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University of Tennessee

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The University of Tennessee (UT), sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville or UTK), is the flagship institution of the statewide land-grant University of Tennessee public university system. It is headquartered in Knoxville and includes campuses in Memphis, Martin, and Chattanooga.

The University of Tennessee, in partnership with Battelle Memorial Institute, also operates nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), one of the largest government laboratories in the United States. ORNL is a world class supercomputing powerhouse[#endnote_www.ornl.gov.1028], featuring one of the world's most powerful civilian supercomputers, as well as the world's most powerful neutron source.[#endnote_refbot.1029].

Contents

Campus

The University of Tennessee has gradually grown from a small liberal arts college to its present status. In 1826, what was then East Tennessee College moved from its original location on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville to the 40 acre (160,000 m²) tract named Barbara Hill (in honor of Governor Blount's daughter). Known to students and alumni today as simply "The Hill," it is only a small part of the Knoxville campus but remains at the heart of UT academic life.

The UT Forensic anthropology Facility, nicknamed the "Body Farm," is located near the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Alcoa Highway (US 129). Founded by Dr. William M. Bass, the Body Farm features numerous cadavers posed in various situations behind a fenced plot of land. Scientists at the university study how the human body decays in differing circumstances to gain a better understanding of decomposition. The Body Farm has proved a valuable resource to law enforcement officers and forensic medical examiners worldwide.

In 1998, the university changed the name of Yale Street to Peyton Manning Pass in honor of the former Volunteer (and now Indianapolis Colts) quarterback. According to the United States Postal Service, this is one of only two thoroughfares designated "Pass" (as opposed to "Avenue," "Street," etc.) in the entire United States.

Organization

Ayres Hall. The University of Tennessee was established in 1794, making UT one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the region.
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Ayres Hall. The University of Tennessee was established in 1794, making UT one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the region.
The University of Tennessee's flagship campus in Knoxville hosts ten colleges, the Institute of Agriculture, the Institute for Public Service, and several schools. The UT Health Science Center at Memphis and the UT Space Institute at Tullahoma are specialized campuses but are not separate institutions. These five facilities comprise the University of Tennessee system.

As of 2004, UT provides over 110 programs of study for undergraduate students. The university provides a list of all offered majors and minors[#endnote_admissions.utk.edu.1030].

Students

The University of Tennessee's total enrollment in the fall semester of 2005 was 28,552, of which 23,131 were full-time students and 5,421 were part-time. Undergraduates numbered 20,286 students, while graduate students made up the balance of 8,266. UT enrolled 4,183 first-time freshmen.

Of UT's total enrollment, 23,092 students described themselves as white, with 2,137 Black, 725 Asian, 348 Hispanic, 112 American Indian, and 273 other/not reported. Total minority enrollment was 17.9%. Slightly more women (54.1%) attended UT than men.

In 2004, 1,082 international students were enrolled. Most of these students came from China, India, and South Korea. Out-of-state U.S. residents accounted for 4,950 of the student body, most of them from Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina. The remaining 21,732 students already resided in Tennessee, with most previous in-state residents coming from Knox, Shelby, and Davidson counties.

History

View of Europa and the Bull at the UT McClung Plaza.
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View of Europa and the Bull at the UT McClung Plaza.

The University of Tennessee was chartered on September 10, 1794 as Blount College, by an act of the legislature of the Southwest Territory meeting in the territorial capital, Knoxville. The college was small at its inception and struggled for the next 13 years with a small student body and an even smaller faculty. In 1807, the school was renamed East Tennessee College; however, when its first president and only faculty member died in 1809, the school was temporarily closed. It reopened in 1820, and in 1840 was elevated to East Tennessee University.

The Civil War virtually destroyed the college, as students and faculty left to join both the Union and Confederate forces, their divided loyalties reflecting those of East Tennessee itself. The college buildings were occupied by troops from both sides and were sometimes used as hospitals. Shelling significantly damaged the grounds. The president, who took the college's reins in 1865, was a Union sympathizer, and he managed to secure some $18,500 in restitution funds from the federal government.

Following the Civil War, the State of Tennessee made the University the beneficiary of the Morrill Act of 1862, which allocated federal land or its monetary value to the various states for the teaching of "agricultural and mechanical" subjects and to provide military training to students. Thus, the University of Tennessee (its designation after 1879) became a land-grant institution. In 1893, the university admitted women regularly for the first time.

