Isaac Gore served as the superintendent of university buildings from 1890 until his death in 1917. Born in 1836 at Rocky Mount, Virginia, Gore came to Bristol, Tennessee, in 1860. In 1867 he moved to what is now Jefferson City and recognized the richness of the zinc deposits in the area. It was through his efforts that the deposits were developed, although the high transportation charges of the day prevented immediate mining of them. In 1871 he moved to Knoxville and entered the contracting business. In 1890 he became the superintendent of buildings for UT.