Athletic Director Doug Dickey touched off a media-fed furor when he announced that the Athletic Department would not provide a membership at Cherokee Country Club for new Head Basketball Coach Wade Houston because Cherokee Country Club did not have black members. President Alexander said that the Athletics Department would return the three memberships it held for Doug Dickey, John Majors, and Don Devoe, adding that “the university really has no business subsidizing individual memberships in country clubs.”
Hank Bertelkamp, former UT basketball standout and president of Cherokee Country Club, had served on the committee that identified Houston and encouraged him to accept the position at Tennessee. Bertelkamp indicated that the club had no policy that prohibited African American members and encouraged Houston to apply for membership. Houston was offered a membership in Deane Hill Country Club, which had become integrated two months prior to his appointment.
Ray Mears was the first UT coach to hold a membership at Cherokee by virtue of his position at UT. The initiation fee and monthly dues were paid by boosters. The Athletics Department had since paid fees for football and basketball coaches and for the athletics director.
President Alexander said it had been his policy since taking office not to host any university events at Cherokee, because “several members of the university community tell me they felt they wouldn’t be welcome at Cherokee.” The Anti-Apartheid Coalition posted the names of board of trustee members who were also members of Cherokee at its shantytown.