School of Engineering distinguished alumnus L. Hall Hardaway Jr., chairman of the board of Hardaway Construction Corporation, died Sept. 20, 2017, in Nashville. He was 84.
Hardaway graduated from the School of Engineering in 1957 with a degree in civil engineering. He began working as a field superintendent with Hardaway Construction, the firm his father founded in 1924. Concentrating on the commercial side of the business, he led the company into a new era that culminated in the establishment of the Hardaway Group as the 19th largest private enterprise in Tennessee.
Hardaway Construction built the 20-acre Bicentennial Capitol Mall to commemorate Tennessee’s 200th anniversary, a project that features a 250-foot long granite map of the state as well as fountains and memorials to represent state history. It also built Cumberland Park along the river in downtown Nashville.
The company completed the historic restoration of Metro Courthouse, as well as the renovations of other public buildings in Nashville. The company was responsible for the construction of multiple atriums and hotel expansions within Gaylord Opryland.
Hardaway Construction also built a number of schools and university expansions across Middle Tennessee, including at Vanderbilt, Belmont, Middle Tennessee State. At Vanderbilt, the company’s main projects include the engineering school’s Featheringill Hall, the university’s Commons center, and the renovation of Alumni Hall.
In addition to his business and professional achievements, Hardaway was known for his service to and support of Vanderbilt. A former member of the University Board of Trust, he served on the Academic Programs Committee and the Budget Committee. Hardaway also served as president of the Nashville Vanderbilt Club and was a steering committee member for the Campaign for Vanderbilt.
A long-time supporter of the School of Engineering, Hardaway established an engineering scholarship and he was inducted into the school’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2002.
Hardaway served the Nashville community in numerous capacities. He was president and director of the Nashville chapter of Associated General Contractors and director of several construction organizations, including the Construction Specification Institute, Nashville Contractor’s Association and the Tennessee Associated Builders and Contractors. He served on the Sovran Bank Trust Board and the boards of Dominion Bank of Middle Tennessee, Nashville City Bank and Citizens Bank of Hendersonville. Hardaway also was a past member of the Board of Governors of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
His company’s contributions to the community include being Pencil Partner for the Jere Baxter School; the rebuilding of the Dollar General Store and learning center in the Sam Levy neighborhood after it was destroyed by arsonists; and the sponsoring of Habitat for Humanity home building projects.
Hardaway is survived by his wife of 58 years, Linda Sipe Hardaway, three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.