The university will hold a dedication ceremony to celebrate the recent naming of the Haslam College of Business and the Haslam family’s transformational gift to the college on Friday, November 14.
The 10:00 a.m. ceremony will be held in the atrium of the Haslam Business Building. It is open to public and the university community.
Members of the Haslam family and university and college officials will speak at the event. A reception will follow.
Complimentary parking will be provided for attendees in the Volunteer Hall parking garage at Sixteenth Street and White Avenue. Shuttles will run regularly between the garage and the Haslam Business Building to bring guests to and from the event.
The UT Board of Trustees voted last month to name the former College of Business Administration for James A. Haslam II, the Haslam patriarch, following a landmark family gift of $50 million to the college. The change marked the first time in history that UT has named a college in recognition of an alumnus and donor. The gift was made by Jim and Natalie Haslam, together with their children and their spouses—Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Ann Haslam Bailey and Steve Bailey, and Bill and Crissy Haslam—as well as the Haslams’ five grandchildren and their spouses—Whitney and J.W. Johnson, Cynthia and David Arnholt, Hannah and Will Haslam, Annie and David Colquitt, and Leigh and Matt Avery.
The naming and celebration come during the college’s yearlong commemoration of its 100th anniversary. The $50 million investment brings the college into an elite group of America’s top named business schools. Across the nation, transformational gifts that have resulted in the naming of business colleges have set the stage for significant enhancements to all measures of academic quality and student achievement.
“Jim’s exemplary leadership, consistent adherence to strong core values, selfless service, and passion for excellence represent our college’s values,” said Steve Mangum, dean and Stokely Leadership Chair. “We are honored that our college will bear his name forever.”
The new funding from the Haslam family will be used to advance college priorities, which include recruiting and retaining top faculty, increasing research, enhancing economic development, and supporting student achievement through scholarships and other program enhancements. It also helps fuel the university’s goal of becoming a Top 25 public research university.
A previous gift from Jim and Natalie Haslam helped to complete and furnish the college’s technologically advanced modern facility. The building was named the James A. Haslam II Business Building when it opened in 2009.
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CONTACT:
Tanya G. Brown (865-974-1570, tgbrown@utk.edu)
Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lalapo@utk.edu)