A project of the university system Bicentennial Steering Committee, the UT Board of Trustees reenacted the signing of UT’s original charter at their fall 1994 meeting in the Carousel Theatre. Garbed in period costumes, they assumed the roles of original Blount College board of trustee members and read from a script prepared by the Office … Continued

Established in 1994 as part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the chartering of UT (as Blount College), all first-time entering freshmen who were Tennessee residents, who had a minimum high school GPA established by the university, who had a minimum ACT or SAT score as determined by UT, and who were fully … Continued

As part of its participation in UT’s bicentennial, the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources utilized a donated cross section of the George E. French white pine tree (named for the founder of the Atlantic Timber Company in Boston), which began growing in 1595, to pinpoint significant university events on the rings of the … Continued

The Army ROTC celebrated the 150th anniversary of the establishment of military instruction on campus with a Veterans’ Day Recognition of Volunteers in November. A military equipment and vehicle display was located near Tom Black Track. A ceremony (with fly-by of military aircraft) was held, and flags and flagpoles were permanently installed at Stokely Athletics … Continued

The UT Police Department began bicycle patrols on campus in 1992. Originally, two Giant ATX 760 mountain bikes were used. Three Cannondale M 700 mountain bikes were added to the fleet in spring 1993.

David Jamison founded the Big Orange Army in 2002. He sold memberships, and members started as privates and moved up through the ranks by enlisting new members. The Big Orange Army entered into a trademark agreement with UT for use of trademarks in 2005 “so long as the Army complies with the royalty terms and … Continued

The UT Knoxville Office of Alumni Affairs and Development initiated the Big Orange Give on November 4, 2013, with a goal of raising $125,000 for UT in 125 hours. Colleges, departments, and student projects were some of the entities benefiting from the minicampaign, in which more than 1,600 donors gave more than $250,000. The campaign … Continued

Senior chemical engineering student Neil Brown and UT alumnus Chris Weller set forth a proposal for planting self-sustaining gardens across campus. The gardens provided low-maintenance, edible additions to the campus landscape in January 2014. In March the Student Government Association Senate passed a resolution in support of the project and placed the project under the … Continued

The Big Orange Pep Club was founded in 1973 and was in charge of decorating all athletic facilities before games. The club also distributed shakers and assisted the cheerleaders in game activities. The group took road trips to away games, sponsored hospitality rooms, and organized pep rallies.