In September 2003 the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced its amnesty program through which people could sign an official affidavit to get rid of sound recordings obtained illegally, as the RIAA beefed up its program of prosecuting offenders. RIAA allowed an out-of-court settlement, with the average settlement being $3,000. In February 2004 UT’s … Continued

In 2007 the RIAA began issuing pre-litigation letters to students accusing them of violating the copyright laws. Seventy-eight UT students received the letters in spring 2007. The letters urged the students to make an out-of-court settlement of $3,000 with the RIAA before a lawsuit was filed. The RIAA ranked UT as fourth on its list … Continued

Two years after the RIAA amnesty program, the SGA requested that UT provide a legal and convenient means for students to download music through a UTUNES program. In spring 2005 the Office of Information Technology, Student Government, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs initiated a pilot program providing students living in … Continued

Bruce Downsbrough, interim president of the UT Foundation, was charged May 13, 2013, with three federal offenses of receiving child pornography and one federal offense of possessing child pornography. He was fired by the Foundation the day following his arrest at his UT office. During the investigation of Downsbrough, it came to light that he … Continued

The 1,600-square-foot Downtown Art Gallery operated by the School of Art opened in September 2004 with an exhibit of Joseph Delaney’s paintings and drawings. Located in space rented by UT at 106 S. Gay Street, it provides an extension gallery for the Ewing Gallery of Art.

Dr. Brooks Drain joined the faculty of the College of Agriculture in 1931. He was the long-time department head of horticulture. He developed the Orient pear, the Ayres pear, and the Tennessee Beauty strawberry, among many patented varieties. His textbook Essentials of Systematic Pomology was in national and international use. His groundbreaking work with pyrethrum, … Continued

Ann Draughon earned the BS in microbiology (1973) and the MS in food science toxicology (1976) at UT, and the PhD from the University of Georgia in 1979. In 2007 she received one of 10 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. The presidential program, which carries a $10,000 award, is funded … Continued

In May 1984 the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation raising the legal age for consumption of alcohol in Tennessee to 21. This act had the effect of ending a decades-long debate about whether alcoholic beverages should be allowed on campus.

  Native Nashvillian Spruell Driver Jr. earned the BS in industrial engineering in 1987, graduating with high honors. He attended through the Minority Engineering Scholarship Program. He was named a torchbearer, was a member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, and was a Roddy Scholar. He earned the JD degree, conferred by Duke in … Continued