Representatives from the University of Tennessee at Martin will make a tour across the state in April to promote and celebrate the university’s 125th anniversary.
The UT Martin 125th Anniversary State Tour will begin Monday, April 13, in Knoxville and end on Friday, April 17, in Ripley, the home of one of UT Martin’s six regional centers.
Throughout the week, the UT Martin caravan will make stops in Chattanooga, Nashville, Parsons, Selmer, Memphis and Somerville, celebrating a century and a quarter of providing higher education to West Tennessee.
Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. said he looks forward to meeting alumni and friends of UT Martin on the tour.
“For 125 years, UT Martin has been transforming lives and serving the people of West Tennessee and beyond,” he said. “This state tour is an opportunity to take that story on the road, to celebrate our history with the alumni, friends and families who are the living proof of what this university means.
“Our legacy is written in the success of our graduates, and we want to honor that legacy in communities across the state.”
To register for participation at the tour stops of your choice, visit alumni.utm.edu/125tour, click on the appropriate link and register.
Here is a look at the tentative schedule for the UT Martin 125th Anniversary State Tour (all times are local to the site):
• Monday, April 13: Legacy and Loyalty Brunch, The Square Room, Knoxville, 9-10:30 a.m.; UT Martin Alumni Mixer, Chattanooga Downtown Marriott, 6-8 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 14: UT Martin Alumni Mixer, Mere Bulles Restaurant, Brentwood, 6-8 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 15: UT Martin Skyhawk Sunrise Social, UT Martin Parsons Center, 9-10:30 a.m.; Skyhawk Legacy Hour student and family reception, UT Martin McNairy County Center/Selmer, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; UT Martin 125th Legacy Celebration Luncheon, UT Martin McNairy County Center/Selmer, noon-2 p.m.
• Thursday, April 16: UT Martin Alumni Mixer, Hilton Memphis, 6-8 p.m.
• Friday, April 17: UT Martin 125 Connection, 1070 WDIA, Memphis, “Stanley Bell Morning Show,” 9-10 a.m.; Skyhawk Legacy Hour student and family reception, UT Martin Somerville Center, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; UT Martin 125th Legacy Celebration Luncheon, UT Martin Somerville Center, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; UT Martin Ripley Community Celebration open house, UT Martin Ripley Center, 4-6 p.m.
The university kicked off a yearlong 125th anniversary celebration on Oct. 10, 2025, with a formal ceremony in the Boling University Center on the main campus. The celebration is slated to culminate this October.
“At UT Martin, our philosophy is simple: every student, every time,” Freeman said. “This tour is about connecting with the people who make that mission possible: our alumni, our supporters and the communities that have believed in us for 125 years. We’re not just celebrating where we’ve been; we’re building momentum for where we’re going.”
UT Martin was established in 1900 as the Hall-Moody Institute, opening classes on Sept. 2, 1901. It underwent a number of changes since then, becoming the University of Tennessee Junior College in 1927, the University of Tennessee Martin Branch in 1951 and the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1967.
UT Martin has regional centers in Jackson, Parsons, Ripley, Selmer, Somerville and Springfield to bring higher education closer to the people of West and Middle Tennessee.
For more information about UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
PHOTO: UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. smiles during a light moment in the UT Martin 125th anniversary celebration kickoff ceremony held Oct. 10, 2025, in the university’s Boling University Center. UTM Faculty Senate President Dr. Sandy Mehlhorn is shown to his left. Freeman and other university representatives will make a statewide 125th anniversary tour in April to promote and celebrate the milestone.
