Two plaques honor brothers Bob and Ken Smith at the base of a Kwanzan flowering cherry tree. One plaque reads: Bob Smith / 1957-2005 / The best father, son, brother, friend, and / Vol fan. The other reads: In Memory of / Ken Smith / our number one / Vol. Bob and Ken Smith were sons of Jim and Chris Smith and grew up in Seymour where their father managed Brookhaven Farm for the late Harry Brooks. They were both lifetime Vol fans, following both the football and the basketball Vols. Ken attended UT for three years (starting out in speech communication and transferring to agriculture) after serving in the armed forces, then married and completed his degree at Kansas State University. Bob attended junior college in Kansas and then was employed by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, using his free time in showing cattle and other animal science pursuits.
There were no more loyal Vol fans than these two, and the family decided that a memorial in Circle Park, along the Vol Walk, would be a most appropriate tribute to their dedication. Since the family continued to return to the area and the campus for family gatherings, they would be able to visit the memorial. Both brothers passed along their love of the Vols to their children. In fact, Bob’s son, Trace Smith, attended the football camp at UT in 2009; at age 13, he won his classification for punting with an average of 36 yards a punt.