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November 2023


Support 100 years of The Oracle newspaper on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday 2023

Today is Giving Tuesday! On this day of giving, Tennessee Tech will honor a campus tradition that, since 1924, has promoted free speech, shared campus news, provided experiential learning opportunities and served as a written record of university history for nearly 100 years.

On April 24, 2024, The Oracle student newspaper will turn 100. And today, we ask for your support so it can remain a campus tradition for future generations.

If you make a gift of $24 or more today, you will receive a special 100-year anniversary tumbler with the original Tech Oracle masthead.

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Lighting the Quad scheduled for Nov. 28 at Tennessee Tech

Lighting the Quad

Tennessee Tech is ready to turn on the lights at its annual holiday tradition of Lighting the Quad, set for this evening (Nov. 28) at 5:30 p.m. on the university's famed Main Quad. The event is free and open to the public.

The event features holiday lights, music, hot chocolate, free t-shirts, selfie stations and more. In the event of unfavorable weather, a rain date has been scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30, at 5:30 p.m.

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Impact magazine highlights experiential learning at Tech

Cover of Impact Magazine featuring two fashion design students

The 2023 edition of Impact magazine is now available!

This year's edition focuses on the many experiential learning opportunities that are available for Tennessee Tech students, thanks to donor support.

Learn about the Windgate Foundation's support of the Appalachian Center for Craft, the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing's ESTAR Sanos initiative, Human Ecology's design studies program, the Nolan Fowler Endowment for U.S. Constitutional Development, the Explorations in Engineering and Computing Camp, 100 years of Golden Eagle Media, University Archives, Camp CoB, the Pyle Technology in Education Fund and Tech Athletics' WIN Program.

Click the link below to read Impact online. We have a few print copies available, so if you prefer a print copy, email alumni@tntech.edu and we'll put one in the mail for you!

read impact magazine online


Alumni credit Tennessee Tech for personal and professional success at 2023 Evening of Excellence

Recipients of the 2023 Alumni Awards

The Tennessee Tech University Alumni Association recognized five alumni as outstanding at the annual Evening of Excellence awards dinner during Homecoming weekend.

Lamar Moore (`12 finance and `13 MBA) received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, Michael (`19 interdisciplinary studies) and Cigi England (`06 human ecology) received the Outstanding Service Award, David Morgan (`74 accounting) received the Outstanding Philanthropy Award and W. Antoni Sinkfield, Ph.D. (`88 marketing) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

read more


Commemorative Tucker Stadium t-shirts available for purchase

Tucker Stadium t-shirt

Pre-orders for commemorative Tucker Stadium t-shirts are available through today, Nov. 28.

After pre-ordering, the t-shirts will not be available until after Dec. 8. An email will be sent, once they are ready, to those choosing to pick up their shirts at the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office. The t-shirts are $15-$18. If you would like your shirt mailed to you, there will be an additional $5 charge.

golden eagle merchandise


Donor Spotlight

Tennessee Tech music students say donor-funded travel opportunities are life-changing

music students on a field trip

Tennessee Tech's School of Music is offering additional student travel opportunities to festivals, symphonies, auditions and symposiums, thanks to a generous gift from a Tech alumna.

Kathy Whitaker (`80 civil engineering) and her husband, Everett, recently made a gift to Tech's School of Music to fund value-added experiences for students.

"It's so important for students to hear live music," said Jennifer Shank, dean of the College of Fine Arts. "We do a good job of bringing musicians here, but taking students to hear a top-notch orchestra is a big deal."

Whitaker's gift has allowed the School of Music to send students to the International Clarinet Association's ClarinetFest in Denver, Colo., the Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute in Sidney, Maine; the Knoxville Symphony to hear William Leathers perform the "Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto" and the Nashville Symphony to hear Joseph Alessi perform the "Chick Corea Trombone Concerto," just to name a few.

read more on tech's development news site


A graphic that is made to look like a word find. The words Tennesee, Tech, Trivia, Puzzle, Crawford, Quiz, Games, and Alumni are circled.

Alumni invited to participate in monthly Tech Trivia question

Dr. Paula Hinton

Last month we asked the following trivia question:

Which Tech professor was featured on the Travel Channel's "The Dead Files" last month? 

The answer is Dr. Paula Hinton, associate professor of history. Read more in this news release titled Tech professor featured as expert guest on Travel Channel's "The Dead Files." 

Congratulations to Ron Young (`67 chemistry and `69 M.S.) who guessed correctly and won some Tech SWAG. And now for this month's question: 

The Tennessee Tech building known as Foundation Hall was built in 1932. What was its original name? Hint: It was not part of Tech's campus when it was constructed. (Special thanks to the College of Business who inspired this month's trivia question with their "Friday Facts about Foundation" social media series!) 

Photo top left: Paula Hinton speaks with show co-host and former NYPD homicide detective Steve DiSchiavi on location at Lantana Cemetery in Crossville.

Monthly trivia questions in The Alumnus are designed to test your knowledge of all things Tech! If you know the answer, email alumni@tntech.edu. We'll randomly select one of the correct answers to win some Tech SWAG! And if you have an idea for a trivia question, send it to us! You may see it in a future edition of The Alumnus.

