University of Tennessee at Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. and university representatives will cross the state April 13-17 to promote and celebrate UT Martin’s 125th anniversary.
The UT Martin 125th Anniversary State Tour begins Monday, April 13, in Knoxville and concludes Friday, April 17, in Ripley, the site of one of UT Martin’s six regional centers. The tour is sponsored by the UT Federal Credit Union.
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. will highlight UT Martin’s proud legacy, showcase its impact across the state, and share a bold vision for the university’s future. Each stop will offer opportunities to connect with the university, hear updates on academic and student success, and celebrate the people and partnerships that impact the university and its mission o education and service.
“One hundred and twenty-five years of higher education is not just a milestone; it is a testament to the generations of students, faculty and community partners who believed in what UT Martin could become,” he said. “This tour is our opportunity to honor that legacy and cast a bold vision for our future.
“I cannot wait to take that message across the state and hear firsthand from the people who have made this university great.”
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.
To register for participation at the tour stops, visit alumni.utm.edu/125tour and click on the appropriate link.
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 fall.
UT Martin was established in 1900 as the Hall-Moody Institute, opening classes on Sept. 2, 1901. It has gone through 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: Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. speaks at the 125th anniversary celebration kickoff ceremony held Oct. 10, 2025, in the university’s Boling University Center. Freeman and other representatives of UT Martin will tour the state April 13-17 to promote and celebrate the anniversary.
