The Jackson Purchase Historical Society will have a special program celebrating the University of Tennessee at Martin’s 125th anniversary at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 18, in the Paul Meek Library at 10 Wayne Fisher Drive.
Presenters Sam Richardson and Karen Elmore from the Meek Library’s Special Collections department, along with Nathan Morgan from the Office of University Relations, will share insights from their research for the anniversary book and exhibit.
Their work on “The University of Tennessee at Martin” took them deep into the university archives, campus administrative files and local community collections to uncover rare photos, historic documents and personal stories that trace UT Martin’s roots back to 1900 and the founding of the Hall-Moody Institute.
The exhibit highlights captivating moments from the university’s history, featuring vintage campus photographs, cherished artifacts and memorabilia from notable alumni, including legendary basketball coach Pat Head Summitt, as well as original costumes of beloved mascots Pacer Pete and Pace-Her Polly.
Attendees will have the opportunity to tour a special exhibit of photos and artifacts from the university’s history. A richly illustrated book, “The University of Tennessee at Martin,” will be available for purchase at the event, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Special Collections department.
UT Martin was founded as the Hall-Moody Institute in 1900, with its first classes being held Sept. 2, 1901.
“Anniversaries are occasions for reflection and assessment and, in this case, celebration as well,” said JPHS President Bill Mulligan. “I am very pleased that the Jackson Purchase Historical Society can join in celebrating the long service of UT Martin to West Tennessee and beyond over many years.
“Faculty from UTM were among the founders of JPHS and over the years, many have spoken at our meetings and published in our Journal – as well as being officers and active members. So, it seems appropriate to devote one of our programs to celebrating this major milestone.”
In 1958, a group of historians met in Murray, Kentucky, led by faculty from Murray State University and the University of Tennessee Martin and formed the Jackson Purchase Historical Society to promote interest, study and preservation of the regional history of the territory encompassed in the Treaty of Tuscaloosa, also known as the Jackson Purchase.
The society holds a number of meetings each year with a speaker on Jackson Purchase history and publishes an award-winning annual journal on local history. Members include a wide range of people who simply share a love of history and a love of the Jackson Purchase area.
The society recently refurbished its website, and an array of information about the society and Jackson Purchase history is available there.
Articles are welcome for future issues of the JPHS Journal and can be sent to editor Bill Mulligan at billmulligan@murray-ky.net.
More information about UT Martin can be found at www.utm.edu or by calling 1-800829-UTM1 (-8861).
PHOTO: Shown are (l-r) Nathan Morgan, Sam Richardson and Karen Elmore, the authors of “The University of Tennessee at Martin,” a book commemorating the 125th anniversary of the university. They will be the guest presenters at a July 18 program led by the Jackson Purchase Historical Society at UT Martin’s Paul Meek Library.
