In October 1976 President Gerald Ford presented an American Revolution bicentennial flag to Chancellor Jack Reese and UT Knoxville bicentennial chair Dr. LeRoy Graf in recognition of UT’s designation as an “official bicentennial campus” by the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. (UT was the first institution so designated.)
UT marked the occasion of the centennial with a variety of activities. Joseph Jefferson’s play Rip Van Winkle, directed by Joshua Logan and starring Anthony Quayle as Rip, opened at the Clarence Brown Theatre on January 2 for a two-week run and then went to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for a four-week run as part of the Kennedy Center’s bicentennial program. Project 2000 had students, faculty, and staff keeping diaries. The History Department had a daylong symposium on “The Revolution Revisited” and a presentation on the contributions of African Americans to Tennessee history entitled “We Also Served.” Dr. WJ Julian and the Pride of the Southland Band presented a patriotic show commemorating the bicentennial of the country, which was well received at home and earned a standing ovation in Kentucky at halftime of the UT-UK game. UT Food Services presented Western Frontier Day; Pilgrim’s Day; President’s Dinner (with chartreuse Nixon Juice); Mardi Gras Dinner; Russian-American Space Dinner; and a Happy Birthday America cookout, complete with a red, white and blue birthday cake for two thousand people.