A prodigy in many respects, Clarence Leon Brown completed Knoxville High School in 1906 at the age of 15 and received special permission to enter UT. Four years later, he graduated with two degrees in engineering. He learned to fly during World War I and served as an instructor in the U.S. air corps. After he ran his own successful car dealership in the early 1920s, he talked his way into a job in what was then called moving pictures.
Perhaps no name in commerce is as well known as that of Wal-Mart, and Don Frieson (Knoxville ’90) has mapped his way to the company’s top echelon. Frieson recently moved to Bentonville, Arkansas, as senior vice-president in charge of operations in Wal-Mart’s central division. Previously the UT business grad was a vice-president and regional manager in Maryland.
Ron Frieson toasted retirement, not with a glass of wine, but with an entire wine store—his own. Frieson (Knoxville ’81) took early retirement from his position as president of BellSouth Operations in Georgia, and he and his wife opened WineStyles Cascade in southwest Atlanta last fall.
The UT Institute for Public Service serves as a conduit for the knowledge of UT faculty members and consultants and puts that knowledge to use solving real-world problems. Through its four agencies, IPS provides training and technical assistance to state and local government leaders, law enforcement personnel, and industry innovators.
Humble beginnings can often inspire -remarkable accomplishments. A fire in the belly, the thrill of competition, and even enjoying the role of underdog can help level the playing field for all who play the game of life. Larry Pratt can relate.