Central view of the UT campus.
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Central view of the UT campus.
The first African Americans were admitted to the graduate and law schools by order of a federal district court in 1952. The first master's degree was awarded to a Black student in 1954, and the first doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in 1959. Black undergraduates were not admitted until 1961; the first black faculty member was appointed in 1964. Integration went fairly smoothly; Black students had more difficulty gaining entry to eating establishments and places of entertainment off campus than they did attending class on campus. Overall, Knoxville and the University had fewer racial troubles in the 1950s and 1960s than did other southern universities.

In 1968, the university underwent an administrative reorganization which left the Knoxville campus as the flagship and headquarters of its new "university system," comprising the UT Health Science Center at Memphis, a four-year college at Martin, the formerly private University of Chattanooga (added a year later), the UT Space Institute at Tullahoma, and the Knoxville-based College of Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture Institute, and Public Service Institute. An additional primary campus in Nashville had a brief existence from 1971 to 1979 before it was ordered closed and merged with Tennessee State University.

National Rankings

Southeasern view of the ziggurat-shaped structure of the John C. Hodges Library
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Southeasern view of the ziggurat-shaped structure of the John C. Hodges Library

The University of Tennessee is ranked among the top 40 public universities of America[#endnote_pr.tennessee.edu.1031]. Specialty rankings are:

The University of Tennessee is the only university in the nation to have three presidential papers editing projects. The university has collections of the papers of all three U.S. presidents from Tennessee—Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson.

Budget

Activities

Athletics and sports

Tennessee competes in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division, along with Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, and competes in longstanding football rivalries with all of them along with another long-time rival, Alabama, in The Third Saturday In October. The Volunteers won the 1998 NCAA Division IA National Championship in football. They are coached by Phillip Fulmer.

Tennessee has one of the strongest women's basketball teams at the college level. Pat Summitt, the Lady Vols' head basketball coach, is the all-time winningest basketball coach in NCAA history, having won over 900 games as of 2006. Tennessee and Summitt also have a rivalry with the University of Connecticut in women's basketball. These two schools have consistently fought great games against each other in recent years, occasionally with the national championship on the line. The main women's basketball rivals for Tennessee within the conference are Georgia, Vanderbilt, and LSU.

The men's basketball program is headed by Bruce Pearl. Through his guidance, the men's program has been revitalized and claimed the 2005-2006 SEC East Title and closed the season with a 22-8 record and a NCAA Tournament berth. In men's basketball, the most important rivalries are with Florida and, to a slightly lesser degree, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

UT's best-known athletic facility by far is Neyland Stadium, home to the football team, which seats over 107,000 people and is one of the country's largest facilities of its type. Neyland is currently undergoing a renovation costing over $100 million. The men's and women's basketball teams play in Thompson-Boling Arena, the largest arena (by capacity) ever built specifically for basketball in the United States. The former home of both basketball teams, Stokely Athletics Center, still stands and is now used by the women's volleyball program.

The Alumni Memorial Gym is another indoor athletic facility. It was built in 1934 during a construction campaign under school president James D. Hoskins, and was replaced by the Stokely Athletics Center in 1967. The facility hosted the Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament in 1936 and 1937 and again in 1939 and 1940. It is now used as a performing arts center and seats 1,000 spectators.

Clubs and organizations

The University of Tennessee has over 450 registered student organizations. These groups appeal to a multitude of interests and provide a variety of experiences for those interested in service, sports, arts, social activities, government, politics, cultural issues, Greek societies, and much more[#endnote_web.utk.edu.1032].

University students are active in several student media organizations. The Daily Beacon is an editorially independent student newspaper that has a staff of over 100 and publishes 16,000 copies a day, 5 days a week. The university operates two radio stations: student-run The Rock (formerly the Torch)[#endnote_www.wutkradio.com.1033] (WUTK-FM 90.3 MHz) and National Public Radio affiliate WUOT-FM 91.9 MHz. The Phoenix, a literary art magazine, is published in the fall and spring semesters and showcases student artistic creativity.

Greek Life

UT is home to 17 sororities and 22 fraternities.

Sororities

As of 2006, UT boasts 13 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities. Chi Omega first came to UT is 1900 followed in 1902 by Alpha Omicron Pi. Both organizations remain on the campus to this day. Currently the campus claims chapters of the following NPC sororities:

Sororities at UT do not have houses, but have space in the Panhellenic Building. The Panhellenic Building houses 14 of the 17 social sororities at UTK. Although the building is not a residence hall facility, each sorority has a suite consisting of a large living room, a kitchen, an office, and a storage area. The Panhellenic Affairs Office is located on the first floor of the building and serves as the center for coordinating all sorority activities. The office staff and student leaders are readily available to provide information concerning Panhellenic Council, any of the individual sororities, or the rush / recruitment registration process.

