Ann Baker Furrow, 26, appointed in 1971, was the first female appointed (by Governor Winfield Dunn) to the UT Board of Trustees. Her appointment was in accord with the 1971 bill (sponsored by Rep. Frances Doyle [D-Nashville] and Rep. Owen Fleming [D-Bristol]) requiring that the next vacancy on the board be filled by a woman … Continued

In 1937 a controversy occurred as students sought to have women, as well as men, lead cheers. After considerable discussion and negotiation, Dean of Women Harriet Greve, who had previously opposed the notion, recommended that women be allowed to be cheerleaders. The first female cheerleaders selected from among the six hopefuls who tried out at … Continued

In June 1993 Women’s Athletics Director Joan Cronan announced that Pat Summitt had signed a five-year contract to coach the Lady Vols basketball team. The contract, the first for a female coach, called for a base salary of $110,000 and a talent and promotion stipend of $20,000.

Dr. Lorayne Lester was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in December 1996 after serving as interim dean since the preceding May. She remained as dean until her retirement in 2002. Lester earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from UT and joined the faculty in 1960. She was head of the Departments … Continued

Alma Reagan of Gatlinburg was the first female chair of UT’s Development Council, serving from 1978 to 1980. During the time she served, UT held its first capital gifts campaign, the Tennessee Tomorrow campaign. She and her husband, Hal, established one of UT’s largest endowments at the time, supporting academic and athletic scholarships, faculty awards, … Continued

The first female drum major was Kelly Bradshaw in 2005. Two other females, Holly Jones and Brooke Rhea, had previously served as assistant drum majors.

The first female to edit the Orange and White was Katherine Goddard (Parkinson) in 1923. (Estes Kefauver was managing editor.) She was also the first woman to serve on the Publications Council.

Helen Thorburn of Virginia was employed as assistant registrar and began work September 9, 1895. She was a student (class of 1896) and president of the university’s Women’s League. After graduation she taught in the public schools in Memphis.

Dr. Marcia Katz (1942–2006) joined the faculty of the College of Engineering in 1977. She (MS 1972, PhD 1974) was also the first female to earn the PhD from the college. She was a 1985 American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ White House Fellow, and she served as policy advisor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and … Continued

Johanna Noonan of Cookeville is credited with being the first female in the South to graduate in engineering (and she was the first women to enroll in engineering at UT). She was in the UT Chemical Engineering Program (then in the Department of Chemistry) in 1922. She served as vice president of the senior class.