Tech is a tradition for many families. Tech is 100. Relive some of the best Explore their memories. moments of our century.
In the family
100 moments
Creating lasting relationships between faculty and students.
constant guides
Contents
centennial calendar
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100 Tech Moments 10
Traditionally TTU 4 100 Tech Moments 10 The Centennial Coordinator
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The Legend of the 22 totem bowl The mythic mutt
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Casting Hatchlings
28
Constant Guides
32
The Archivist
37
Drinking Art
38
Class Notes
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From the solemn to the silly, Tennessee Tech’s history is full of memorable moments. Here, Tech faculty, staff, students and alumni share 100 unforgettable pieces of our university’s first century.
Drinking Art 38
Together, three alumni build a business, and a market, of handmade, originally designed beer glasses. The Pretentious Beer Glass Company has taken off online, and now it is expanding to a brick-and-mortar business, brewery and art gallery.
class notes Cigi Morrison ’06 opens shop
Brittney Garner ’12 saves the team LeMarbre ’03 named to Knoxville “40 under 40” More than 50 years of friendship Friends Remembered
Our sincere appreciation to Tech archivist Mancil Johnson, without whose guidance this issue of Visions would not have been possible.
acknowledgements Executive editor Karen Lykins
Editorial director
Lori Shull
Contributors Hayden MMillen Kory Riemensperger Lori Shull
tennessee Tech university
visions
around Campus a look at tech today
Design
Boone Gray Lorie Worley Dewayne Wright
Photography
Cody bryant Ben Corda
Ad sales Allison Davis Bobbie Maynard
alumni Association
executive director
Tracey Narrie Duncan ’88 Advisory Board maggie andersen ’56 Todd Blandin ’92 Sid Francisco ’82 Julie Mills Galloway ’92, ’95 lee gatts ’13 Alan Guinn ’75 Melinda Stone Keifer ’83 Randy Keifer ’85 Kent Johnson ’09 Keith Madison ’98 Becky Roberson Magura ’80, ’81 lem mcspadden ’71 tammy hayes reynolds ’97 eddie roberts ’85 bedelia hicks russell ’97 Brent Waugh ’04 randy wilmore ’82
At Tech, Jessica Hagar, ’15 fine arts — fibers, interned with a professional knitter in Brooklyn, New York, and was nominated three times for a top craft award. Her studio at the Appalachian Center for Craft is full of sketches, samples and test designs for her senior thesis show. Every fine arts student exhibits work in a solo show before graduation. Hagar’s show will be mostly two-dimensional pieces about people interacting with nature. Visions is published by Tennessee Tech University for alumni and friends. Advertising rates available upon request. Visions is online at www.tntech.edu/visions. For the most up-to-date information on alumni activities, visit ttualumni.org or call 800-889-8730. Correspondence is welcome. Editorial Office: Visions, PO Box 5056, Cookeville TN 38505-0001 Phone: 931-372-3214 | Fax: 931-372-6138 | visions@tntech.edu
Spring 2015 Visions 1
college of
graduate studies
www.tntech.edu/graduatestudies
Advance your career with a master’s degree from a university you know At Tennessee Tech, your path to advancement continues with a graduate degree from one of the top universities in the state. • Complete your master’s degree online • Same degree as on-campus program • Convenient
tntech.edu/visions Enhanced content At the website, you’ll find longer stories, photo galleries and video.
discussion You’ll also find discussion sections for each story so you can join the conversation about your alma mater. We want to hear from you to find out what is important to you about Tech. As we are in the university’s Centennial, we definitely want to hear your stories about Tech.
• Affordable
Online programs Business (m.b.a.) exercise science, physical education and wellness (m.a.) regents online degree program
social sharing And we want you to be able to share the magazine, so there are ways to pass along what you see in various social media channels.
advanced studies in teaching and learning (m.ed.) nursing (m.s.n.) professional studies (m.p.s.)
Find a complete list of graduate degree programs — on campus and online — at the College of Graduate Studies website. ALUMNI: If you are interested in helping Tech to recruit future graduate students, please contact Andre Porter at aporter@tntech.edu.
TTU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (gender), disability (ability), or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of Diversity and Legal Affairs, PO Box 5164, Cookeville, TN 38505, 931-372-3016; affirmact@tntech.edu. Pub#UA029-OCV-15
Centennial Calendar March 27, 2015
Charter Day commemorates when Gov. Tom Rye signed the charter establishing Tennessee Polytechnic Institute.
March 15 – May 2, 2015
Work by artists in residence will be displayed at the Appalachian Center for Craft.
April 6 – 24, 2015
The Joan Derryberry Art Gallery will host a juried exhibition of work by bachelor of fine arts students.
April 24, 2015
Oct. 26 – Nov. 24, 2015
An art alumni invitational exhibition will be on display in the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery.
Nov. 14, 2015
Tech Through the Decades Homecoming is to feature reunions, pep rallies, the parade, tailgating, a pre-game show, football and living history campus tours.
Jan. 15, 2016
The black-tie, reservation-only Centennial Gala will be in a winter landscape of diamonds and light.
The spring faculty awards banquet will announce university-wide winners, including the ScholarMentor Award.
Jan. 26 – Feb. 26, 2016
May 5 – 25, 2015
April 2016
Sept. 11 – Oct. 25, 2015
Faculty will exhibit work at the Center for Craft.
The centennial composition for Tech Chorale and chamber orchestra will premiere.
Sept. 18, 2015
Spring 2016
The Center for Craft will host a retrospective of work by metals professor Robert Coogan, who founded and taught in the metals program for 35 years.
The downtown kick-off celebrates those who fought for public higher education. TTU’s Golden Eagle marching band will lead the campus community downtown for an exhibition opening, awards, a concert and reenactments. A book of photos and essays will be released.
October 2015
A commemorative exhibition will feature Joan Derryberry’s paintings in her namesake gallery. Tech will dedicate art on Centennial Plaza, the space between South Patio, Derryberry and Henderson halls.
The Center for Craft will host a juried student exhibition.
April 11 – 16, 2016
Centennial will end with Spring Finale Week, which includes a promenade from Courthouse Square to Sherlock Park for a festival and fireworks.
Music written for wind and brass student ensembles will premiere. This is the first of two Centennial premiere concerts.
Visit tntech.edu/centennial for more information. Spring 2015 Visions 3
Members of the Jared family visit campus (left to right): Scott, Ed, Wanda, Jonathan, Daniel, Sherry, Caitlin and Britt.
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Spring 2015 Visions
For some, Tech is a tradition that has lasted for generations. The Jared family has made Tech a tradition; four generations studied here, and most buildings contain years of memories. Caitlin Jared graduated in December with a degree in communication and political science. Her younger brothers, twins Daniel and Jonathan, are freshman business students. Their parents, Sherry and Britt, and uncle, Scott, graduated in the 1980s with degrees in management information systems, marketing and English/ journalism, respectively. Scott and Britt’s parents, Wanda and Ed, graduated in the 1950s. For more than 20 years,
Wanda Jared taught English composition and literature to hundreds of Tech students, though she avoided teaching her children. Wanda’s father was the first of their family to graduate from Tech, and he went on to board WWII veterans in his Dixie Avenue home. Though Ed’s father attended for two quarters, he could not afford to finish and was too embarrassed to ask his father to co-sign a loan. “It’s wonderful to see them follow in our footsteps,” Ed said. “We figured that if they were going to go to college, they would do it here because Wanda taught here, and it was economical for us. We know it’s a good school.”
Spring 2015 Visions 5
Family catch
As sons of a professor, Scott and Britt spent a lot of time playing in Memorial Gym before they were Tech students. Though it looked odd on the wood court, Scott’s children, Eli and Ava, started a game of catch with a football. Whatever the occasion, Wanda said, there is almost always a sports ball at family functions.
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Spring 2015 | Visions
Wanda & Ed
Wanda, ’58 English, and Ed, ’57 business management, met on a blind date at the start of her freshman year. They were married in August 1956, 11 months after their first date. The newlyweds rented an apartment and worked to make ends meet. Ed studied, worked full-time for a telephone company and was in ROTC, which was obligatory for male students at the time.
Scott
Scott, ’82, spent many nights working on the Oracle. He’s still the family storyteller, though he declined to give details of the story involving one of his family members, some sporting equipment, a bottle of Jack Daniels and the president’s lawn.
Sherry & Britt
Sherry, ’87, and Britt, ’86, met at the one fraternity party Sherry went to when she was at Tech. “We actually met at a restaurant, but I didn’t remember him,” Sherry said. Both athletic, Memorial Gym hosted quite a few “cheap dates” playing basketball.
Spring 2015 Visions 7
Jonathan, Caitlin and Daniel are the latest generation of Jareds to come to Tech. One of Tech’s newest alumni, Caitlin, is “really, really proud” to continue her family’s tradition. Both her younger twin brothers only applied to Tech. Caitlin majored in journalism and political science and is applying to law schools so she can become a family, environmental, or civil rights and liberties attorney. She decided she wanted to be a lawyer in a reallife “‘Legally Blonde’ moment” during a class in which she was the defense attorney and won a murder case. “Winning my first fake case was really awesome. That was the moment I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life,” she said. Caitlin and her brothers grew up going to basketball and football games and having lunch on
Sibling Celebration
campus when Wanda was still teaching. Twins Jonathan and Daniel, ‘18, were in the top 10 percent of their high school class and knew they would come to Tech. Daniel thought he wanted to go to medical school and so started as a pre-med major but switched to follow Jonathan in business. “We get into a spat and then five minutes later it’s like, ‘Oh, hey man,’” Daniel said. “If he goes somewhere, I’m going with him.” Though they are not identical, they say other students often confuse one for the other. As best friends, they find it funny. “In one day, three people came up to me thinking I was Daniel,” said Jonathan. “One guy shook my hand and everything.” Though the three have different plans and goals, all say they feel at home at Tech. v
Caitlin was one of more than 600 students to graduate in December. Her family, including Jonathan (left) and Daniel, came out in full force to watch her cross the stage.
