James G. (Jimmy) Walls taught introductory geology courses at UT from 1930 to 1977, coached the golf team, directed Neyland Stadium ticket arrangements, and supervised ushering at UT basketball games. He also served as Knox County Welfare Director from 1956 to 1966. He gained enormous popularity and respect from students for his enjoyable teaching style, class presentations, personal attention and assistance, and impeccable dress code.
He won the Excellence in Teaching Award from the freshmen men’s honor society in 1970 and received a UT Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award in 1972. He was named an honorary member of the Tennessee Letterman’s Club. He retired in 1977. In 1988 the lecture hall in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Building was named for him. In 1994 a gift from geologist-businessman Gilbert H. Boyd of Houston and his wife Jo Ann established an endowment in the Department of Geology (now Earth and Planetary Sciences) to honor Walls. Boyd graduated from UT at Chattanooga and was a graduate teaching assistant at UT, working with Walls, from 1952 to 1956. Income from the fund was directed toward visual presentation awards and undergraduate student awards for introductory courses in geology.