacher at Westwood High School, along with future Germantown High School football coach and athletic director Ken Netherland. He also taught and served as an assistant and then head football coach. Realizing Chism had many more talents than his paint-by-number art skills, his superiors quickly vaulted him into other positions. He swiftly moved up the ranks and served in Shelby County Schools moving to Hillcrest High School as an assistant principal before finally being named principal of Raleigh-Egypt High School when it opened in 1969. He was the youngest person ever appointed to become principal in Shelby County Schools. In 1973, he was named principal of Germantown High School. During his long tenure at Germantown, Chism oversaw a rapid expansion process that turned the small country school into a nationally recognized powerhouse that annually garnered academic, athletic and fine arts awards. Known for his ability to hire stellar teachers and coaches, Chism refashioned the school’s culture and built the school’s reputation in record time. He created an athletic dynasty replete with major state championships and national rankings in almost every sports category, winning for the school the Best of the Preps trophy sixteen years in a row. He oversaw the creation and the development of the most comprehensive video curriculum and largest high school video production facility in the country, earning for the school the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Arts in Education Award, one of only eight high schools in America to receive this honor. Under his stewardship Germantown regularly placed at the top of the list for national merit finalists and consistently won state, regional and national academic contests in every subject area. In the early 80’s, as the potential for personal computers was still in its infancy, Chism authorized the creation of a computer lab, the first in Shelby County and one of the first in the state. Visitors from all over the country and the world, including President George H. W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and an official delegation from the People’s Republic of China, toured the school to learn the secret of Chism’s success. The school was named as a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the Department of Education in 1994. The list of local, state and national leaders in the business, sports and arts fields who graduated from Germantown High is long and legendary. A partial list includes Amy Weirich, Shelby County District Attorney; Mickey Callaway, former Major League pitcher and pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians; Ian Clark, NBA basketball player for the Golden State Warriors; Debbie Elliott, National Public Radio broadcaster; Ben Johnson, major league baseball player, Paul Maholm, major league baseball pitcher, Cindy Parlow, US women's national soccer team member, Chris Parnell, former Saturday Night Live actor, Wes Day, founding member of the Blue Man Group, and film and Broadway actress Missi Pyle. Beyond his work as Germantown principal, Chism served for 28 years as chairman of the Shelby County Schools Principals’ Association. He helped develop the Deputy on Campus Program for Shelby County Schools in conjunction with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, and served on the committees which planned and developed the alternative school and in school suspension programs for the school system. He was presented the Distinguished Administrator Service Award by the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association in 1995 and in 2001 was named as the District Administrator of the Year by the same organization. After his retirement from the school system in 2002, Chism ran for and was elected to the Shelby County Board of Education. He was re-elected twice and served in that position until 2013. During his school board tenure, he was instrumental in advocating for the building of a new high school in southeast Shelby County. In 2007, Southwind High School opened its doors. He continued to champion new schools and renovations to meet students’ needs, including the renovations at Millington Central High School and new construction at Collierville & Elmore Park Middles. In 2004, he ran for a seat on the Germantown Board of Mayor and Alderman and was re-elected in a landslide vote in 2008. Chism served on the Financial Advisory Commission, the Telecommunications Commission and the Education Commission for the city. During his political career Chism never lost an election. Mr. Chism was also highly involved in all aspects of the community. During his career, he served on the Rhodes College President’s Council, and on the Board for Directors for the Mid-South Fair, Germantown Charity Horse Show, Germantown Community Television Foundation, and Germantown Fine Arts Foundation. He was a member of the Germantown United Methodist Church and the Al Chymia Shrine. In 1985 the Germantown Lion’s Club named him as their Citizen of the Year and in 2000, the City of Germantown presented him with its Hometown Hero award. No matter what role he assumed, Ernest Chism had a unalterable determination to give every person he met the means to be the best they can be, to do the most that is possible, and to perform to the highest standard. He spent his entire adult life finding ways to open doors for others in order to allow them to achieve. In education, he set the example for every other high school and high school principal in town. In politics, he always voted his conscience and for what was best for the community, despite any political fallout. He worked tirelessly and selflessly to attain his goals and work for the goals of others who shared his passion for what was right. His often irreverent attitude, coupled with his great sense of fun and humor, is near legend across the state and has helped to make Germantown a vibrant, creative and ever-changing community. He was a rare, genuine, one-of-akind human being who will be mourned and missed by thousands. Mr. Chism is survived by his wife of 53 years, Alyce Ann Barnes Chism; two children, George Chism (Tracy) and Lee-Ann Kight (David); and 4 grandchildren, Barnes and Anna Chism and Max and Jacob Kight. The family requests that memorials be sent to Methodist Healthcare Foundation, "Ernest Chism Fund," P.O. Box 42048, Memphis, TN 38174-2048. The family will receive friends on Monday, September 5, 2016 from 5-8 p.m. at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. Funeral services for Mr. Chism will be held Tuesday, September 6, 2016 at 11 a.m. at Germantown United Methodist Church.