100 Years of Academic Excellence
www.cravensco.com 1080 Interstate Drive, Cookeville, TN 38501 | 931-528-6865 | F 931-646-3619 | info@cravensco.com Cravens & Company Advisors, LLC is a Registered Investment Advisory Company with custody services provided through Charles Schwab Institutional and Pershing. Securities offered through FSC Securities Corporation, a Registered Broker/Dealer, Member NASD/SIPC and is not affiliated with Cravens & Company Advisors, LLC. NOT FDIC INSURED, NO BANK GUARANTEE, MAY LOSE VALUE, NOT A DEPOSIT, and are NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY. Investment Advisory Services offered through Cravens & Company Advisors, LLC, a registered investment adviser not affiliated with FSC Securities Corporation. Securities offered through, and additional advisory services may also be offered through, FSC Securities Corporation, Member FINRA/SIPC, and a Registered Investment Advisor.
GOLDEN EAGLES CORN ON
THE QUAD
ROTC
RV I
C E
TOMMY TECH
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IL IT AR Y
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COSMOUSE
SHINNY
NINNY
100
2010 FLOODING
FOOD FIGHT!
MOMENTS IN TECH HISTORY OOZEBALL
GRADUATION
DERRYBERRY
79 CHAMPIONSHIPS
ROACH RACE
1915: Tennessee Polytechnic Institute founded • 1916: Thomas A. Early became president 1916: Raymond Hamilton first registered student • 1916: Students built industrial arts building • 1918: Beulah McDonald earned first college degree • 1920: Quentin M. Smith became president 1920: T. W. Kittrell became Alumni Association president 1925: Students chose Golden Eagle mascot 1926: As a punishment, men dug fence holes 1926: First yearbook published
1971: Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons played 1974: Arliss L. Roaden became president 1974: Marie Ventrice first to earn doctorate • 1977: Elvis Presley agreed to play Tech, then died 1977: TTU joins Baja SAE • 1977: Engineering professor worked on “Star Wars” • 1978: At Homecoming, students rolled Roaden’s house 1979: Students started Homecoming food fight • 1980: Tech opened a TV studio 1980: Appalachian Center for Crafts opened •
1928: First homecoming 1929: First bachelor’s degrees awarded 1930: Speech and debate team organized • 1933: Student library workers earned 20 cents/hour 1938: James M. Smith became president 1940: William E. Derryberry became president 1943: Joan Derryberry wrote Tech Hymn • 1945: 1,000 from Tech served in WWII • 1947: Coach Putty Overall left after 24 years 1947: Enrollment went up a third due to GI Bill
1981: Students protested proposed tuition hike 1981: 100 attended vigil for Iran hostages 1981: Sgt. Alvin York’s widow was grand marshal 1981: Derryberry Tower eagle left perch 1982: Brick entrance signs installed • 1983: TTU, WCTE offered telecourses • 1985: Wallace S. Prescott became president 1985: First Blizzard • 1986: Computer registration started 1986: National media covered cockroach’s death •
1949: Tech joined Ohio Valley Conference • 1949: Music professor W.J. Julian came to Tech • 1949: Curriculum organized into 5 divisions 1949: Dating places, rules for females approved • 1949: Students, town argued about Sunday movies • 1950: Last time graduation held outside • 1951: TPI rumored first with electron microscope • 1952: Eagle stolen from Monteagle, Tennessee 1956: Last original faculty, A.W. Smith, retired 1957: Enrollment topped 1,000 • 1957: Dean tried to ban kissing on campus •
1987: Angelo Volpe became president 1987: University 101 courses helped new students 1980s: Muddy volleyball competitions • 1989: Garth Brooks performed 1989: Tech switched from quarters to semesters • 1990: Black Cultural Center established • 1991: 15 students enlisted in Gulf War 1992: Computer use limited because of demand 1992: Students helped restore bald eagles • 1994: Students worked on film, “The Jungle Book”
1957: Students said Crossville to be razed • 1958: Graduate programs added 1958: Student lab instructors paid 58 cents/hour • 1959: Students planted corn on quad • 1960: TPI gave first master’s degrees 1960: Totem pole donated to Tech-Middle rivalry 1961: First computer on campus • 1961: Student among first American Vietnam deaths • 1963: Max Alderson first Golden Eagle mascot
1996: Student carried Olympic torch • 1996: First snow day in more than 17 years 1997: Roger Crouch became first alumnus in space 1997: Students sewed state bicentennial costumes • 1997: First capital campaign raised $20.3 million 1998: Tech launched website 1999: Center Stage event series began 2000: Robert R. Bell became president 2000: Student on state Higher Education Commission • 2000: 31 students named Pepperoni in yearbook
1963: First fraternity, Sigma Phi Delta, started 1963: Students locked professor out to finish lab • 1963: Ralph’s Donut Shop opened 1964: Foster Hall fully air-conditioned 1964: International club started • 1965: TPI became TTU • Late ’60s: Bio professor often entered via window • 1969: Neil Diamond performed at Tech 1970: Enrollment topped 5,000 students 1970: Students fired rocket with mouse in it •
2001: 200th year of Shipley Barn 2003: Students got Eagle cards • 2007: Enrollment surpassed 10,000 2010: Flooding forced evacuations near campus 2012: Philip B. Oldham became president 2013: Army threatened to shut down Tech ROTC • 2013: First time yearbook printed in a decade 2014: Awesome Eagle named national champion • 2014: Josh Turner performed at Tech 2015: Charter Day celebrated 100th birthday
• additional details on the following pages
Spring 2015 Visions 11
1910s
tournaments a year. Founded by history professor Herman Pinkerton, the club was known as Herman Pinkerton’s Tennessee Talking Horses. Now called the speech and debate club, it has won nearly 100 trophies in its 85-year history.
Tennessee Polytechnic Institute was founded in 1915. Campus consisted of one building and 25 acres of land. Raymond Randall Hamilton, of Cookeville, registered for classes Sept. 11, 1916. He was the first student to register at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute. He graduated from the high school program in 1920 and from the two-year college program in 1922. In 1916, approximately 50 students enrolled in the industrial arts program and spent most of their first year constructing the program’s academic building. With the use of student labor, construction costs were $1,500, or $34,000 in today’s dollars. The wood building, which burned down in 1935, was the center for most of the industrial and engineering activities until two sections of the steel shop were erected in 1920. In TPI’s early days, every student was expected to complete five hours of practical work a week, which helped keep student living expenses low and maintain campus.
Beulah Betty McDonald was the first student to earn a college degree at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in 1918. She received a two-year degree in English. Nine others received two-year degrees that year as well. McDonald died at the age of 93 after teaching in Smith County schools for 40 years.
The speech and debate club was organized in 1930 to train students in debating and public speaking. Originally only open to men, women were admitted within the decade. Students began competing in 1934 and entered as many as 10
1910s
Joan Derryberry wrote the Tech Hymn after a 1943 football game
1920s 1915 Tennessee Polytechnic Institute was founded.
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1930s
1940s
Spring 2015 | Visions
1916 President Early offered thenAsst. Secretary of the Navy FDR his wife’s glasses for war effort.
1920 Women get the vote.
against Vanderbilt because both schools’ alma maters used the same melody. Charles Faulkner Bryan approved it, and the song was first used at commencement that year. It is still sung at the end of every commencement ceremony.
Today, Julian is credited for putting Tech’s marching band on the map and for reinventing band programs in higher education.
four each of men’s and women’s golf, seven rifle, two soccer, 10 men’s tennis, one women’s tennis, three men’s outdoor track and five volleyball.
World War II ended in 1945. The Roll of Honor in Jere Whitson Memorial Building contains a list of names of the 935 students, faculty and staff who served and the 43 who were killed. Memorial Gym was named in honor of those killed in action.
W.J. Julian taught music and directed the bands at TPI from 1949 until 1961. Students remember him as a perfectionist and said he was especially hard on music majors, who were required to be in the marching band. One former student said that if someone made a mistake, Julian would walk up and say that the band could do without that person.
Tech joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 1949. Since then, the Golden Eagles have won 79 conference championships: seven baseball, seven men’s basketball, 19 women’s basketball, 10 football,
1930s
Throughout most of Tech’s early history, female students were subject to strict rules. In 1949, the university developed a list of approved dating places and drew up policies about students who got married during the school year. Lights in all dorms had to be off, and students had a 10:30 p.m. curfew, except for a few basement study rooms. There was lively debate in 1949 between Cookeville residents and Tech students about allowing Sunday evening movies. Movies were one of the only forms of entertainment in Cookeville at the time. Those who opposed the measure claimed that it would interfere with church services and students, as temporary residents, shouldn’t have a say. Those in favor argued that movies were a form of clean, quiet relaxation; were no more disruptive to church services than sports or other events; and that though individual students were transitory, the student body was not. A petition was circulated and received enough signatures to have a citywide vote.
1940s
1930 TPI Café among most popular student hangouts. Spring 2015 Visions 13
1950s
disturbed. It is unclear how long the term was used on campus.
