The Gary W. Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is home to the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, a tribute to Chattanooga’s entrepreneurial legacy. Established in 1999 through the vision of Richard Becherer and local business leaders, the hall honors innovators who have driven economic growth and shaped the region’s business landscape.
The Hall of Fame’s first class, inducted in 1999, included five entrepreneurs whose work contributed to Chattanooga’s economic success. James C. Berry founded Republic Parking System, which operates more than 360 facilities across the United States. Joseph F. Decosimo established one of Tennessee’s largest certified public accountant firms and supported accounting education at UTC with a professorship in his name created in 1978.
John Thomas Lupton expanded Coca-Cola bottling operations nationwide, drawing on his legal and business expertise. Zeboim Cartter Patten founded Chattanooga Medicine Company, which became Chattem Inc., and influenced the city’s growth through real estate, publishing and philanthropy. John C. Thornton built American Rug Craftsmen into the nation’s top producer of machine-made rugs and later launched other ventures in textiles and real estate.
Due to the expansion of the Rollins College of Business, the induction of new members into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame has been paused. However, this prestigious recognition will become part of a larger Rollins College of Business Hall of Fame, with an inaugural ceremony planned for spring 2026. The college plans to continue to induct exceptional entrepreneurs into the expanded Hall of Fame.
The hall also inspires future business leaders by sharing inductees’ stories of creativity, resilience and vision and encouraging students to think critically about entrepreneurship and its impact on industries and communities. It serves as a bridge between UTC and the Chattanooga community, highlighting the civic, cultural and philanthropic contributions of its honorees.
As it grows, the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame honors Chattanooga’s past while inspiring the next generation of innovators. Through this initiative, UTC reaffirms its commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and building a stronger future for the region.
From the Archives
The University of Tennessee System has long championed entrepreneurship.
A 1986 issue of Tennessee Alumnus featured the launch of the Center for Excellence in New Venture Analysis and Entrepreneurship within the College of Business Administration MBA program at UT Knoxville. Through this center, faculty developed courses to teach skills in evaluating product ideas, assessing cost feasibility, analyzing markets and planning business operations. “While you can’t really teach entrepreneurship, you certainly can equip students with critical knowledge in some very important areas,” the center director says.
The article also reports that job placement for the 1985 MBA class was the best ever. “The mean starting salary for graduating MBAs this year was up to almost $29,000,” according to the article.
Today, UT Knoxville continues this legacy through the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where Volunteers identify unmet needs, create value through bold ventures and turn ideas into action, furthering UT’s entrepreneurial mission.
Our Tennessee was published as the Tennessee Alumnus from 1917 to 2020. Scanned archives of past issues of the magazine can be accessed online through UT Knoxville’s Digital Collections Library.
