In 1998 the Physics Department established the Robert Wilson Lide Laboratory Citations, recognizing the exceptional service of Dr. Lide (1922–1998) in operating the departmental laboratories. Lide was born in Hwanghsien, China, the son of American missionaries. He graduated from high school in China in 1939 and returned to the United States to attend college at … Continued

Following rejection of entries in a competition to develop a new facility for Liechtenstein’s parliament in 2000, a second competition chose the design submitted by the firm of UT Architecture Associate Professor Hansjörg Göritz. The design won the Prime Laureate 2010 Wienerberger Brick Award. The structure was selected from 260 nominees from 32 countries. For … Continued

Refining the earlier Academic Prelude program, the Life of the Mind program began in 2003. It is a summer reading assignment of a book chosen to foster discussion among freshmen, followed by discussions during Welcome Week activities and throughout the year. Faculty and staff volunteers lead the discussion groups. The first book chosen—by a faculty … Continued

The international best seller Life’s Little Instruction Book, a list of 511 ideas for leading a happy and fulfilling life, was written as advice to UT advertising student Adam Brown from his father. When his things were unpacked in North Carrick Hall, Adam was given a list by his father, H. Jackson Brown. According to … Continued

The name of UT Medical Center’s emergency rescue helicopter program is Lifestar, and its helicopters carry the LIFESTAR logo. At the urging of Dr. Robert L. Lash, a staunch proponent of emergency rescue services, the decision was made in the spring of 1984 to acquire a helicopter for emergency rescue and transport service. The helicopter … Continued

New Provost Robert Holub announced in spring 2007 a Light the Torch Campaign to increase freshman retention. He appointed a committee to study the issue but moved forward with implementation of some elements. He increased the academic emphasis during Welcome Week by adding to the Life of the Mind program a Passport to Success program … Continued

Jonathan Lighter followed his mentor, John Hurt Fisher of the English Department, to UT in the early 1970s and earned the PhD in English in 1980. He became interested in American slang in the 1960s when, as a high school student, he began to collect slang words and origins. His first major article, “The Slang … Continued

“Limping Jesus” was a nickname applied by some students to Reverend Thomas Humes, who became president of the university in 1865. Humes was the longtime Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Knoxville and had been a staunch Unionist during the Civil War. It was reported that while he was delivering a prayer at St. … Continued

As cadet commander, Willis Lincoln helped MacGregor Smith to organize the students who leveled and graded Shields-Watkins field in 1921. He graduated in 1922 with an engineering degree, and at his death, he left over one million dollars to the university. The funds were used to establish the Lincoln Chair of Excellence in Physics. A … Continued

In March 2007 the UT Board of Trustees named the field within Lindsey Nelson Stadium the Robert M. Lindsay Baseball Field. Lindsay, a Maryville native, made a $2 million lead gift toward $6 million in renovations at the complex. Lindsay, a Columbus, Georgia, resident, served in the navy during World War II and the Korean … Continued