Helen F. (Henderson) Keeney, ’50 business management, remembers that graduation was held in the rain in front of the engineering building, now Henderson Hall. Memorial Gym, where graduations were usually held, was being remodeled. The graduates and others in attendance were soaked. It was the last time graduation was held outside. Wallace Frierson, ’51 biology, remembers using Tech’s first electron microscope. TPI is rumored to have been the first undergraduate institution in the country to get one. It cost $8,000, or nearly $75,000 today. Enrollment hit 1,000 students. The student body was 5:1 male to female. In 1957, Dean Anne Marshall tried to ban kissing on campus. The Oracle called the ban “contrary to the laws of human nature.” Perhaps as a result of the ban, students began talking about going to the “submarine races,” a code for couples who did not want to be
1960s
Eight students on their way to the 1957 campus picnic in Crossville decided to have some fun with the town’s residents. Equipped and dressed as road surveyors, they spoke loudly in the street about moving the courthouse to make way for a four-lane highway, a dam to flood the rest of the town and plans to build a military base nearby. They “accidentally” dropped a few sheets of paper with the heading “Corpses de Engineers.” Student lab instructors were paid 58 cents an hour in 1958, or $4.77 today. Rent for a one-room apartment was $24 a month, or $197 in today’s dollars. The average onebedroom apartment in town now costs $500 a month.
1940s
The first mainframe computer came to campus in 1961. It was four feet long, four feet tall, two feet wide and weighed more than 3,000 pounds. Sam Pace, ’63 mechanical engineering, remembered, “Dr. (Leighton) Sissom would come in the fluid lab and change the flow rate or some other constant in our experiments. I went to his office early and borrowed his key saying the lab door was locked. When the rest of the class members were all there, I locked the doors and wouldn’t let Dr. Sissom ‘complicate our experiment.’ He banged on the door from time to time but we didn’t let him in until our experiment was completed. He was a creative teacher and, fortunately for us, could take a joke.”
1950s 1945 Band plays Gov. McCord’s inauguration.
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Frazier Solomon, ’59 accounting, remembered grounds-keeping staff aerating, seeding, putting down straw and watering several large bald spots on the quad. Later, several rows of corn appeared in the spots, probably planted by a group of Tech students. The corn was removed before it matured.
Spring 2015 | Visions
1947 First campus-wide career day.
1950 Post-war housing crunch.
subjects than those covered in his lectures. At least once, he jumped on his desk with a flashlight in his mouth to demonstrate a lighthouse.
Marie Ventrice, ’74 mechanical engineering, was the first to earn a doctorate at TTU. It took her eight years to finish her bachelor’s at TTU because she had two children and gave birth to a third during her studies. She served as interim director of the university’s Center for Electric Power in the late ’80s. TTU joined Baja SAE, then called Mini Baja, in 1977. Since then, the team has finished in the top 10 in more than 80 percent of competitions, making it the most decorated Baja team in the U.S.
Tech student James Davis was one of the first Americans killed in Vietnam. He died in a Viet Cong ambush as he was returning from a mission near Saigon Dec. 22, 1961. He received the Army Commendation Medal in December 1961 for his service in the third radio research unit from May to December.
Tennessee Polytechnic Institute became Tennessee Technological University in 1965.
1970s
Tech’s first international club started in 1964. Today, the campus hosts lecturers from around the world and hundreds of students study abroad. More than 1,000 students come to TTU from around the world.
A Tech professor and several students conducted a “cosmouse” experiment in 1970. A mouse was installed in a rocket, which was shot 3,000 feet into the air to see what would happen to the mouse’s heart and respiratory rates. Both increased.
Biology professor “jumping” J.B. Clark would enter the classroom through the ground-floor window when he was teaching in the late ’60s. He was known for including questions on his tests about other
“Star Wars: Episode IV” came out in 1977. TTU mechanical engineering professor Cemil Bagci worked as George Lucas’ consultant on the mechanics of R2-D2. His work was commemorated by a reference to a robot language named after him in the film.
1960s 1956 Students earned 50 cents working in cafeteria.
1960 Tech women forced to wear raincoats over shorts.
1970s 1969 Moon Landing
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Food fights broke out on campus at least once during Homecoming 1979. Gary Matthews, ’81 accounting, remembered, “My future wife (Lisa Miller, ’80 elementary education) and I had just been on campus for a short time in the late 1970s. One Friday, we were eating lunch in the cafeteria when someone yelled ‘Food fight!’ The cafeteria erupted into a war zone with food flying all over the place. We took cover underneath our table. What a welcome to Tennessee Tech!” The next year, there were the “Food Fight Trials.” The Associated Student Body supreme court held four trials and found six students guilty of disorderly conduct.
1980s
TTU opened the Appalachian Center for Crafts on Smithville’s Center Hill Lake in 1980, though the university acquired the property several years before.
Due to budget cuts, it almost closed in 1997. It remained open and has studios where students learn to make art with clay, glass, metals, wood and fibers. It also has exhibition spaces and a sales gallery.
TTU partnered with WCTE in 1983 to offer telecourses. Academic classes were aired once a week on the station and students received academic credit for completing the work. The courses were relatively popular and additional courses were added to meet student demand. The practice continued into the 1990s.
The brick entrance signs were installed on Willow and Dixie Avenues in 1982. It took 10 years to plan the signs and raise the money to build them. Each sign cost $5,000, excluding labor costs, more than $12,000 today. Lettering alone cost $3,000. The project began when President Derryberry was still at Tech but no designs came through during his tenure that he felt merited approval.
Tech’s first Blizzard was in 1985. Conference athletic officials threatened to penalize the Tech team when game attendees threw squares of toilet paper onto the court after the first basket. The NCAA banned the practice in 1986 but fans persisted, though they continued to get in trouble with the NCAA. “I was at Tech the year Tech squares were first thrown onto the court whenever we made our first basket,” said ret. Maj. Carl
1970s
1980s 1975 Ike, Tina Turner performed on campus.
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1981 Students protested Gov. Alexander’s proposed tuition hike.
Pittman, ’86 health and physical education. “It was awesome! When we played the Tennessee Vols, there was a packed crowd. I remember ESPN reporting on the event. I still have a picture that was handed out later that year. Great memories.” Terry Lancaster, ’87 journalism, remembered: “I was running a camera for WCTE that night and footage from my camera made ESPN. I was one puffed-up 20 year old!” University officials asked students to come up with other ways to celebrate, and the practice ended in 2000. Students restarted the tradition in 2013.
the Oracle. He called the race and bug’s sacrifice “a noble endeavor that lived up to the best tradition of Tech.” The incident got national media attention.
Tech’s first and only champion cockroach, Watergate, won the Great American Bug Race held at Palm Beach Atlantic College in Florida in 1986. Watergate was immediately eaten by a lizard lurking near the finish line. Oracle reporters paid for the bug’s trip. About 1,000 people attended the roach’s memorial services on campus. President Prescott spoke for 30 minutes. “It has been the tradition and history of this institution for students to go all out and to win, so it was no surprise when Watergate won first prize in the race,” Prescott said, according to
Oozeball, a tradition that continued into the ’90s, was a volleyball match played in eight inches of mud that began in the late 1980s. Students competed against teams of other students and faculty members.
Tennessee Tech switched from academic quarters to semesters in 1989. The change took several years of planning and was made as a cost-saving measure. A 1985 Oracle survey of 158 students found that 127 of them opposed the change. It meant for longer class periods, shorter breaks and confusion as students and faculty adjusted. Tech was one of the last universities to make the switch.
1990s
The Black Cultural Center was established in 1990. In 1995, it was named after Tech’s first black graduate, Leona Lusk Officer. Officer began her
1990s 1989 Berlin Wall fell
1990 First year Tech students, faculty qualified for discounted computers.
degree in 1945. While working as an elementary school teacher in Sparta, she took a course or two every summer at the Agricultural and Industrial State Normal School in Nashville, now Tennessee State University. She transferred to Tech when it desegregated in 1964 and earned her degree in 1965. After DDT wiped out Tennessee’s bald eagle population, Mike Williams and C.J. Jaynes, both ’92 wildlife management, spent the summer of 1992 raising a pair of the birds to reintroduce them to the wild. The birds were taken from their nests and raised by hand to help ensure their survival; often eagles have 2-3 chicks and some get pushed out of the nest because of their size. The birds came from Alaska and Wisconsin and were released at Dale Hollow Lake in a partnership between Tech, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. Today, Dale Hollow has a few nesting pairs of bald eagles. The Olympic torch passed through Cookeville on its way to Atlanta for the 1996 summer games. Eight Cookeville residents, including one Tech student, carried it on its way. Sophomore business
2000s 1993 3,500 students registered as early Internet users.
1996 Tennessee Bicentennial rap written, TTU mentioned. Spring 2015 Visions 17
student Andy Holbrook carried the torch from campus to the intersection of Seventh Street and Peachtree Avenue. Human ecology majors created period costumes to celebrate Tennessee’s bicentennial in 1997. The clothing, which documented 200 years of Tennessee history, traveled the state for years as a trunk show. During a photo shoot on campus, a Tech photographer was so struck by how lovely a girl in an antebellum dress looked that he tripped and fell backward on South Patio.
2000s
Students got Eagle cards in 2003, which served to track meals and replaced the old ticket system. The cards were unpopular at first because they meant that entrepreneurial students were no longer able to sell their meal tickets to others. The U.S. Army Cadet Command threatened to shut down Tech’s ROTC program as well as a dozen others across the nation in 2013. In part due to an outpouring of support from Tech alumni, community members and Tennessee elected officials, the 13 programs were instead placed on a two-year probation. The Golden Eagle Battalion successfully met each of the probation criteria last year. The second-year review will be held this spring.
