First suggested by Dr. John H. Fisher of the English Department in the ’80s, the Alumni Academic Hall of Fame came into being in 1994 as one of the projects undertaken in commemoration of the two-hundredth founding of the institution (as Blount College). The dean of the libraries officially accepted emplacement of the Hall of … Continued

In fall 1836 the first attempt to organize the alumni of Blount College and East Tennessee College was made. The first recorded meeting of alumni was October 5, when Thomas Humes delivered an address to them. On October 7, 1836, the “alumni of East Tennessee College” held a business meeting and elected as chairman, John … Continued

The Alumni Association offers achievement scholarships to entering freshmen admitted to the university by February 1. The scholarships are for two years. Recipients of these scholarships must meet a minimum academic requirement set by the association. UT alumni chapters win these scholarships for students from their respective chapter areas based upon the chapter’s percentage of … Continued

The association’s annual giving fund began in 1962 when $118,645 was raised.

In 2008 the UT Alumni Association announced that beginning in 2009 it would provide opportunities for alumni from all campuses to save 15 to 20 percent on the cost of home and automobile insurance coverage, with travel insurance to follow shortly thereafter. In a competitive bid process, the initial provider of the insurance was Collegiate … Continued

The Alumni Association offers a four-year National Merit Scholarship to national merit finalists who select a campus of the university as their first college choice. The scholarship is a four-year award with a varying stipend, depending on the financial need of the recipient.

In 1973 a faculty Public Service Award was instituted. David Lipscomb, director of the noise research laboratory in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, received the initial award for the Knoxville campus.

In October 1965 Vice President Herman Spivey announced that two annual $500 outstanding teacher awards would be available for Knoxville, one for the Martin Branch, and one for the Medical Units. He requested that the Standing Council on the Improvement of Teaching and Learning develop suggested criteria and procedures to recommend for the giving of … Continued

The Alumni Association’s scholarship program began in 1953 with freshman scholarship awards. The scholarship program is funded annually through unrestricted annual giving from alumni and friends.

In 1971 the Alumni Tour Program, through which alumni travel throughout the world on tours sponsored by the Alumni Association, was begun. The first trip to Rome was from April 26 to May 5, with 171 alumni taking the trip. Actually, the first alumni tour was a domestic one—a trip to Los Angeles for the … Continued