Sammie Lynn Puett graduated with a BS in office administration from the College of Business in 1958. While attending UT and for a couple of years thereafter, she worked as a secretary in the Department of Journalism. She then (1960) became a specialist in UT’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service, serving as editor of Tennessee Towns and Cities (then a magazine) and a columnist for Nation’s Cities magazine. She earned a master’s degree from the College of Communications.
In 1968 she became assistant professor of journalism and was associate professor of journalism from 1973 to 1979. She also served as assistant to the dean. In 1973 she became executive assistant to the UT Knoxville chancellor. In 1979 she joined the cabinet of Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander first as commissioner of general services (1979–80) and then as commissioner of human services (1980–85). She then returned to UT as associate vice president for university relations (1985–89) and vice president for public service and continuing education (1989–2000), becoming the first female vice president of the UT system. In August 2000 she was named chancellor of New College, a UT venture to extend coursework to off-campus students through technology. She retired in December 2000.
In 2001 she was killed in an automobile accident in Arlington, Texas, where she was attending a national meeting of Delta Delta Delta, of which she served as treasurer. The UT Public Relations Student Society of America is named for her, as is the annual Student of the Year Award presented by the Volunteer Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. She was active in a variety of civic affairs, including the Knoxville Opera, Leadership Knoxville, and the Tennessee Theatre Foundation.