Nathan Tudor, ’02 political science and history, was named to serve on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in 2000. He was the first from Tech selected for the commission and served form 2000-2002. Since then two other TTU students have served: Jessica Brumet, ’11 nursing, who served from 2008-2010, and Alex Martin, ’18 basic business, who will serve 2014 to 2016.
2000s
Tech celebrated Charter Day, the 100th anniversary of the university’s founding, on March 27, 2015. Special guests, including students, faculty, alumni, community members, government and higher education leaders, were invited to a ceremony in Derryberry Hall. v
2010s
2000 Varsity Theater closed. 18
Awesome Eagle won his division for the first time at the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s national mascot competition in 2014. Awesome won it again in 2015, which was also the first year Grandpappy Eagle was invited to the competition. Tech is the only school in the history of the competition to have two mascots compete.
Spring 2015 | Visions
2003 Classes cancelled for four inches of snow.
2015 Tech celebrates its Centennial.
We’ve been happy to be a part of the first century in service to the university community.
Celebrate in style with official Tech centennial apparel and merchandise available both in-store and online at the official Tennessee Tech Bookstore.
tenn-tech.bncollege.com • facebook/tenntechbooks
Laura Clemons The planning for Tech’s Centennial celebrations began more than a year and a half ago. Laura Clemons, ’88 English/journalism, has been leading the efforts with a team of about 100 people, including many other alumni. Tell me about your history with the university.
I came here in 1979 to study English/journalism. In my sophomore year, I was sure Tennessee Tech had nothing to offer me anymore. I took five years off and quickly learned I was wrong. I came back in the mid-’80s. I got to be managing editor of the Oracle. That changed my life. I graduated Saturday and went to work Monday. I was here 18 years. When the Centennial came, I thought I could come back.
How did you get this position?
I was working here in 1990 for the 75th anniversary. We were doing publications and press releases. I remember thinking it was really cool, and I would love to be around for the centennial. Seventy-five is cool, 100 rocks. Because I’ve been associated with the university for so long, I know the story lines. I’m not saying I’m the perfect person to do this. I’ve got enough background that I’m able to create some meaningful events and projects.
What’s your favorite story from the past 100 years?
Oh, I can’t do that. There are too many, and most of them are so intriguing. I have a chalkboard at home and anything I’m obsessed about is on there. Right now it says, ‘College is the great equalizer.’ Underneath that, I’ve got race, gender, geographic location, economics — all the things that make us different. When you come to a university, you have the opportunity to level the playing field. College is a huge tent under which everyone is welcome.
other than centennial, what are you doing?
I’ve written a couple of novels, none of which have sold. I’ve given that up for the most part in favor of clay. I’m a potter. I learned how to throw to help create enough bowls for Cooking on the Square when that started in 1997. I built my own studio, and I tried to start selling at craft shows and galleries. v
For more of this interview, visit tntech.edu/visions. 20 Spring 2015
Visions
Spring 2014 Visions 9
y p p Ha th ! y a d h t r i B 100
1915–2015
D OF N E G LE THE L OW B TEM E TO
TH
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A history of the great totem A colorful Native American totem pole named after first time. “Sidelines,” Middle’s newspaper, reported a dance move tells the story of a 39-year rivalry a disappearance of “the ‘Totem Pole’ from the TPI between Tech and Middle Tennessee State College. trophy room.” After the 1972 football game, the It’s been to the White House and the streets of Paris. Oracle reported a similar story. Today, few at Tech know where it is. In 1983, Shinny Ninny disappeared from Tech’s Shinny Ninny’s story bookstore. This time the starts in the fall of 1960. That totem never showed up in Halfback Joe Mac year, MTSC SGA president Murfreesboro. Stanley Rogers and Tech SGA In the months following Jaques would flop president Sherman Newcomb, the disappearance, photos down and do what he of Shinny around the world, ’61 mathematics, decided there should be a trophy to symbolize called the ‘shin-a-ninny’ including in Washington, D.C., the rivalry between schools. Paris and Key West, showed up on the sidelines after a “We contacted Fred Harvey at the Oracle. Jr., who had just returned from A letter from a “committee touchdown. He’d have Alaska,” said Rogers, who of six” demanded a donation to really psych himself of $20,000 from both schools had been going to Harvey’s department store for years. “He up to perform his fit. to St. Jude Children’s Research had a bunch of items he was Hospital in Memphis in — James McMillan, willing to donate, one was a exchange for the pole’s return. ’62 industrial technology 50-plus-year-old totem pole.” The letter threatened to Middle has always called “reduce one Alaskan totem the trophy “Harvey.” Tech students decided on a pole to a 32-pound bag of sawdust” otherwise. different name. In 1987, the totem was returned to Tech, with the “Halfback Joe Mac Jaques would flop down initials of the six carved into the back. The Golden and do what he called the ‘shin-a-ninny’ on the Eagles lost the rivalry game that year, so the totem sidelines after a touchdown,” said James McMillan, went to the Blue Raiders. ’62 industrial technology. “He’d have to really psych Less than 24 hours after the hand off, two himself up to perform his fit. Everyone started calling “assailants” wearing Greek letters allegedly forced it the ‘shin-a-ninny’ because of him.” their way into Middle’s student government office The totem passed to the winner of each year’s and took the totem from the president. Both the rivalry football game. Tech won the first two football Oracle and the Eagle suspected an inside job. games with Shinny Ninny on the line. The “Totem Bowl” rivalry ended in 1998 when The trophy’s transfer was supposed to be Middle moved to a different athletic division. Tech’s peaceful every year, in the vein of other famous last win was in 1997. college football rivalries, but it shifted immediately The totem pole sits behind a glass display case into a cycle of kidnappings and returns. in MTSU’s Hall of Fame building, along with an In November 1961, Shinny Ninny vanished for the honorary diploma. v
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Every time the tale is told, he’s cast as an inconvenience. He has either attempted to urinate on or physically blocked the path of some powerful administrator or politician. Even his name, Dammit, as in “get out of the way, dammit,” is a testament to his disruptive ability. There are no pictures of the dog in the Oracle or Eagle. A search of the archives reveals nothing. All that remains of his story is an oral tradition. In 1953-1954, a dog with several names lived on Tennessee Polytechnic Institute’s campus. Most called him “the dog” or “Dammit.” “I don’t recall who brought him or when, but I do remember that the dog was definitely friendly,” said Billie Jo Bowling, ’55 accounting. The dog often hung out outside the cafeteria, waiting for a student to bring him table scraps. Occasionally, he would chase a car down the road, give up, and return to campus to wait for another. “I was in one of Pennebaker’s eugenics classes, and he used Dammit to explain genetics because [the dog] was so unusual,” said Harvey Howard, ’55 biology, in a 2008 email. “Doc Lee of English used Dammit as a subject for compositions; students had to describe him.” Dammit was a “ghost-eye” dog; his left eye was light blue and his right was brown. Several alumni say he was a blue heeler, a medium-sized, short-coated dog with black and white hair. For almost a year, Dammit led a relaxed life. The dog never caused a documented disturbance, and no one has gone on record to say they witnessed one. During the 1954 Thanksgiving break, most students left campus. After break, Dammit had disappeared. Students couldn’t find out what happened and, in the stress of finals, they turned their attention to studying. One tale says Dammit disappeared because of a rabies scare, but there is no record of such a scare in the Oracle or the Cookeville Herald-Citizen. The other rumor is that Dammit was shot. Howard and Paul Haltom, ’55 social science, say they found
the dog’s body in a dumpster behind the cafeteria. Both men also claim responsibility for placing Dammit’s original monument, a three-foot granite slab purchased from Builder’s Supply in Cookeville. Under the cover of darkness, they dug a hole beside the fire hydrant outside Derryberry Hall and poured concrete to set the marker. It’s a common myth that Dammit’s remains lie buried next to that fire hydrant, that there was a mass funeral procession with a miniature casket for the unofficial Tech mascot. By the early ‘60s, the memorial had vanished. “We returned to school one fall to find they had remodeled what is now Derryberry Hall,” said Maxwell Alderson, ’63 mathematics. “Dammit’s grave was missing. Nobody knew what had happened to it.” The students knew the story of Dammit urinating on President Derryberry. They thought the administration would not be receptive to a request for a replacement monument. Like the students before them, they waited until the cover of darkness and sprang into action. They set a new memorial, which had the dog’s name etched into the back of a used tombstone. Some tracked Sherlock, the night watchman, and others dug the hole and set the stone. Their memorial is still outside Derryberry Hall. A layer of dirt has settled on the stone because of construction, and it can be difficult to find the tribute. This year, the original stone was returned. Bob Wallace, of Cookeville, found it cleaning his house. He’d had it since a fraternity stole it, intending to return it, in a pledge-week prank. Afraid of repercussions, they asked Wallace to keep the stone. “I’m glad it’s back where it belongs,” he said. “It should have happened years ago.” For six decades, Dammit has been one of Tech’s most memorable stories, passed down through generations. Two years ago, Tech’s Student Government Association passed a bill to adopt a live Dammit the dog mascot. That’s pretty good for a mutt. v
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Since 1915
We’ve Been With You!
100th Anniversary
Congratulations
Tennessee Tech
and thank you for the many contributions you have made to our community – and our world!
Herald-Citizen
The newspaper of the Upper Cumberland Since 1903 1300 Neal Street, Cookeville www.herald-citizen.com 931-526-9715
C o n s i s t e n C y Definition: The achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time.
