Burwell Baxter “B.B.” Bell
When Gen. (ret.) B.B. Bell graduated from the then-University of Chattanooga and the ROTC Mocs Battalion in 1969, he planned a short stint in the military. But plans change. During ... Read more
Donnie and Terry Smith
Donnie and Terry Smith have big ideas for solving world hunger—and the couple believe the solution begins at their alma mater. Both are 1980 graduates and have kept strong ties ... Read more
William B. Stokely III
The Stokely name appears in many places—most recently the new Stokely Hall—on the UT Knoxville campus. The new nine-floor, 375,000-square-foot building opened in January to more than 600 students. The ... Read more
Larry Patrick
W. Lawrence “Larry” Patrick had two dreams when he was growing up: to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and to own radio stations. The baseball thing didn’t work ... Read more
Willie Gault
When people think of Willie Gault, they think speed— speed in the Olympics, speed in the NFL, speed for the Vols. But when Willie Gault thinks about Willie Gault, he ... Read more
Tamika Catchings
The difference between hearing and listening can be profound. And, for one of only nine women to win an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA championship and a WNBA championship, she ... Read more
Alan Wilson
UT has always been the critical ingredient in Alan Wilson’s recipe for success. “I bleed orange and have since the day I stepped on campus,” he once said in a ... Read more
Julius Johnson
Julius Johnson grew up Forbus, Tennessee, in Fentress County, near the Tennessee-Kentucky border in what many know as Alvin “Sergeant” York country. From his involvement with 4-H as a boy ... Read more
Lindsay Young
Lawyer. Coal company executive. Avid hiker. Dog lover. That was Lindsay Young, described by the Knoxville News Sentinel as “a generousphilanthropist who generally stayed out of the limelight.” Young died ... Read more
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle
While traveling on Air Force One in May 2012, Nancy-Ann Min DeParle, assistant to the U.S. president and deputy White House chief of staff for policy, learned that President Barack ... Read more
Lindsey Nelson
One of America’s best-known sportscasters got his start as a Tennessee football play-by-play announcer during the era of legendary Gen. Robert R. Neyland. The football stadium eventually bore the coach’s ... Read more
Barry Wilmore
Five hours had already passed inside his space suit as Barry Wilmore prepared to walk outside the International Space Station. Now, the hatch would open and his work with a ... Read more
Jim Powell
After he graduated from Bellevue High School in Nashville, a $250 hardship scholarship to UT Knoxville opened doors for Jim Powell. Now, he helps open those doors for others. After ... Read more
Bill Rhodes
Memphis native Bill Rhodes’ path to becoming chairman, president and CEO of AutoZone began with the swing of a golf club. As a member of the UT Martin Pacer golf ... Read more
Bill Landry
For more than 30 years, Bill Landry has given voice to a region—telling stories and capturing a history that otherwise might be lost. Landry is an award-winning TV host and ... Read more
Phil Garner
What moments shape a man’s life and influence his character? For Phil Garner, member of the World Series-winning Pittsburgh Pirates (1979), three-time All Star and manager of the National League ... Read more
Howard H. Baker Jr.
BY TOM GRISCOM For most, Howard Baker was a statesman who brought a calming hand to partisan bickering and found common ground to resolve differences. He will be remembered for ... Read more
