At 103 years old, Joyce Weaver Fowler (’33) has lived in two centuries and seen many changes in the world. Last fall, during the 100th anniversary of Homecoming, she returned to campus to see just how much her alma mater had changed in 83 years.
“It’s just like it used to be,” she said. “The University of Tennessee was really something back then. We had good teachers and good students.”
Fowler said her best memory from UT is simply that she was a part of the university.
“I was a student, and it was up to them to teach me,” she said. “And that was really something, because I took five subjects. And every teacher was really wonderful.”
During her time at UT, Fowler was active in Kappa Delta and Panhellenic Council. And she was named Queen of Clubs by the Association of Collegiate Engineers.
After earning her degree in education, Fowler taught at Tyson Junior High School in Knoxville and went on to have four children, three of them UT alumni—Ann Bray (’64), Jim Fowler (’68), and Lee McMillan (’84). In fact, many members of Fowler’s family are UT graduates, including her mother, husband, and most of her grandchildren and siblings.
“She’s really proud of her education and that she graduated from UT,” said Bray.
Fowler’s favorite thing to do is watch Tennessee football and basketball games on TV.
“We had a wonderful football team,” she said with a laugh. “I’m really spoiled as far as football is concerned.”
When asked who was going to win the homecoming football game, she replied, “Tennessee always wins, whether it loses or not.”
During her visit, Fowler talked with representatives from the Office of Alumni Affairs; the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences; and Kappa Delta sorority. She was also the center of attention for several news outlets that covered her visit.
“I don’t mind being 103 at all today!” she said.
Note: Joyce Weaver Fowler passed away on Monday, July 10, 2017, at the age of 104. Read her obituary here.