Head Coach Ray Mears, known as “the “P.T. Barnum of basketball” for his pregame and halftime shows, included, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a member of the team riding a unicycle. The first cyclist was Roger Peltz, an excellent scrimmage player, but one who rode the bench during games. Bill Seale also performed … Continued

The first football uniforms (1892) were put together by the individual players, with many variations, but generally consisted of a black pullover jersey with a sleeveless, buttoned overvest upon which were a “U” and a “T” to the right and left of the opening. In 1902 the overvest was discontinued. Pants were gray. In 1920 … Continued

The Living Wage Campaign at UT began in March 2000. UT student organization Alliance for Hope, the Knoxville Living Wage Campaign, and the AFL-CIO all joined in the effort, which at the time called for university employees to receive a minimum wage of $9.50 per hour with benefits and $11.50 per hour without benefits. In … Continued

Upon the recommendation of Interim President Eli Fly, the board of trustees approved a 3.5 percent raise pool for merit-based salary increases for UT faculty and a 1.5 percent raise pool for merit-based salary increases for UT staff, to be added to the 2.5 across-the-board raises appropriated by the State in July at its December … Continued

United Campus Workers launched a campaign in 2008 to reclassify employees of the Institute for Agriculture who were classified as exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act under an exemption for agricultural workers. More than one hundred Agricultural Experiment Station employees had been classified under the exemption and were working more than … Continued

The United Residence Halls Council began with the February 25, 1970, formation of the Inter Residence Hall Association. The goal of the IRHA was to coordinate the residence hall governments, and it operated through two main bodies, the Chairman’s Council and the Residence Assembly. In 1973 the name of the organization was changed to United … Continued

Three UT-affiliated individuals (two alumni and one former president) have held the United States cabinet-level position heading education. Alumnus Philander P. Claxton was appointed in 1911, and Lawrence G. Derthick was appointed in 1956. UT President Lamar Alexander was appointed in 1991 while serving as UT President.

Woodrow Wilson gave the UT commencement address in 1890 (while still professor of political science at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut—he moved that fall to Princeton). He gave the speech “Leaders of Men,” first delivered in December at Wesleyan). Lyndon B. Johnson was on campus in 1964. Richard Nixon participated in the Billy Graham Crusade … Continued

The student organization United We Stand was formed in spring 2003. Amber Vaughn, a senior majoring in political science, explained to the UT Daily Beacon (April 9, 2003) that the purpose of the organization was to support our troops serving in Iraq and to counter what she and several other classmates perceived as attempts to … Continued

The University 500 gift club was established in 1975 to acknowledge annual donors of $500 or more. The name was changed to University Circle in 1992, recognizing annual donors of $750 or more. In 2001 the club was changed to recognize annual donors of $500–$999.