For years Cormac McCarthy, Knoxville’s most famous living literary son, had something of a cult following. He seemed doomed to labor under the aesthetically fulfilling—if financially problematic—moniker of “writer’s writer,” a serious craftsman whose work remained a secret shared among a few fiercely loyal souls. The secret is now out.
Recently my wife Kathy and I, both loyal Tennessee Volunteers since 1966, traveled to China for a vacation and Far East sightseeing. One of the unique features of the two-week excursion involved a scenic cruise down the Yangtze River, which flows from its headwaters in the Kunlun Mountains through the central part of China to the Yellow Sea.
One of the world’s premier musical ensembles will bring its extraordinary talents to the university’s Knoxville campus this fall. The Boston Camerata will perform three concerts as part of the Medieval and Renaissance Semester spearheaded by the Marco Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
If you visit the Vatican in Rome and then stop for a cappuccino in the coffee bar nearby, you’re likely to run into the Reverend Bernard O’Connor (Knoxville ’94). He may not be wearing orange. And he probably won’t be humming “Rocky Top.” But if you sit a minute and chat, which you inevitably will, you’ll soon learn you’re in the presence of a fellow Vol.
Being national professor of the year is a momentous honor. But for Donna Boyd (Knoxville ’81, ’84, ’88), the award has added significance. She’s a “second generation” professor of the year, having studied under a UT anthropology professor who won the honor in 1985.
Gina Brown’s career began in New York City, took a side trip to Chattanooga, and has taken her back to the Big Apple, where she has happily worked as the production coordinator for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for several years. Brown works behind the scenes, and occasionally she enjoys on-camera appearances.
Every Saturday in the fall, UT alumni and fans see Phillip Fulmer on the sidelines coaching the Vols, but most never see the other side of Fulmer. For 8 years, the Tennessee coach has dedicated time and effort to curbing teen suicide, working with the Jason Foundation of Hendersonville, Tennessee.
It was an unforgettable moment. As he knelt in a pile of damp, moldy leaves in the heart of Tennessee’s majestic Smoky Mountains, Dennis Desjardin (Knoxville ’89) got the surprise of a lifetime when he realized that some of the tan-and-gold–patterned leaves on which he was kneeling weren’t really leaves--they were actually a pair of copperheads.
Appreciation for the arts and cutting-edge surgery skills seem worlds apart. But Dr. David LaVelle (Martin ’75, Health Science Center ’79) easily connects the dots. Once a cast member on the stage of UT Martin’s Vanguard Theatre, this talented orthopedic surgeon is equally comfortable discussing plays or describing an innovative surgical hip-repair procedure he performs at Campbell Clinic in Memphis.
Burwell Bell is the second-highest-ranking four-star general in the U.S. Army. He is the U.S. military leader in Korea, charged with maintaining relations with South Korea and monitoring the hornets’ nest of North Korea. But when Bell came to the University of Tennessee to speak, he was--for a time--just “B.B.,” a friend, relative, and diehard Vols fan.
President John Petersen is in his third year at the UT helm, and he’s making his mark on several fronts. He has made it a point to travel the state and listen to Tennesseans’ opinions. He has brought in fresh talent to fill vacancies on his immediate staff and overseen the writing of a detailed strategic plan for the future of the university.
A top government administrator, a technology company founder, and a scholar of Renaissance literature. That’s not three people, but just one—UT alumna Lurita Doan. Doan (Knoxville ’83) is the first woman ever to head the massive U.S. General Services Administration.
