“It’s only reasonable to give back to the place that gave you so much.” This is how Bill Blankenship (Martin ’55) describes his loyalties to UT Martin. Passionate about what UT Martin means to West Tennessee, Blankenship and his wife, Roberta, also a 1955 graduate, have given several six-figure unrestricted gifts to their alma mater, as well as a $2-million bequest for the Campaign for Tennessee.
It was an evening of orange at Thompson–Boling Arena, where 850 people from near and far brought enough passion and “Rocky Top” to pack Neyland Stadium on game day. With blinking future pendants circling their necks and colorful streamers and confetti falling at their feet, UT loyalists had no doubt that the university’s billion-dollar capital campaign goal would be reached, if not exceeded.
