Notable Alumni

Philander P. Claxton Sr. graduated from UT in 1882. He was U.S. commissioner of education from 1911 to 1921. In 1909, Claxton accepted membership on the national Hook Worm Commission, …

Philander Priestly Claxton Jr. (1934) held high positions in the U.S. State Department, from which he retired in 1975. He was president of the World Population Society from 1975 to …

Clifton B. Cates (1916) was an aide to President Woodrow Wilson and later commandant of the Marine Corps Schools. He was commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1948 to …

Robert Emmet Callan attended UT Knoxville from 1888 to 1891. He was a major general in the U.S. Army and assistant chief of staff in the War Department from 1931 …

Marion Speed Boyd (1921) was U.S. district judge for the western district of Tennessee from 1940 to 1961 and chief judge from 1961 to 1966.

George White Baxter graduated from East Tennessee University (UT’s predecessor) in 1871. He was governor of the Wyoming Territory in 1886 and was the Democratic nominee for governor of Wyoming …

John Austin Armitage (1940) was chief of the European branch of Voice of America, first secretary in the U.S. Embassy in Teheran, counselor in the U.S. Embasssy in Moscow, director …

James Zwingle (1929, 1932) was president of Park College (Missouri) from 1947 to 1955. He later was a vice president at Cornell University and president of the Association of Governing …

Seymour Allen Mynders (1880) was the first president of West Tennessee State Normal College (University of Memphis).

Edward C. Merrill Jr. (1948) was the fourth president of Gallaudet University. He served from 1969 to 1983. Merrill was dean of the UT College of Education at Knoxville from …