In 1877 the YMCA was organized at the university. In 1897 the campus YWCA was organized. Beginning in 1934, the two Associations had a joint board and a joint budget and operated as the University Christian Association.

The University Club was the Faculty Club until 1996, when membership was opened to all employees of the university and, later, to all alumni. The Faculty Club moved to the site at the corner of Neyland Drive and Kingston Pike (its third location) in December 1967. The structure was built in 1935 (Baumann and Baumann … Continued

University Concerts Inc. was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in fall 1938, operating within the framework of the university. It had its genesis in November 1937, when opera singer Grace Moore presented a concert in Alumni Memorial Gym, sponsored by the Student-Faculty Entertainment Committee. The concert was attended by 3,911 people and was a financial … Continued

April 11, 1898, was the first University Day, an occasion for alumni to return to the campus. It offered a time of fun and fellowship for students, faculty, and alumni. The trustees officially approved the spring holiday that celebrated the university’s growth and to instill a “greater knowledge of the institution’s history and a greater … Continued

The University Department was organized in 1841 to permit a broader opportunity for students to study nonclassical disciplines. This new course was further revised in 1844 and renamed the English Department and then the English and Scientific Department. In this division, the institution trained its first public school teachers. Students who completed instruction in this … Continued

In 1988, looking forward to the bicentennial of the chartering of UT as Blount College, Chancellor Jack E. Reese decided to create the position of university historian for the Knoxville campus of UT. He appointed Dr. Milton Klein, Alumni Distinguished Service Professor of History Emeritus, to the position. In his letter announcing the appointment, Chancellor … Continued

The University Magazine was a publication of the senior class from 1841 to 1843. It was published monthly during the school session. It included material provided not only by members of the senior class but also by other students, members of the faculty, and friends of the university, including long articles of literary and scientific … Continued

The University Monthly was a monthly paper published by the two literary societies, Chi Delta and Philomathesian, from 1875 to 1878. First published in March 1875, for the first two years the paper was a three-column, eight-page paper. In 1877 it was greatly reduced in overall size but expanded to 32 pages. The contents included … Continued

A four-page mimeographed campus communications tool, “University Notes,” began publication in summer 1942. It was designed for UT faculty and staff and contained news of interest to employees and announcements.

On March 10, 1879, the Tennessee legislature passed an act changing the name of the institution from East Tennessee University to the University of Tennessee.