About the UT Alumni Association
The University of Tennessee Alumni Association stands as one of the oldest and most distinguished alumni organizations in American higher education. For more than 165 years, we have served as the vital link connecting UT graduates to their alma mater and to each other, fostering a community built on shared values, enduring traditions, and mutual support.
Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is simple yet profound: to engage, serve, and advocate for University of Tennessee System alumni while advancing the institution that shaped our lives. We accomplish this through comprehensive programming in four core areas—networking and community building, career development, lifelong learning, and philanthropic engagement.
We envision a future where every UT graduate remains actively connected to the university throughout their lifetime, contributing their talents, resources, and passion to ensure that future generations of students experience the same transformative education that we received.
A Storied History
The UT Alumni Association was established in the mid-1850s, just years after the founding of East Tennessee College (which would later become the University of Tennessee). Those early alumni recognized that their connection to the institution shouldn't end at graduation, and they organized to support the young university through turbulent times, including the Civil War and Reconstruction.
In 1917, the Association launched the Tennessee Alumnus magazine, which continues today as one of the longest-running alumni publications in the nation. This quarterly magazine has chronicled university history, celebrated alumni achievements, and kept graduates informed for more than a century.
Throughout the 20th century, the Alumni Association grew alongside the university. As UT expanded from a single campus in Knoxville to a comprehensive system serving the entire state, the Association evolved to embrace graduates from Chattanooga, Martin, Memphis (Health Science Center), Pulaski (UT Southern), and the Space Institute at Tullahoma.
Serving the UT System
Today, the UT Alumni Association serves more than 496,000 graduates of all UT System institutions. This makes us one of the largest public university alumni associations in the Southeast and one of the most active in terms of programming and member engagement.
Every graduate who completes at least 24 semester hours at any UT campus becomes an automatic, lifetime member—no dues required. This inclusive approach reflects our belief that every Vol deserves access to the benefits, connections, and opportunities that alumni membership provides.
The Tyson Alumni Center
In Knoxville, the Association is headquartered at the Tyson Alumni Center, a beautiful facility that serves as the home away from home for returning graduates. This center hosts events, provides meeting spaces, houses association staff, and serves as a tangible reminder that once a Vol, always a Vol.
The center is named in recognition of the Tyson family's longstanding commitment to UT and represents the kind of alumni generosity that has sustained the university for generations.
Our Impact Today
The modern UT Alumni Association is a dynamic organization that touches nearly every aspect of university life. We coordinate hundreds of events annually, from intimate chapter gatherings to massive homecoming celebrations. We provide career services that help new graduates launch successful careers and experienced professionals navigate transitions. We advocate at the state legislature for funding and policies that benefit public higher education. We support student scholarships, facility improvements, and academic programs through our philanthropic initiatives.
According to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), engaged alumni are essential to university success, providing not just financial resources but also expertise, mentorship, and advocacy. The UT Alumni Association embodies this principle, creating pathways for graduates to give back in ways both large and small.
Looking Ahead
As we move further into the 21st century, the UT Alumni Association continues to innovate while honoring tradition. We're expanding our digital engagement platforms to better serve alumni who live far from Tennessee. We're developing new programming for young alumni navigating early-career challenges. We're creating affinity networks that connect graduates based on shared interests and identities. And we're strengthening our partnerships with university leadership to ensure that alumni voices help shape UT's future.
But some things will never change: our commitment to every graduate, our pride in the orange and white, and our conviction that the University of Tennessee experience creates bonds that last a lifetime.
This is your association. These are your fellow Volunteers. Together, we carry forward a legacy 165 years in the making—and we're just getting started.