For the first time in its history, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has named a college in recognition of an alumnus and donor. The UT Board of Trustees has voted to rename the College of Business Administration the James A. Haslam II College of Business.
On October 3, the Haslam family, of Knoxville, announced a landmark gift of $50 million to the UT College of Business Administration. The gift was made in honor of the family’s patriarch, James A. Haslam.
Haslam is a 1952 graduate of the college, former vice chair of the UT Board of Trustees and a UT Distinguished Alumnus. A former Vol football captain, Haslam founded the Pilot Corporation, which is now Pilot Flying J. Pilot Flying J is the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America and one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.
“It’s a blessing for us to be in the position to make this kind of impact on our beloved alma mater,” said James A. Haslam. “We are excited about the direction of the university and firmly believe that this is a great investment in both advancing the quality of education at UT and improving the quality of life across our great state.”
The gift is being made by Jim and Natalie Haslam and their children and spouses, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Ann Haslam Bailey and Steve Bailey, and Bill and Crissy Haslam, along with 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.
This historic development comes during the college’s yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary. The $50 million gift is from three generations of the Haslam family and 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.
A public celebration will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 14, at the Haslam Business Building, 1000 Volunteer Blvd.
For more information about the college, visit haslam.utk.edu.
1 comment
As an alumnus of the UT School of Business, I am appreciative of the generosity of the Haslam family and know this will help us in making strides in improving the UT experience for future students and faculty.