100 CONGRATULATIONS
Y E A R S
Preparing college students for life-long success requires an unwavering commitment to instruction, research, innovation, leadership and service. Day after day after day. For a century, Tennessee Tech University has set the standard for education excellence. That’s why Averitt is proud to be one of the nation’s leading employers of TTU graduates. Because whether you’re equipping the next generation of talent or pioneering the future of the transportation industry, there is no substitute for consistency.
Our Driving Force Is People 1-800-AVERITT • AverittExpress.com
28 Spring 2015
Visions
Eagle-eyed visitors to Tennessee Tech’s campus this fall may have noticed that Derryberry Hall’s eagle has vanished. Since three students stole it from the ruins of a burned hotel in 1952, Monteagle’s citizens have wanted it back. Could it be retaliation? No, but they’re getting it back anyway. Or a version of it. A plaster cast of the eagle was delivered to the Monteagle city hall in October. The town organized an unveiling that included a retelling of the 1952 tale by Tech history professor Michael Birdwell. “Our history, our heritage is only one generation deep,” said state Sen. Janice Bowling at the unveiling. “It’s great to see so many people here today to listen to the story of this eagle. They can tell the tale to others and keep this history alive.” A full-sized, original-color metal replica will be delivered in March. While Monteagle residents will be able to get to know their eagle again, those in Cookeville will also be able to get up close and personal to the original eagle as a result of the efforts of two women from Monteagle. The women, Iva Michelle Russell and Kay Ramsey, came to reclaim the eagle more than a year ago. Instead of stealing it back, they offered to buy it from President Phil Oldham. “The eagle comes up whenever we talk about our past, so we did a little research on where it went and how it got there,” said Russell. “We thought hard about how to get it back. We considered
camouflage, ropes and power tools, but we decided to have a sit-down with Tech’s president first.” Oldham talked to Jeffrey Adams, director of the Appalachian Center for Craft, about using the center’s skills to help Monteagle. Adams examined the eagle when Tech facilities staff took it down for cleaning this summer. “We came to the conclusion that it would be best for the original eagle to be moved indoors,” said Adams. “It’s in good condition, but any more time outside and the statue would be at risk.” The Derryberry eagle is made of pot metal — a cheap mixture used to make quick castings. From years of exposure, the metal has weakened. Artists at the Center for Craft worked to repair and stabilize it. So it can remain a symbol of Tennessee Tech for decades to come, at press time, the plan was to move it to the first-floor lobby of the Roaden University Center. Because Derryberry tower would not be the same without its eagle, university administrators decided to put a full-scale replica there. This time, the statue will be cast in aluminum and given a gold finish. In December, engineers from Tech’s Hybrid Immersive Visualization Environment Lab captured the eagle with a 3-D scanner. With the scan, lab workers will create a limited number of miniatures from a 3-D printer so even more people can share a piece of Tech history. v
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E
UNIV ER Y SIT
TENNES SE
H C TE
Centennial From yesterday to today, as we continue to grow together, this momentous milestone brings a time of reflection on our community partnership. Sincere congratulations Tennessee Technological University at your Centennial Anniversary! - The City of Cookeville
Graduate Alumni Q&A Find out why other alumni are getting their graduate degrees from Tech
Sheryl Ransom, ’95 MBA, ’88 Accounting, ’85 psychology Why come back to school? Through my undergrad degrees, I worked the night shift as an hourly employee. I considered becoming a full-time teacher, so I got my MBA. These degrees linked me to Tech and gave me the opportunity to be an adjunct professor. The thing I love most about being an adjunct is touching the lives of our future leaders. How has your degree helped in your profession? My MBA gives me more credibility as a professional leader. The program gives students the chance to visualize a situation and know how to react to it, which is useful in human resources. It helped to improve my decision-making abilities. What was the best thing about your graduate experience at TTU? I always had this good feeling every time I walked on TTU’s campus. The students, the teachers and the guidance really helped me. I didn’t have time to spend walking around campus to get the information I needed. I could just call someone. I was always lucky to have good groups in my courses. I still have some of those friendships.
Find out more about Tech’s graduate programs at tntech.edu/graduatestudies
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T N A T S N CO S E D I GU
Generations of mentoring in the School of Human Ecology Nearly 30 years ago, Sue Bailey knew the poised, serious student sitting in the front row was destined to be a professor. The student spent 15 years working as a registered dietician, and today, Melinda Anderson teaches and directs the program from which she graduated. “She saw something in me that I didn’t see,” said Anderson, who graduated from Tech’s human ecology — food, nutrition and dietetics program in 1989. “I didn’t appreciate at the time how much confidence she had in me.” The relationships Anderson had with Bailey and her other mentor, Cathy Cunningham, Tech’s nowretired dietetics professor, are not exceptional in the School of Human Ecology. Instead, they are the rule. “Dr. Anderson’s door was always open and that really helped me build trust in her,” said Beth Miller, ’13 human ecology — food, nutrition and dietetics. “I may be a little biased, but the relationships the professors form with students here are incredible.” Miller, now in graduate school in Florida, came to Tech for the nutrition program and to play Golden Eagles softball. She discovered her passion for sports nutrition at Tech doing research with Cunningham about the effects of nutrition on her cross-country teammates. The School of Human Ecology has prepared students to help improve quality of life for children and families for all of Tech’s 100-year history. The program has changed over the years, but its focus has remained the same. “I remind myself and I remind my faculty, the students are the only reason we’re here,” Anderson said. “We are here for them, to help them be successful in whatever they want to achieve.”
Anderson’s open door policy extends beyond normal working hours and beyond a student’s time at Tech. She helps prospective students learn about the program and enroll at Tech during weekend conversations. After they graduate, she keeps up with former students’ lives and careers through email and over coffee. Anderson’s motivation is partly due to the example Bailey set as her professor and mentor. Bailey invited Anderson back twice on temporary appointments to teach and help with research. Since 2001, Anderson has been a fixture at Tech. “I fell in love with teaching; I loved being with the students,” Anderson said. “I knew when I came back that this was what I needed to be doing.” Bailey came to a similar, and similarly unexpected, realization about teaching. She had another job lined up when her mentor told her about an interview at Northern Michigan University. “The day before my graduation, a deliveryman knocked on my door with plane tickets to Michigan,” Bailey said. “I never looked back.” Together, the two women have more than 40 years’ experience working in a program that has been part of Tech for a century. In 1915, what is now human ecology was domestic sciences and, later, home economics. The program’s name and content of its courses have changed with American lifestyles, habits and workforce needs. When people stopped sewing, the fashion program shifted to merchandising and trend prediction, though students still learn some sewing with a focus on apparel and accessory design. When Americans stopped cooking at home, Tech created the Friday Café to teach students to run a
Spring 2015 Visions 33
Melinda Anderson ’89, director of the School of Human Ecology, works with nutrition students in one of the program’s labs.
commercial kitchen, including health inspections, calorie counts and portion sizes. “Each faculty works above and beyond to help. I am very fortunate to work with faculty and staff who value each student,” Anderson said. “Our students come into the school and they say, ‘you treat me like family.’ “I’ll have seniors come in and thank me for my help. I wouldn’t be here if not for Dr. Bailey and Dr. Cunningham. It’s easy for me to help these students
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because they helped me. I tell my students to carry that forward for someone else when they can.” And they do. Since she was hired by Sodexo, the nation’s largest employer of dieticians, Rachel Werkheiser, ’11 human ecology — food, nutrition and dietetics, has paid it forward by annually supervising a postbachelor’s student in getting the required 1,200 hours of on-the-job work to become a licensed dietician.
Sue Bailey, former director (retired) of the School of Human Ecology, mentored current director Melinda Anderson while Anderson was both a student and a Tech professor.
It is her way of helping her profession and paying forward the help she received as a student. “With everything Dr. Anderson does for her students, I feel like this is something I have to do,” said Werkheiser, who earned her dietetics degree after nearly a decade as an accountant. “Somebody did it for me; it’s our responsibility to continue our profession and help people.” Anderson says she is ready to help usher in the next century at the School of Human Ecology. An
18-month renovation of South Hall, to be completed this spring, will help to set the course for the future, including an expansion of human ecology degree options at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. “I do feel a great responsibility to the previous directors, especially to Dr. Bailey as my mentor, to do whatever I can,” she said. “We are doing great things in human ecology and looking forward to creating new memories for our students, faculty and staff. We’re moving ahead.” v
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mancil Johnson
Since 1985, Mancil Johnson has been the repository of Tech’s stories, histories and traditions. In that time, he has helped countless students, faculty and community members to discover the past and has organized, indexed, and made more than 90 collections available to researchers. Before he retires in 2016, Johnson will play a vital role in planning centennial celebrations. What is the most memorable moment in Tech’s history? There are a lot of little things. I mostly remember the students that worked for me. Some of these folks are overcoming a lot of baggage, and it’s a really satisfying feeling when you have seen someone through four years of hard work. You’ve listened to their problems, you’ve given them advice, and you’ve helped them when you could. There was one young lady from a deprived background. She managed to do well. She has achieved her goals and has earned her doctorate and is working in the job she had always hoped for.
What does it mean to be an archivist? In some ways you get to peek behind the curtains at history, and I’ve been able to sit in on the conversations that impacted the institution. In other ways, you can preserve this material for future generations. I hope when Tech celebrates its 500th anniversary the work I’ve done and the work people after me have done is still around.
What is your proudest accomplishment as Tech’s archivist? The existence of the archives is my proudest accomplishment. When I got here in 1985, I was the only archivist between Lebanon and Oak Ridge and between Chattanooga and the Kentucky border. Today, virtually every county in that area has an archives and an archivist. I was an advisor on a few of those situations, but I think it’s really satisfying that people are valuing their history and are preserving it. Johnson has curated Tech’s largest collection, U.S. Rep. Joe L. Evins’ papers, since he was hired as a temporary employee. Since then, the collection, donated by the Evins family, has grown from his papers to his entire office, including furniture and memorabilia. v
For more of this interview, visit tntech.edu/visions.