Tech-themed games and activities 

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Archives with Atkinson Graphic

Crafting Tradition: The First Lady's and Tennessee Tech's Flag

Gloria Bell's original flag idea

This month's "Archives with Atkinson" is written by Tammy George and highlights one of the many objects that symbolizes Tennessee Tech: the Tech flag. The Tech flag was designed by Gloria Bell who served as Tech's First Lady with President Bob Bell from 2000 to 2012.

As first lady, Gloria Bell desired to leave a lasting gift to the campus she served, and that began with a search through the university's archives. Bell wanted to design a flag for the university marking the spirit and traditions of the campus. Through her research, she established that there was no official flag dedicated to the university. With general ideas already formed, she used basic materials of colored wrapping paper and hand drawings to create samples of her vision. Bell convened a group of university alumni and other campus representatives to assist her in finalizing the design. For more than a year, Bell worked with the selected focus group to create an official flag following five key rules which were as follows: keep it simple, use meaningful symbolism, incorporate only two to three basic colors with no lettering and identical sides, and the flag must be distinctive. 

Photo top left: Gloria Bell's original flag idea, created in fall 2002 from wrapping paper cut-outs

University Archivist Megan Atkinson and the University Archives staff are responsible for collecting, preserving and making accessible materials of historical significance to the university and the Upper Cumberland. Follow Archives and Special Collections on Facebook, email their office with questions and watch for more "Archives with Atkinson" in future editions of The Alumnus.

archives' blog


Friends Remembered

Lieutenant General Bruce R. Harris

Bruce R. Harris

Lieutenant General Bruce R. Harris (U.S. Army, Retired), former Commanding General of Fort Gordon, Georgia, died on Oct. 26, 2023. He was 89 years old.

Born and raised in Indiana, he graduated from the New Castle public school system then went on to Tennessee Tech on a basketball scholarship while also joining ROTC. He was an exceptional basketball player in college and was drafted by the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (later the Detroit Pistons of the NBA) but was committed to the Army. He graduated with a degree in business administration and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army in July 1956. While attending Tech he met and married Claudia who would become his wife of more than 65 years.

He was honored with being a distinguished graduate of New Castle High School and is a member of Tennessee Tech's ROTC and Athletic Hall of Fame. He also received the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983.

In addition to his degree from Tech, he also had a master's degree from Auburn University and was a graduate of the Air Force War College. He retired in 1989 after more than 33 years of active duty service.

Paul Scarlett

Paul ScarlettPaul Landon Scarlett, age 87, passed away on Oct. 29, 2023.

He was a native of Putnam County and graduate of Baxter Seminary. He graduated from Tennessee Tech in 1951 and received his MBA from Samford University in 1988.

Paul retired after 34 years from BellSouth in 1994 as president of Bell Public Communications. During his time with Bell, he served in several Southeastern cities and in various capacities. He subsequently worked five years for Nextlink in Nashville as vice president and general manager. Paul was also a graduate of Clean Water University and helped install clean water systems in Nicaragua in areas where sanitation and clean water were lacking. In 2007, he became co-owner of Bizphones in Huntsville, Ala., where he was named president of Valley Business Solutions, now the official name of the company.

He was active in the community and First United Methodist Church of Murfreesboro. He was a longtime Tennessee Tech President's Club member and College of Business Advisory Board member and established the Paul L. Scarlett Family Endowed Scholarship at Tech.

VISIT FRIENDS REMEMBERED webpage FOR FULL OBITUARIES


Class Notes

Michael Stooksbury

William Tyler Flowers (`11 nursing and `15 M.S.N) is the new primary care provider at Diabetes & Geriatric Specialists of Cookeville.

Allen McCampbell (`65 business management) was featured in a Tennessee Tech article titled "Tennessee Tech Foundation Board honors charter member for decades of service."

Dr. Robert Owens (`98 industrial engineering, `00 MBA, `03 Ed.S. and `09 Ph.D.) was named to Cookeville Lifestyle's "Most Influential People List." 

Michael Stooksbury (`18 economics) passed the July 2023 Tennessee bar exam and was sworn in on Nov. 13. He accepted a position as an associate attorney at Davis Law Firm in Kingston, Tenn.

Dr. Arnetta Thompson (`90 secondary education) has been selected to lead Godfrey-Lee, Mich. schools as superintendent.

Photo top left: Michael Stooksbury (`18 economics) is sworn in after passing the Tennessee bar exam.

We love hearing about the successes of Tennessee Tech alumni. Email us your promotions, awards and other achievements, and we'll share in the next edition of The Alumnus! 


Upcoming Tennessee Tech University bookstore sales

Tech apparel

Check out the bookstore's Tennessee Tech University Spirit Shop featuring apparel, accessories and Tech-themed items for students and alumni.  

The original bookstore website is still available and will focus mainly on textbooks and school supplies, while the Spirit Shop focuses more on Tech-themed gear.

The University Bookstore is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SHOP THE new TTU BOOKSTORE ONLINE

The Crawford Alumni Center

 

Giving to Tennessee Tech