In spring 1955 sororities complained that their room rent was too high and the chapter rooms in Strong Hall too small. Rental for the chapter room was $650 a year. The university received $90 per quarter, or $360 per year, for each room in Strong Hall occupied as a dormitory room. Sororities occupied the equivalent … Continued

Adhering to a UT tradition holding that, although they could compete against African Americans at other schools, UT’s athletes could not compete against African Americans in UT facilities, Coach Bowden Wyatt cancelled a track meet against Eastern Kentucky in April 1961. There were two African Americans on the Eastern squad, and Eastern refused to participate … Continued

In fall 1962 the Administrative Council banned the practice by fraternities of having parties out of town, primarily in Gatlinburg or at the Wonderland Club Hotel inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “Bad conduct in Gatlinburg” was the principal reason given for banning the parties. The Interfraternity Council made a proposal in March 1962, … Continued

In April 1961 the ROTC units showed ROTC students a film, Operation Abolition. The film, which had been shown to senior ROTC students in the preceding quarter, was a series of newsreel excerpts of student demonstrations in San Francisco during hearings there by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Two campus ministers—Reverend John L. Payne, director … Continued

University Concerts, a nonprofit organization that operated within the framework of the university to bring to campus outstanding entertainment, booked The Chad Mitchell Trio for homecoming. Jerre Haskew, president of the Nahheeyayli board contended, and the Student Government Association agreed, that homecoming was a date traditionally reserved for Nahheeyayli entertainment and that the booking of … Continued

In 1962 African American students pushed to have local eating establishments and movie theaters admit and serve African Americans on the same basis as whites. On January 19, 1963, members of the student organization Students for Equal Treatment began picketing Byerley’s Restaurant and continued to do so for several weeks. In mid-February they attempted to … Continued

ABC’s nationally televised Hootenanny show held two performances in the Brehm Arena in January 1964. Students circulated petitions protesting the “hillbilly” image, which they believed would attach to the university, and threatened a picket line and a boycott. When the request of show producers that students wear calico dresses and blue jeans and the plan … Continued

The Student Government Association sponsored a recognition service of American policy in Vietnam on October 14, 1965. The service, complete with army and air force color guard, bugle corps, and two platoons of cadets, was held on the front lawn of the Carolyn P. Brown University Center and was attended by approximately three hundred students. … Continued

On May 5, 1967, approximately 40 art students picketed the Austin Peay Administration Building to protest the erection of a $25,000 bronze statue based on the Volunteer symbol designed by Theodore Andre Beck. The art students were led by Chris Wade, a junior in art, and Lynne Walker, an art history student who collected signatures … Continued

The November 11 football victory over Tulane and the same day loss by USC sparked a celebration of the potential for a major bowl bid and possibly being the number one team in the nation if UT beat Mississippi State the next week. Thirty four persons, 14 of them students, were arrested for public drunkenness, … Continued