In addition to NPC sororities, UT also has 3 National Pan Hellenic Council (NHPC) sororities: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, and Zeta Phi Beta. These sororities are governed by the Black Greek Letter Council. UT also has a chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations.

Fraternities

North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) fraternities at UT have an average size of 63 members. Most campus fraternities have their own houses on campus. Notable alumni of the UT fraternal community include:

NIC fraternities at UT are:

NPHC fraternities, governed by the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) are:

Traditions

UT has both an academic and an athletic tradition that runs back over 200 years.
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UT has both an academic and an athletic tradition that runs back over 200 years.

The University of Tennessee, as the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Tennessee, the 29th oldest in the United States, and the oldest secular college west of the Appalachian Mountains, has accumulated numerous traditions over its long history. Former university historian Milton M. Klein summarizes the history behind many school traditions on [his homepage].

Colors

-->Charles Moore, president of the university's athletic association, chose orange and white for the school colors on April 12, 1889. His inspiration is said to have come from orange and white daisies which grew on the Hill (although a recent investigation indicates there is no such daisy, wild or hybrid). Although students confirmed the colors at a special meeting in 1892, dissatisfaction caused the colors to be dropped.  No other acceptable colors were agreed to, however, so the colors were reinstated one day later. Orange and white have remained the university colors since.

Pride of the Southland Band

The Pride of the Southland Band (or simply The Pride) is UT's marching band. As one of the oldest institutions at the University, the Band partakes in many of the game day traditions. At every home game, the Pride performs the "March to the Stadium" which includes a parade sequence and climaxes when the Band stops at the bottom of the Hill and performs the "Salute to the Hill," an homage to the history and legacy of the University. While being well-known for its exciting game songs, the Band is by far more famous for the pregame show at the beginning of every home game. It ends with the "Opening of the T" where the football team runs through. This is one of the most photographed moments in football. Something the Pride does every year is the famous "Circle Drill," the most difficult circle drill performed by a college marching band. It is done at least twice every year, at one of the final home games and a bowl game.

Fight song

Although it is the most famous song played by the Pride, "Rocky Top" is not the official fight song for the university. "Rocky Top" was written in only ten minutes by songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1967. The Bryants were working in Gatlinburg on a collection of slow-tempo songs for a project for Archie Campbell and Chet Atkins. Writing the fast-paced "Rocky Top" served as a temporary diversion for them. Later recorded, the song did not become popular until after 1972 when the Pride used it for one of their drills. The football crowd loved the tune and its words; the more the band played it, the more people wanted it. It has now become one of UT's best-known traditions. Its popularity also extends beyond the campus of the University of Tennessee; "Rocky Top" became one of the Tennessee state songs in 1982.

The official fight song is actually "Down the Field," which is played when the Pride "Opens the T" for the team to run through at the end of their famous Pregame show, as well as when the Vols score a touchdown.

Looking westward at The University Mall.
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Looking westward at The University Mall.

Mascot

In 1953 the campus Pep Club sponsored a contest to have a live mascot. The hound was chosen since it is a native breed and its small stature and loud baying represent a unique combination. Announcements recruiting potential mascots in a local newspaper read, "This can't be an ordinary hound. He must be a 'Houn' Dawg' in the best sense of the word." The Rev. William C. "Bill" Brooks entered his prizewinning Bluetick Coonhound "Brooks' Blue Smokey," which won over the other eight contestants. Although he was the last hound to be introduced at the half-time contest, Smokey barked when his name was called. The students cheered and Smokey threw his head back and howled again and UT had its new mascot. The current mascot is Smokey IX. He is looked after by two student trainers from Alpha Gamma Rho, a national agricultural fraternity.

Nickname

Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State" for the overwhelming, unexpected number of Tennesseans who volunteered for duty in the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Texas Revolution, and especially the Mexican War. A UT athletic team was dubbed the Volunteers for the first time in 1902 by the Atlanta Constitution following a football game against Georgia Tech. The Knoxville Journal and Tribune did not use the name until 1905. By the fall of 1905 both the Journal and the Knoxville Sentinel were using the nickname. With the creation of women's athletics later in the 20th century, female athletic teams became known as the Lady Volunteers. All varsity teams continue to use their respective nicknames today, although often shortened by cheering fans to just "Vols" and "Lady Vols."

Notable alumni

UT's College of Law
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UT's College of Law
Famous former students include:

Notable staff

Well-known current and former faculty, staff, coaches, and administrators include: 
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Notes

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See also

External links

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

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