In January 1979 the UT Knoxville Faculty Fringe Benefits Committee suggested the formation of a retirees association. In February a resolution prepared by the committee was adopted by the Faculty Senate and sent forward to Chancellor Jack Reese, who endorsed the concept. In November the first meeting of the association was held, and in January 1980 the retirees approved a constitution for the organization to be known as the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Retirees Association. (The name was changed to the University of Tennessee Retirees Association in September 1990.) It was decided that the UT Knoxville Personnel (later, Human Resources) office would facilitate the operation of the group.
In spring 1982 the need for a campus headquarters was advanced, and in October 1986 the headquarters was opened in renovated space in Tyson House. In April the headquarters of the retirees association moved to 208-B of the Conference Center Building, and in 2009 the group moved to 232 Conference Center Building. The purpose of the retirees association is to promote communication between the university and its retirees and their families, to assist the university in carrying out its objectives, to provide spokespersons for the retirees, to be an advocate for retirees in promoting and enhancing benefits, and to offer opportunities for retirees and their families to socialize with each other.