Columbia Central Event Center Renamed for Former Principal and Superintendent Eddie Hickman

The Columbia Central High School Event Center has been officially renamed in honor of Edward A. "Eddie" Hickman, a dedicated educator, coach, administrator, and former superintendent. Hickman's career with Maury County Public Schools spanned over four decades, impacting countless students and the wider community.

Vincent Moretti

October 14, 2026 · 3 min read

Maury County Public Schools officially renamed the Columbia Central High School Event Center in memory of Edward A. "Eddie" Hickman on October 9, 2026, honoring the longtime educator, coach, administrator and former superintendent whose career in the district spanned more than four decades. The 7 a.m. ceremony at the school, at 921 Lion Parkway in Columbia, brought together Hickman's friends and family, district staff and the Columbia Breakfast Rotary Club, which funded a commemorative plaque dedicated in his honor.

Columbia Central Event Center Renamed to Honor Eddie Hickman's Legacy

Hickman, who passed away this spring, was a former principal of Columbia Central High School and a former superintendent of Maury County Public Schools. The renaming ceremony, announced days in advance by local outlets, was framed by the district as a tribute to a man whose life was deeply connected to the students, schools and wider Maury County community.

Alongside the new name for the event center, attendees dedicated a commemorative plaque recognizing Hickman's contributions to the district. The Columbia Breakfast Rotary Club, which hosted the morning gathering, funded the plaque in recognition of what the district described as his lasting contributions to the community and to Maury County Public Schools.

Maury County Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Ventura said the location of the honor carried particular meaning. "Mr. Hickman's legacy will forever live on in Maury County Public Schools and in the countless students, educators, coaches, and families whose lives he touched," Ventura said. "There could not be a more fitting place to honor his memory than here at Columbia Central High School, a school that meant so much to him and where he served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal."

Eddie Hickman's Four-Decade Journey in Maury County Public Schools

Hickman's career followed an unusually complete arc: he was a product of the same school system he would eventually lead. The milestones below consolidate the key dates and roles reported across the district's announcement and local coverage, tracing his path from student to the district's top job.

Key milestones in Eddie Hickman's career with Maury County Public Schools
Year	Milestone
1969	Graduates from Columbia Central High School
1973	Begins career in education at Hampshire Unit School as a teacher and coach
1973–1988	Serves in several schools throughout the district
1988	Returns to Columbia Central High School
1988–2004	Serves 16 years at Columbia Central as teacher, coach, assistant principal and ultimately principal
2004	Named Director of Schools for Maury County Public Schools

The chronology underscores why the district called him a product of Maury County Public Schools: every stage of his working life, from his first teaching and coaching post at Hampshire Unit School in 1973 through his return to his alma mater in 1988, unfolded within the same district. His 16 years at Columbia Central culminated in the principalship before he moved into the district's central leadership.