Book Shares Story of UT Southern Acquisition

On the third anniversary of the University of Tennessee acquiring Martin Methodist College, UT Press released “University of Tennessee Southern: The Rebirth of an Institution.”

“In our careers, we make few decisions that will have a lasting impact for others,” said UT President Randy Boyd in the book’s foreward. “The acquisition of Martin Methodist College by the University of Tennessee proved to be one and was another step forward in making this the greatest decade in UT’s history.”

In the book, authors Mark La Branche, UT Southern chancellor emeritus, and Jennifer Sicking, UT System director of publications and executive editor of Our Tennessee magazine, detail the steps taken to merge Martin Methodist College, a faith-based institution, with the University of Tennessee System. Faculty and staff members share their thoughts and concerns as well as their preparations for the integration of two institutions of higher education with one passion for expanding educational opportunities for the residents of Tennessee.

“University of Tennessee Southern: The Rebirth of an Institution” may be ordered at utpress.org.

The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin, Pulaski and Memphis; the UT Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The UT System manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership; enrolls more than 58,000 students statewide; produces about 13,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 445,000 alumni around the world.