UT students from Up to Us, SPEAK, UT Economics Club, Project Veggie, and Net Impact teamed up during the 2014 Recyclemania event to create a box fort to raise awareness of conservation, recycling, and the large national debt. The project involved forming 4,800 cardboard boxes into a Power T near the Humanities and Social Sciences … Continued

UT’s Circle K Club began a recycling effort in spring 1971. The response was great, and in 1972 the project was expanded beyond Circle K and evolved into Project Recycle, involving academic buildings as well as dormitories with approval of the vice chancellor for student affairs and the chancellor. The Physical Plant Department (now Facilities … Continued

In early fall 2002, President Shumaker toured several campus buildings and indicated that his first impression of them all was that the hallways were cluttered. As one of the means of clutter reduction, Vice President for Operations Phil Scheurer had the large round rolling recycling containers removed from the hallways to loading docks, and the … Continued

In 1925 the girls “T” club organized the Red Caps. Membership consisted of all letter women, two nonfraternity representatives, and one woman from each sorority. A small “red cap” pin was designated the emblem of the club. The Red Caps were named after the group of porters who were found at all large train stations. … Continued

Student Chris Lewis was the organizing chairman of UT’s American Red Cross Collegiate Chapter in February 2004. UT’s chapter was the first collegiate chapter in Tennessee and one of 12 nationwide.

A “red dot” notice in the window of a car allows the car to be parked in any staff lot. Individually assigned red dots were first issued (as bumper stickers, along with the lot assignment sticker) in the 1970–71 academic year. Transferable red dots (a card in the window) were first issued in summer 1988, … Continued

In 1982 Paul Hethmon, engineering freshman from Union City (BS 1985) formed the Society for the Restoration of Red M&Ms. Four years, five thousand written responses, and five hundred society members later, red M&Ms were restored by M&M/Mars. Red M&M’s were purged in 1976 after the US Food and Drug Administration banned Red Dye No. … Continued

The first reduction in force since the depression of the 1930s was in 1991, when a reduction in force of 44 individuals in custodial services was implemented. In 1996 a reduction in force of 78 employees was implemented, 55 of whom were employed in the Computing and Administrative Services unit.

In May 1996 Chancellor William T. Snyder announced that budget restraints would require the layoff of 78 employees, effective June 30. The state appropriation for UT Knoxville was $1.4 million less than the previous year; the university was responsible for one-third of a 3 percent salary increase; and projected fixed costs had risen. The budget … Continued

Located on the site of what is now the 1964 addition to Hesler Biology Building, a small workshop built in 1886 was replaced on the same site in 1888 with a large Mechanical Building. The building was 80 feet by 80 feet on the outside with a one-story 30-foot by 50-foot annex and a 16-foot … Continued