James and Carlydia Berry have been given the President's Award for Excellence in Philanthropy by Chattanooga State Community College.
"The honor is bestowed upon individuals or organizations whose leadership and generosity have been instrumental in advancing the mission of the college. The Berry's many generous gifts to Chattanooga State established them as the college's leading philanthropist for 2010," according to a news release.
The couple was given the award by Chattanooga State President Jim Catanzaro during the first Fellows' Club Luncheon hosted by the Chattanooga State Foundation in December.
Chattanooga State has named an auditorium in the Health Science Center in honor of the family.
Among other things, the Berry's gift also went to the Jim and Carlydia Berry Scholarship for students in Health Science programs at Chattanooga State.
Originally from rural Mississippi, James Berry began his career as a parking lot attendant. He went on to build Republic Parking System, a Chattanooga-based company that employs more than 2,500 people.