KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Charles F. Brakebill, who became the University of Tennessee’s first full-time fund-raising officer in 1962, is now UT’s acting vice president for development.
UT President Joseph E. Johnson Tuesday asked Brakebill to serve in the post until a permanent vice president is selected. Brakebill is senior associate vice president for development.
Johnson, who was development vice president from 1970 until he was named president in June, said he will name a search committee soon.
”We are lucky to have a fellow like Charlie Brakebill on our development staff,” Johnson said. ”He’s been here for most of the years the university has had a development program and has had a big role in the remarkable accomplishments it has achieved.
”Much of our success in raising private gifts is the result of the dedication, effectiveness and hard work of Charlie Brakebill.”
Brakebill, a 1948 UT graduate, said he sees growth in UT’s development, alumni affairs and annual giving programs, which he will oversee, during the search for a new vice president.
”We have strong staffs in alumni and development,” Brakebill said. ”With our new president’s experience in both areas, I feel we can move ahead while this search is being conducted.”
Since Brakebill joined the UT staff in August 1962, private gifts to the university have grown from a few thousand dollars in 1961 to more than $30 million annually for the last five years. During that same period of time, the university’s endowment has grown from approximately $1 million to more than $210 million.
UT’s endowment now ranks 11th among all public universities in the nation, he said.
For the past several years, UT also has administered more charitable remainder trusts than any public university in the nation, he said. In these trusts, individuals give their assets to the university but retain the income from them for their lifetime.
Brakebill is a native of Madisonville and was sales manager of Bacon Ice Cream Co. in Loudon when he joined the UT staff. A retired Air Force officer, he was on active duty in World War II, the Korean conflict and the Berlin crisis in 1961-62.
He and his wife, Joyce, have a son and a daughter. The Brakebills live in Loudon.