John Brooks entered the university in 1859 and left the institution early in 1861 to join the Confederate army. While a student, he organized the first two military companies and was the first instructor of military tactics and commandant. He was a member of the Chi Delta Literary Society. At the Battle of Chickamauga, he … Continued

Harvey Broome, a 1923 UT graduate, was a lawyer and clerk of court, but his contributions in protecting the natural environment are those for which he is remembered. At UT he was editor of the 1923 Volunteer, president of Chi Delta Literary Society, president of Alpha Pi Epsilon, and a member of the debating team. … Continued

Dr. Brown joined the faculty of the university as head of the Department of Microbiology in 1969, following 12 years’ service as chief of the Virology Branch at the Biological Laboratories at Fort Detrick, Maryland. He served as department head until his retirement in 1988 and, concurrently, as consultant at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. … Continued

John Scruggs Brown’s bequest built UT’s first university center. At his request, it was named for his wife, Carolyn P. Brown. Carolyn Powell Rumbough was the daughter of a successful hotel and spa operator in Hot Springs, North Carolina. She attended Convent Visitation in Abingdon and St. Mary’s in Raleigh. In 1888 she married George … Continued

Clarence Brown, later to become an internationally acclaimed movie producer and director, graduated from the university with dual degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering in 1910. (He had been given special permission to enroll at the university when he graduated from Knoxville High School at the age of 15.) At UT he was called Brownie … Continued

Dean Fred Peebles announced the formation of the College of Engineering’s Minority Engineering Scholarship Program (MESP) in 1973, and Fred D. Brown Jr. led the program from 1975 to 1985 as its first director. The program was designed to motivate highly qualified African American youths to choose engineering careers. Thanks in large part to Brown’s … Continued

John Scruggs Brown earned the bachelor of arts degree from UT in 1877 and was a member of Chi Delta. He was the son of an affluent UT trustee, and Brown became an owner of McCorkle & Brown, which dealt in hardware, seeds, fertilizer, and implements. Brown, who grew up as a neighbor of the … Continued

Harry J. Bruce started his railroad career as a steam locomotive fireman in 1952. In 1984 he became chairman and chief executive officer of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, which was headquartered in Chicago. A Kent State undergraduate alumnus, Bruce earned the MS in economics from the UT College of Business in 1959. Before becoming … Continued

James Douglas Bruce (1862-1923) received the bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia. He was a graduate student at the University of Berlin from 1886 to 1888, and he attended the University of Strassburg in 1888. From 1889 to 1890, he was a student at Johns Hopkins University and received the PhD from … Continued

In 1967 Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote—in only 10 minutes—“Rocky Top,” which upon its first playing at halftime of the Alabama game in 1972 became the UT rallying song for sports and other occasions. UT has a special license to play the song. The Bryants met at the Schroeder Hotel in Milwaukee in 1945 where … Continued