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The business of craft beer, craft glasses Through a narrow door downtown, three focused young men race around a work zone labeling, taping and packing orders of specially designed, handmade beer glasses into shipping boxes. All business, they have no time to talk. After the mailman has come and gone, the beer starts to flow, the pool balls fly and the jokes get progressively worse. It’s the other side of the Pretentious Beer Glass Company. The company is the brainchild of Matthew Cummings, ’07 fine arts — glass, who spent most of the fall moving from Louisville, Kentucky, to Knoxville. The move has not been as simple as packing a U-Haul. Cummings and his team of Appalachian Center for Craft alumni have dealt with commercial leases, business plans, plumbing and electrical problems, and city inspections. They are building their equipment by hand, welding furnace frames and designing spaces without cost-prohibitive computeraided design renderings. All of it has been a challenge. “I’m dealing with how hard it is because I’m not doing it for myself. I’m doing it to build a community. From 9 to 5, we bust out making beer glasses and then 5 comes along and we clock out and make art,” Cummings said. “This is my retirement plan. Artists don’t get 401(k)s. I’m doing this for the kids I’m going to hopefully have. I’m doing it for my friends.” The Knoxville space is designed for more than making original, handmade glasses. There is gallery space, a hot and cold shop to blow and manipulate glass, and bar seating for guests to drink and watch it all happen. Next door is a bar and brewery (the Pretentious Beer Glass Company has its own microbrewery and original recipes), a shop and beer garden.
When Cummings opened the Pretentious Beer Glass Company on the online retailer Etsy in 2012, the store sold about 30 glasses a month; enough to help even out an artist’s income. The pace has sped up; in one day, two people make between 55 and 75 glasses. Even at that pace, merchandise is often on back order. But the artists say the effort is worth it. “The best thing about working here is the people. I’m surrounded by two guys who are super smart, they have an eye for detail, they’re super creative but at the end of the day, they’re still fun to have a beer with,” said Thoryn Ziemba, ’10 fine arts — glass. “The worst part is being so invested in this. I care so much that I can get a little hung up on a detail that doesn’t matter as much.” The details are what make Pretentious Beer Glass special; Cummings, Ziemba and Sam Meketon, ’14 fine arts — glass, are not making glasses in shapes solely based on other designs. Cummings did his own research and testing to learn more about how shapes enhance taste. “The more research I did, I felt like the beer glass was a problem that was hiding in plain sight,” Cummings said. “I poured different beers in the right glasses and then poured them into the wrong ones. Then I made the best guess I could about what made the glass function really well and what I could play with in the design.” Of about 30 prototypes, the final glasses feature mustaches, pumpkin-shaped bottoms and multiple waists. All are designed to highlight different beers, to fit comfortably in a hand and be fun. One glass is patented; all are copyrighted. If Cummings has a favorite glass, he won’t tell. He says they are his “babies.” All but one of the eight glasses are designed so they must be made by hand. The babies, and the business, are increasingly
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popular. The business has been featured in food and craft beer blogs, on websites like the Huffington Post and Food Beast, and in magazines including “Wired,” “Men’s Lifestyle,” “Paste Magazine” and “Southern Living.” Cummings has a waiting list of 60 wholesalers eager to carry the glasses, mostly craft beer stores and a few restaurants. “I think his business plan is amazingly ambitious and clever,” said Curtiss Brock, professor and head of the glass department at the Center for Craft. “I’m 70 percent pumped up and ready to support them, 30 percent concerned. But like any parent, you have to back off. These guys aren’t messing around anymore; they are betting their livelihoods on this. “If these three guys can’t pull off something, I don’t know who can.” Though all but Meketon have been away from the Center for Craft for years, each of the three credits Brock’s teaching for their successes so far. “My best memory of the Craft Center was probably early mornings Tuesday and Thursday going to work for Curt,” Meketon said. “You knew you were going to get yelled at, you knew you were going to learn something, and it’s probably the thing that best prepared me for what I’m doing now.” While at TTU, Meketon won a student NICHE Award, one of North America’s top fine craft competitions, and was nominated twice more. Ziemba won a Windgate Fellowship, one of the country’s most prestigious and competitive awards for emerging artists. Cummings earned a master’s in fine art from Illinois State University. “Working with Craft Center people is a testament to the caliber of people Curt puts out,” Cummings said. “I have my dream team. I didn’t choose them because they’re TTU. I chose them because they are super, super talented. I chose the two people I wanted to work with and they just happened to be Craft Center.” v Matthew Cummings, ’07 fine arts — glass, started the Pretentious Beer Glass Company in 2012 and recently moved the business to Knoxville.
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Here’s to the healthiest 100-year-old we’ve ever seen.
PHOTO: The Tech Campus School — an innovative, public elementary school for the children of TTU faculty, staff and returning World War II veterans — was one of the first of its kind.
STILL KICKIN’’ IT OLD SCHOOL Glad to see you’re still leading the way in innovation, creativity and all-around awesomeness, just like in the good ol’’ days. We tip our fedoras to you.
WDStone S T R A T E G Y
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join the club
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embers of the President’s Club come from all walks of life pledging their support to the continuation of Tennessee Tech’s rich traditions and to help further the university’s commitment to future generations. They recognize the need for private support of the university in its drive for educational excellence. Most importantly, they understand the significance of higher education and the impact the university has on its students, the community and the economy.
Tennessee Tech is pleased to be able to offer certain courtesies to members of the President’s Club. Courtesies include campus parking privileges, university publications, recognition in published donor lists, along with discounts at the university bookstore and on-campus dining or catering, some embers of the President’s Club come from all walks of life withare one just common pledge to the continuation of Tennessee Tech’s rich traditions and to help further the university’s commitment to future of the benefits extended to members. There are increasing generations. They understand the importance of higher education and the impact the university has on amounts ofand courtesies for And members as youthe move the club’s its students, the community the economy. they recognize need up for private support of the university in its drive for educational excellence. five societies.
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Tennessee Tech is pleased to be able to offer certain courtesies to members of the President’s Club. Things such as campus parking privileges, university publications, recognition in published donor lists, along with discounts at How do I join the president’s club? the university bookstore and on-campus dining or catering are just some of the courtesies extended to members. Membership eligibility may be attained through There are increasing amounts of courtesies for members as you move up theeither club’s five societies.
cumulative gifts, pledges or the sum of cumulative gifts plus How do I join the president’s club? pledges. In all cases, the gifts and/or pledges must meet the Membership eligibility may be attained through either cumulative gifts, pledges or the sum of cumulative gifts dollar values required within a 10-year period. Matching gifts plus pledges. In all cases, the gifts and/or pledges must meet the dollar values required within a 10-year period. Matching giftscount count toward membership eligibility. toward membership eligibility. for more information, contact University Development at (931) 372-3055
Alumni
class notes 1969
James Huddleston, Paul Maples, industrial technology, and Jeanne Culber Thorpe, health and physical education, all retired from Y-12 National Security Complex at Oak Ridge National Laboratory last year. All three graduated from Tech on the same day and retired on the same day, July 1, 2014. Subrata Saha, M.S. mechanical engineering, has had a busy year. He is a research professor and director of musculoskeletal research in the department of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. He was the keynote speaker and chaired a session at the 30th Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference in Mississippi. The best paper award at the conference was also named after him. Subrata was the invited plenary speaker at the 78th annual Mississippi Academy of Sciences meeting
and was elected a fellow by the New York Academy of Medicine. He was elected vice president of the board of trustees for the Bengal Engineering and Science University Foundation’s global alumni association. He wrote and published a paper in “Ethics in Biology, Engineering and Medicine – An International Journal,” and, in collaboration with a graduate student, presented another at SUNY Stony Brook.
1972
M. Dianne Murphy, health and physical education, ’73 M.S., was selected as one of three 2013-2014 female administrators of the year by the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Dianne has been director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education at Columbia University for a decade. TTU’s Alumni Association gave her a distinguished alumni award in 2005.
1973
David Eldridge, biology, was selected as Baylor University’s emeritus professor and served as their mace bearer in their spring 2014 commencement ceremony. David retired from Baylor’s biology department in 2010. He taught biology for 43 years and had more than 20,000 students in his classes.
1977
Gail Vaugh Ashworth, music education, was named one of the best lawyers in the nation in the 2015 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America.” Gail has been included on the listing since 1995. She is a founding member of Wiseman Ashworth Law Group in Nashville.
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1979
Adedeji Badiru, industrial engineering, ’81 M.S. math, industrial engineering, published an opinion article in the American Society for Engineering Education’s “Prism” magazine entitled “Beyond swords and plowshares: Military service can advance engineering education – and address grand challenges.” In the article, Adedeji credits his TTU engineering faculty, many of whom were veterans, for giving him the motivation and interest in pursuing a career in engineering education and the foundational knowledge to serve his students. Adedeji is dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology.
1982
Gregory L. Albritton, civil engineering, is now a senior structural engineer at Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon Inc.’s industrial and building services’ structural group. Gregory is a registered professional engineer in six states and a member of the American Institute of Steel Construction.
