Knoxville businessman Tom Black organized, coached, and competed as a member of the Hiwassee College track team while a student in Hiwassee’s preparatory department. In its first year of operation, his team beat every opponent, including the UT freshmen, and won the East Tennessee Track Meet. In 1924 Black began work as a mechanic. In … Continued

Bonnie P. Blackburn began playing golf in the early 1930s and was a pioneer advocate for women’s athletics in Knoxville. She served four times as president of the Knoxville Area Women’s Golf Association and competed in 37 KAWGA events, winning several. An avid supporter of the Tennessee Junior Golf Association, Blackburn used her knowledge of … Continued

Dr. Michael Blackwell, chief of staff of the Office of the US Surgeon General, was named dean of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine in June 2000. Blackwell received his degree in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee University and completed the master’s degree in public health at Loma Linda University. During his 23 years of active … Continued

At its October 20, 1978, meeting with Governor Ray Blanton presiding, the board of trustees voted to name the new Agricultural Engineering Building (now Biosystems Engineering and Environmental Science Laboratory) for him in appreciation of his efforts on behalf of agriculture. This was the same meeting during which Blanton exchanged words with Afro-American Student Liberation … Continued

Ray Blanton graduated from the university in 1951 (agriculture education major) and was a one-term member of the Tennessee House of Representatives (1965–67), a three-term US representative (1967–73), and a one-term governor of Tennessee (1975–79). As governor, he created the Department of Tourism (the first in the nation), emphasized the attraction of foreign investment to … Continued

Dr. Otis Stephens, then associate professor of Political Science and blind at birth, shot a hole in one on the 130-yard, sixth hole of the par three Colonial Golf Course on Chapman Highway in May 1971. Stephens started playing golf while an undergraduate at the University of Georgia. He explained that when he played, he … Continued

The national Block and Bridle Club was established in 1920. Its members are college students from across the nation who have an interest in farm animals. The Volunteer Chapter of Block and Bridle was chartered in 1947. It is the lineal descendant of the Animal Husbandry Club, which was organized in 1939 and reorganized in … Continued

Blog is a shortened form of weblog. The term came into common usage in the late 1990s. Originally, web pages had links to other pages, and some website developers published their bookmark files as pages. Weblogs are more active and tend to be updated at least once a day. UT Law Professor Glenn Reynolds was … Continued

Blooms Days, an annual educational garden festival at the UT Gardens, was first held in June 2003. It is presented by the Friends of UT Gardens, UT Institute of Agriculture, and the Knoxville Experiment Station, together with community and media partners. Seminars and workshops are offered, and vendors offer plants and crafts for sale. Proceeds … Continued

The university was chartered as Blount College on September 10, 1794, the 15th day of the first Assembly of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio, meeting at the call of Governor of the Territory William Blount. UT’s charter was issued at Blount Mansion, the home of the governor, which still … Continued