The John M. Lain Lecture is an annual event presented by Kappa Tau Alpha, UT’s honor society for mass communications. The lecture is named in honor of Professor John Lain who joined the UT journalism faculty in 1949 after serving as a naval aviator in World War II and then working for an aviation magazine. Lain represented the national president of KTA at the installation of Tennessee’s chapter in 1952 and served as KTA advisor until 1973. Lain retired in 1977, at which time the lecture in his name was established. He died in 1997.