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1983
Michael Garnto, industrial technology, accepted a position as the director of manufacturing operations with Blind Industries and Services of Maryland last summer. The non-profit organization provides jobs and rehabilitation services for the visually impaired. Earlier last summer, Mike retired after 20 years of working in government service as a law enforcement officer with Federal Prison Industries. Leanne Blankenship Scott, chemical engineering, won the Water Environment Federation’s Arthur Sidney Bedell Award. Leanne is the only two-time president of the KentuckyTennessee Water Environment Association and has served on the executive board since 2008. She is the manager of the engineering planning section for Metro Water Services in Nashville and has a master’s in engineering management from the University of Tennessee.
1984
Col. John D. Williams, business administration, recently retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of continuous active
duty. During his service, John received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and six Meritorious Service Medals, among other awards and accolades.
1986
Lisa Rivera, journalism, joined Bass, Berry & Sims as a member of the firm’s healthcare fraud practice. Lisa has more than 20 years of government enforcement experience at the state and federal level, including as a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
1987
Stuart McGregor, M.S. biology, accepted a promotion to be the director of the ecosystems investigations program with the Geological Survey of Alabama. Stuart has worked there since 1988. Toby Resha, health and physical education, was named the 2014 middle school wrestling coach of the year. Toby has been coaching middle school wrestling for more than 20 years in Nashville, currently at Goodlettsville Middle School. His teams have won 16 division championships.
1989
EHD Technologies, a Brentwood, Tennessee, staffing firm co-founded by Michael Claudio, electrical engineering, made the 2014 list of fastest-growing firms released by Staffing Industry Analysts. The company ranked second of nearly 100 firms on the list. Michael serves as the firm’s chief executive officer. Betsy Dunn, sociology and criminal justice, received a 2014 collaborative leadership award from the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. Betsy was one of five from across the nation to receive the award. She is a case manager in the child protective services division of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. She is also a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.
1991
A screenplay written by Corey Prince, finance, was this fall made into a film that premiered on the UP channel, Uplifting Entertainment. The film, “Lyfe’s Journey,” tells the story of a
bank manager who overcomes the obstacles of joblessness and homelessness during the recession. Corey is the senior director of human resources for UP. This is his third screenplay. Jon Yarbrough, industrial engineering, sold his company, Video Gaming Technologies, to Aristocrat Leisure of Sydney, Australia, for more than $1 billion. Jon started his company in 1991 and it has grown to become one of the biggest manufacturers of slot machines leased to tribal casinos around the country. As a result of the sale, Jon has been placed on the “Forbes” list of the 400 richest people in America. Jon ranks at No. 382.
1993
James F. Whittenberg, music education, accepted a dual appointment as assistant professor of counseling and guidance with the Brownsville and Rio Grand Valley campuses of the University of Texas. He will serve as field experiences supervisor for graduate-level school counseling candidates in the educational psychology and leadership studies department. James has worked in public schools for 21 years, 10 in the Brownsville Independent School District. Last year, he received the Outstanding School Counselor
Award from the Rio Grande Valley Counseling Association.
1994
Mark Noe, civil engineering, recently took a job as the engineering manager of the water services business unit of Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc. Mark has 19 years’ experience in the water and wastewater industry and is a registered professional engineer in three states. Alison Piepmeier, English, was named one of the 50 most progressive Charlestonians by “Charlie Magazine.”
1999
Justin Dewey, civil engineering, ’01 M.S., has been hired to the Jacksonville, Florida, office of Hanson Professional Services Inc. as a water resources engineer. Justin is responsible for supporting water design needs for projects related to stormwater systems, erosion control and bridge hydraulics.
Spring 2015 Visions 47
2002
Jason Holliman, accounting and finance, is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of Citizens National Bank.
2003
David Collett, agriculture, was named the assistant to the state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development office. David began working for USDA Rural Development on a co-op assignment as a Tech student and has been there ever since.
Morrison opens shop Cigi Morrison, ’06 human ecology, returned to Cookeville after almost a decade in Atlanta to open a clothing, home accents and gifts shop near her alma mater. The shop, Cigi’s Boutique, opened this fall and specializes in vintage and refurbished items. Cigi said opening the store has been one of her goals since she left Cookeville. She is already in touch with her alma mater about setting up internship opportunities and talking to current fashion merchandising and design students about being an entrepreneur in their fields. v
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Spring 2015 | Visions
2004
Kimberly McCormick, Ed.S. instructional leadership, became the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Chattanooga State Community College last summer. Rhonda Wright Moody, business administration, recently joined the Jamestown staff of The Rains Agency as the office’s risk manager. There, she will service existing personal and insurance accounts, among other duties.
2005
Carlton Dowell, management information systems, joined Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, one of the largest accounting and business consulting firms in the Southeast. Meagan Hall, fine arts – fibers, was featured as a Deep South Insider in “Southern Living” magazine for her Wonder Thunder line of products and illustration projects. Meagan is the gallery coordinator and office manager at the Center for the Arts in Murfreesboro. Andrea Northcutt, agriculture, participated in Miami University’s earth expeditions global field course in Belize. There, she studied the terrestrial, coastal
and coral reef communities of the Central American country. Andrea is working on her master’s degree from the Ohio university’s global field program.
2008
T.J. Edwards, fine arts – clay, was selected as one of “Ceramics Monthly” magazine’s emerging artists. After graduating from Tech, T.J. went on to win a Windgate Fellowship, an award to participate in a German internship program and a full residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Nebraska.
2009
Cory Duggin, mechanical engineering, ’11 M.S., is an associate at TLC Engineering for Architecture. The firm provides engineering and energy consultations on projects around the United States and internationally. Matthew J. Lewis, mechanical engineering, ’11 M.S., is the lead facilities engineer for Pioneer Energy in North Dakota. Wesley Willeford, biology and chemistry, accepted a position as the chief resident of Wake Forest University Medical Center. He also received the award for Outstanding Second Year Resident.
2010
Domonique Anne West Townsend, industrial engineering, recently wrote a book, “Meltdown Momma” about inspiring and empowering working mothers. She also returned to her alma mater last fall to talk to Tech students about how to prepare for a career fair, including dealing with job searchrelated stress. Domonique is a process improvement engineer at Lightning Source Inc. in Nashville.
2013
Hilary Barker, accounting, ’14 MBA, recently joined the Chattanooga firm of LBMC as a staff accountant on the tax team.
2014
Lauren Kirk, human ecology, was appointed to be the student representative to the Tennessee Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics board of directors. Lauren is also working on her master’s degree in clinical nutrition and completing a dietetic internship at East Tennessee State University. Philip Vance, accounting, is a relationship specialist at First Freedom Bank. He works with potential and existing clients regarding their lending and deposit needs. v
Garner saves the team Though she grew up watching and playing basketball, Pickett County High School’s Spanish teacher and softball coach, Brittney Garner, ’12 interdisciplinary studies, recently saved the school’s football team and became Tennessee’s first female head football coach. The team was without a coach when Brittney volunteered to take over so the county’s boys could continue to play. Previously, her only experience with football was through video games. The team’s retired coach came back to call the plays and run the practices while Brittney handles the administrative duties and motivates the Bobcats. It seems to be working. For the first time since 2008, the team won more than one game last season. v
LeMarbre named to Knoxville 40 under 40 Michael LeMarbre, ’03 accounting/ marketing, was named to the Knoxville News Sentinel “40 under 40” list earlier this year. Michael is the chief financial officer at Clayton Bank and Trust. He often uses his accounting expertise to help various philanthropic organizations, including the Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee and serves on the board of the local Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. v
News to share? Please include your class year, major and full name (plus maiden name, if applicable). Submit your class note by email (visions@tntech.edu), online (ttualumni.org) or by mail (Visions, PO Box 5056, Cookeville, TN 38505). Due to the production timeline of the magazine, there may be a one-issue delay in the appearance of your class note. Email and postal submissions will also be used on the alumni website, ttualumni.org. v
Spring 2015 Visions 49
Thank you for preparing us for life.
Alumni
Although our business deals with grief and loss, it has even more to do with comfort and healing, with honoring and celebrating life and individual lives. TTU has helped to equip generations of our owners for this important role and for leadership in our community, and that preparation has served us well for 75 years.
FUNERAL HOMES & C R E M AT I O N S E R V I C E S
59 N. Jefferson Ave. Cookeville (931) 526-6111 hhhfunerals.com
~S E R V IN G~
Cookeville • Algood • Baxter • Monterey
1940
75
2015
Bottom row, left to right: Patti Wilson, Jo Ann Everett, Cissy Chambers, Linda Clevenger. Top row, left to right: Lois Smith, Maxine Hopper, Helen Smith, Jackie Slaten
More than 50 years of friendship Through letters and visits, eight women have maintained strong friendships begun in 1961 during their freshman year at Tech. The eight members of the class of 1965 are Linda Wooten Clevenger, secondary education; Jo Ann Perry Everett, home economics education; Maxine Mullins Hopper, medical technology; Jackie Hendrixson Slaton, home economics education; Helen Smalley Smith, English; Lois Jones Smith, marketing; Patti Judd Wilson, home economics education and the late Frances “Cissy” Perry Chambers, elementary education.
