The eight-story Andy Holt Tower houses the university’s system administration; the Knoxville campus administration; and WUTK, the student radio station. It is named for Dr. Andrew David Holt, president of the university from 1959 to 1970. Dr. Holt’s warm personality, remarkable speaking ability, and sense of humor, together with his genuine love for and belief in UT, made the university an institution that the entire state of Tennessee calls its own.
Andy Holt Tower, part of the Student Services and Administration Complex, was planned to consist of a parking garage, a four-story office building addition to the Communications and University Extension Building, and an eight-story (planned originally to be twelve, then ten, and built as eight floors) office building. A $1.2 million parking garage was built first and completed in August 1968. The Andy Holt Tower was occupied by the university administration in 1974, moving from the Austin Peay Building.
When bids were received for the administrative complex in March 1970, they had to be rejected because they exceeded funds available. As planned, the tower was to house offices of the university president, vice presidents, chancellor and vice chancellors and their staffs, the treasurer’s office, development and alumni offices, institutional research, the Learning Research Center and to have a cafeteria on the third floor with limited kitchen facilities. Two floors were to be for parking and tied into the existing garage.
A 51-foot-deep cave, with a 96-foot slope running diagonally was uncovered while workers were preparing the foundation of the building. The cave was filled by drilling into its deepest part and backfilling it with gravel.
Bruce McCarty & Associates was the architectural firm for the administrative complex and garage. Johnson & Galyon was the contractor for the Student Services Building and Andy Holt Tower project. The administrative complex cost $6,450,000.