Alice and Carl Kirkland | 2024 Tigrett Award Recipients

Alice and Carl Kirkland are business leaders, philanthropists, and volunteers. The Kirklands are West Tennessee natives and grew up in Union City before calling Jackson home.

Carl attended the University of Mississippi for 3 years, where he studied accounting and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He moved to Memphis to work in the real estate and construction business for D. A. Canale & Associates while finishing college with night school at Memphis State University. Alice attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, where she studied Medical Records Management. Following college, Alice moved to Memphis and worked for Baptist Hospital while Carl set about starting a business.

Carl opened retail stores in Old Hickory Mall in Jackson and West Town Mall in Knoxville. His cousin, Robert Kirkland, opened stores in Nashville. Together, they started a wholesale company called CBK based in Union City and spent 30 to 60 days a year in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, Philippines, and many other countries for next 11 years building the companies. The store bases grew rapidly throughout the 1980s.  Alice hosted annual management meeting dinners for the growing company at their home; kept the household running while Carl was abroad; and put Kirkland’s merchandise on display decorating the Kirkland home.  Kirkland’s went public in2002, and Carl served on the Board of Directors until his retirement in 2016.  

Alice and Carl’s successes allowed them to dedicate their time to volunteer and to provide financial support to nonprofits and groups serving the community. They were active in supporting the Episcopal Day School and University School of Jackson over the years, where Carl served on the Board of Trustees and Alice worked tirelessly for the Mother’s Club. In addition, the Kirklands helped support many community mainstays, such as the Alice and Carl Kirkland Cancer Center, Jackson-Madison County Humane Society, The Jackson Symphony, Episcopal Day School, University School of Jackson, Boy Scouts, First United Methodist Church, and many other organizations.

These days, Carl and Alice love walking with their dogs, spending time with family and friends, and working with various institutions around Jackson to improve the quality of life in their hometown.  Alice and Carl have 3 children - Miles, Brooks, and Abby, and 7 grandchildren.

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About the Tigrett Award

While there are several awards presented at the Charity Gala, the highlight of the evening is the recognition of the Tigrett Award recipient. The Tigrett Award was named to honor the memory of a native Jacksonian, John Burton Tigrett. Each year, the Tigrett Award recognizes a Tennessean who has made an impactful contribution to our state. Since the Tigrett Award was established in 2006, the Community Foundation of West Tennessee's Board of Trustees selects someone that has been a positive representation of the Volunteer State to the world.