Born in 1936, Xavier Ironside (known as “Tom” before coming to the United States) and his younger brother were brought to the United States and Knoxville by their uncle, Edmund-Ironside-DeBragancia. Before coming to Tennessee, the boys had lived with various relatives since their mother, a nurse, had been killed in 1941 during a German bombing of the hospital where she worked in Hull, England. Except for years in the military and some years when he returned to England to study at the Royal Academy of Art, Ironside has lived and worked in Tennessee since 1951. Upon returning from the army, he entered UT in 1961 and embarked on what would be a long and distinguished art career. He first received national notoriety when Senator Howard Baker gave an interview to Esquire magazine and mentioned his work. Other publications were soon inquiring.