Willard N. Albert, a New York native, was attending Duke University Law School when he entered the service in 1942. He was discharged in 1943 and entered the UT College of Law. Albert is generally considered to be the first veteran in the nation to quality and register for VA Education Benefits
Pat Pomphrey, captain of the SEC Championship UT Track Team, was named an All-American in 1966.
The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges recognized UT Professor of Comparative Medicine Dr. Sharon Patton as its 1999 teacher of the year. Earlier in the year she was chosen by her peers to receive the Norden Award, a national award that recognizes excellence in teaching in veterinary schools. Receiving the Norden award put Patton … Continued
A few cadets traveled to Chattanooga in October 1890. This appears to be the first intercollegiate participation in track and field, although the students traveled as individuals, rather than as a team. In 1898 UT participated in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association field meet, in which UT amassed 7 points and Percy P. Bishop won … Continued
Dr. Shenggang Liu was appointed in summer 1990 as UT’s first visiting distinguished professor. Liu, a specialist in microwave electronics, was on leave from the China Institute of Electronic Science and Technology, where he served as professor and president. At the time of his appointment, eight UT faculty held the title of “distinguished professor,” but … Continued
Although the early records of the university have been lost, four students are known to have enrolled in Blount College at the time of its opening in 1794: Clement C. Clay (later governor of Alabama), Thomas Cocks, Lemuel Montgomery, and William Parker (the first graduate).
The first student association (The Students’ Association) was formed in 1901. It adopted a constitution and bylaws on September 29, one day after being proposed. Its first president was James T. Cox, and it adopted the colors orange and white at its September 29 meeting.
The first swimming pool on campus opened in February 1907 in the YMCA Building on the Hill. It was 50 feet long, 16 feet wide, and varied in depth from 4 feet to 7 feet. It contained thirty thousand gallons of water, which were changed weekly. It was heated to 70 degrees by an Otis … Continued
William B. Nolan, a graduate student in the College of Business, was the first student member of the board of trustees. Elected by the student body in spring 1974, he was approved by Governor Dunn and served for the 1974–75 year. Following his term he was replaced by a student from the Martin campus. He … Continued
In 1881, soon after the establishment of the first telephone exchange in Knoxville, a student proposed to install a telephone on the Hill, but the trustees determined that a telephone was unnecessary. The faculty requested the installation of a telephone in June 1883, and the phone was installed in October 1883.