Five of the eight married Tech alumni. Cissy married Jim Chambers, ’65 industrial technology, who retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel. Linda married Jerry Clevenger, ’65 mechanical engineering. Jo Ann married Jon Everett, ’64 business management; Maxine married David Hopper, ’66 mechanical engineering; and Helen married Charles Smith, ’65 civil engineering. Since 1990, the group has gotten together to share old memories and create new ones every year. v
Spring 2015 Visions 51
friends remembered Jerry W. Abston, July 2, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Mohammad R. E. Albadi, Oct. 18, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Joe K. Anderson, ’57 curriculum and instruction | Sept. 7, 2014; Gordonsville, Tennessee Wilroy M. Anderson, ’51 agriculture | June 26, 2014; Jasper, Tennessee Prince H. Aydelott, ’48 agriculture | July 20, 2014; Dickson, Tennessee John Bandy, ’70 industrial engineering | July 20, 2014; Memphis, Tennessee Joe Boswell, ’49 agriculture | Aug. 15, 2014; Jackson, Tennessee Sean A. Bowling, Sept. 12, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Julia G. Boyd*, June 15, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Anne R. Browning, ’69 health and physical education | July 16, 2014; Chattanooga, Tennessee Linda S. Bryant, ’65 office management | June 7, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Carolyn Chapman Butler, ’56 human ecology education | June 6, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Ann Bowling Case, ’47 business management | Nov. 15, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Sarah Bragg Cather, ‘50 human ecology | July 3, 2014; Mount Juliet, Tennessee Moncie L. Coleman, ‘63 civil engineering | Aug. 10, 2014; Centerville, Tennessee Joanne Jenkins Cotten, ’52 health and physical education | Oct. 4, 2014; Lebanon, Tennessee Terry Crabtree, Nov. 5, 2014; Livingston, Tennessee Sally Bonham Crain-Jager, Nov. 22, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Floyd David Crawford, ’75 mechanical engineering | Sept. 28, 2014; Madison, Alabama Lillian Crawford, July 21, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee James David Crowley, ’47 chemistry | June 9, 2014; Kingsport, Tennessee Gary J. Curto, July 27, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Bill Daniel, ’71 M.A. administration and supervision | July 18, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Ted Darwin*, Oct. 2, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Lilburn L. Davis, ’65 M.A. administration and supervision, ‘74 Ed.S. educational administration and supervision | Aug. 21, 2014; Nashville, Tennessee Elmo S. Dooley, ’52 biology | July 2, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Larry W. Duncan, ’74 industrial engineering | Sept. 12, 2014; Carmel, Indiana David F. Eakins, ’62 accounting | Aug. 28, 2014; Decherd, Tennessee Sue A. Eaves, Aug. 24, 2014; Columbia, Tennessee Chris Elkins, ’97 biology | Oct. 11, 2014; Tullahoma, Tennessee Jerry N. Eller, ’65 animal husbandry | June 24, 2014; McMinnville, Tennessee Nancy Kagley Ewing, ’59 elementary education | Dec. 14, 2013; Sarasota, Florida James E. Foster, ’59 social sciences | Oct. 15, 2014; Colorado Springs, Colorado Robert E. Foust, ’84 chemistry | Sept. 3, 2014; Brentwood, Tennessee Dean R. Freitag, Sept. 1, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Charles O. French, ’69 mathematics, ’69 M.A. educational counseling and guidance | Aug. 23, 2014; Brentwood, Tennessee Rudy Godwin, ’64 mechanical engineering | June 11, 2014; Pensacola, Florida Patsy Burns Golden, ’59 accounting | July 1, 2014; Knoxville, Tennessee Orville W. Guinn, ’48 accounting | Aug. 12, 2014; Jacksonville, Florida Lydia Dixon Harden, ’81 journalism | July 15, 2014; Nashville, Tennessee Margaret Harrell, July 28, 2014; Riceville, Tennessee Glen Harrison, ’51 agriculture | Aug. 19, 2014; Knoxville, Tennessee LeRoy Henderson, ’53 general engineering | Aug. 18, 2014; Hollywood, Florida Leola Clark Hodges, ’49 human ecology | June 20, 2014; Sparta, Tennessee James B. Holder Sr., ’71 secondary education | July 7, 2014; Lafayette, Tennessee John Hopkins*, ’58 electrical engineering | July 28, 2014; West Chester, Pennsylvania Donald A. Hudson, ’78 journalism | July 1, 2014; Cleveland, Tennessee Jerry D. Hughes, ’63 civil engineering | Oct. 14, 2014; Franklin, Tennessee Patricia F. Hunley, Sept. 21, 2014; Alpine, Tennessee George H. Johnson, ’49 accounting | Oct. 6, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Mary Ann Jones*, ’56 human ecology | June 29, 2014; Chesterfield, Virginia Abdul G. Karzai, July 23, 2014 Matthew L. Keesecker, ’91 business management | Oct. 26, 2014; Princeton, West Virginia Stephen Kelly, ’76 industrial engineering | June 24, 2014; Brentwood, Tennessee Frank A. Kuykendall, ’50 business management | June 26, 2014; Nashville, Tennessee
52 Spring 2015
Visions
A listing of alumni and friends of Tech who have passed away since the last issue of Visions.
John J. Lane, ’96 M.S. biology | Nov. 12, 2014; Paris, Arkansas Richard Lane, June 12, 2014; Sparta, Tennessee Willie N. Lee, July 28, 2014 Geraldine C. Lentz, ’49 human ecology, ’51 M.A. educational administration and supervision | Oct. 7, 2014; Manchester, Tennessee Frank E. Liggett, ’59 mechanical engineering | July 6, 2014; Murfreesboro, Tennessee Jane Caplenor Lohman, ’60 mathematics | July 3, 2014; Lebanon, Tennessee James A. Martin, ’65 electrical engineering | Oct. 3, 2014; Knoxville, Tennessee Marie C. McCorkle, ’76 business education | Aug. 30, 2014; Athens, Tennessee Mykel N. McFalls, June 22, 2014; Ten Mile, Tennessee Paul R. Miller, Aug. 2, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee George R. Mitchell, ’38 business management | Oct. 25, 2014; Ooltewah, Tennessee Helen Gill Moon, ’78 speech and theater, ’81 M.A. English | Nov. 10, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Thomas Dudley Moore, Nov. 23, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Betty Waggoner Moorhead, pre-medicine | July 16, 2014; Clarksville, Tennessee Barbara Linder Morris, ’75 secondary education | Aug. 15, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Bobby R. Mullinix, ’58 mechanical engineering | Aug. 2, 2014; Jamestown, Tennessee Ingrid P. Narvaez, ’11 computer engineering | August, 2014; Knoxville, Tennessee Amanda Neff, June 26, 2014; Allons, Tennessee Thomas Nixon, Nov. 11, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Edward Noble, ’61 biology | Aug. 10, 2014; Avon Lake, Ohio William H. Orr, July 19, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee William Wayne Overton, ’08 business management | Oct. 2, 2014; Jacksboro, Tennessee Armelia J. Owens, Aug. 30, 2014; Brighton, Alabama Charles L. Parris, agricultural science | Aug. 10, 2014; Baxter, Tennessee John H. Pashley, June 19, 2014; Oak Ridge, Tennessee Ken Peterson, Oct. 16, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee J. Fred Pippin, Aug. 17, 2014; Baxter, Tennessee John H. Poteet, ’55 business management | Oct. 6, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Mary E. Price, ’53 secretarial science | Nov. 3, 2014; Chamblee, Georgia Bob G. Pruett, ’61 industrial management | July 25, 2014; Granville, Tennessee Sam Rehorn, ’51 industrial management | Aug. 10, 2014; Hendersonville, Tennessee David J. Roberts, ’76 sociology | Sept. 27, 2014; Oakland, Tennessee Betty Rowland, ’55 curriculum and instruction | Cookeville, Tennessee Terance P. Scales, June 29, 2014; Nashville, Tennessee Jennifer H. Schaftlein, ’87 electrical engineering | July 12, 2014; Gray, Tennessee Glenn A. Sexton, agricultural science | Aug. 12, 2014; Nashville, Tennessee Doris L. Shanks, ’61 elementary education | Sept. 6, 2014; Silver Point, Tennessee Jean Shannon, ’45 human ecology | Aug. 18, 2014; Knoxville, Tennessee Sarah A. Shelby, Sept. 17, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Jim Smith, ’67 accounting | June 22, 2014; Lexington, Kentucky Mark J. Smith, ’84 business management, ’05 M.A. instructional leadership | Nov. 2, 2014; Ooltewah, Tennessee Paul T. Stevenson, ’70 agriculture | Sept. 29, 2014; Sparta, Tennessee Roy A. Stone, July 9, 2014; Crossville, Tennessee Sidney W. Stuart, ’68 engineering science | Nov. 12, 2014; Atlanta, Georgia Bill Sutter, Sept. 11, 2014; Columbia, Tennessee Paul E. Thompson, ’66 geography | Sept. 14, 2014; Crossville, Tennessee Wanda Hendrickson Todd, ’87 M.A. curriculum and instruction | Aug. 25, 2014; Fulshear, Texas Winston A. Walden, June 15, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Harold W. Weakley, ’54 industrial arts | July 1, 2014; Clarksville, Tennessee John E. Welch, ’74 plant and soil science | July 31, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Robert A. Williams Sr., July 12, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Judy Wilson, Sept. 17, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee Earl H. Winn Jr., ’64 health and physical education | Oct. 16, 2014; Winchester, Tennessee Lela Sullivan Womack, ’58 elementary education | June 7, 2014; Cookeville, Tennessee * Visionaries Society
Visions PO Box 5111 1000 N. Dixie Ave. Cookeville TN 38505-0001
Centennial Moment, 1915-2015
Varsity Cinema opened in 1969 in close proximity to campus. The theater catered to university students throughout its history, with foreign and art films during its early days and as a discount theater prior to its closing in 2000. New life was later breathed into the building when it was converted into offices for a creative marketing agency. Last year, the TTU Foundation purchased the building, now called the Alumni Building. It houses Alumni Relations and University Development.
Tech’s Centennial has begun. Look for more centennial moments throughout the year. If you have a centennial moment, please share it with us at facebook.com/tennesseetech