The University of Tennessee has received more than $200 million in donations each year since 2021. These financial gifts come from tens of thousands of donors who have a stake in the university — from alumni to parents to professors and more.

Four of these donors have contributed such large amounts of financial support — alongside informational and advisory support — that UT’s board of trustees have honored them by naming colleges after them.

There are many buildings on campus named after alumni, donors and former faculty, but it is far rarer for a whole college to be named after someone. While the custom of honoring donors through naming rights may seem like a longstanding practice, UT has only had colleges with namesakes for one decade, and only four donors have been given this honor.

With homecoming around the corner, here’s a glimpse at the legacies of the donors behind UT’s named colleges.

James A. Haslam II

The Haslam College of Business gained its namesake from James A. Haslam II, a UT alum who graduated in the class of 1952. In his time at UT, Haslam played as the captain of Tennessee’s football team and was coached by General Robert Neyland — from whom Neyland Stadium received its namesake.

After his graduation from the university, Haslam went on to serve as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army for two years. He then returned to Knoxville and went on to found Pilot Flying J. From 1980 to 2007, Haslam served on UT’s board of trustees, and since 2006, the businessman has donated more than $100 million to various places, programs, construction and renovations around campus.

In response to Haslam’s giving and support, the board of trustees voted to name the business college the Haslam College of Business in 2014. It was the first college at UT to be named.

John and Ann Tickle

John D. Tickle and his wife Ann Tickle are the reason the Tickle College of Engineering is named as such. An industrial engineering major who graduated in 1965, John Tickle is now the owner of fiberglass manufacturing company Strongwell.

Both Tickles attended UT and both were first-generation students — something that has played a role in their shared passion for education. This commitment to supporting higher education resulted in the couple donating millions of dollars to the university.

In 2016, the Tickles became the second UT alumni to be honored for their donations with a college named after them when the board of trustees renamed UT’s engineering college the Tickle College of Engineering. The couple is also the namesake of the John and Ann Tickle Small Animal Clinic at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Jim and Judith Herbert

The Herbert College of Agriculture received its name from Jim and Judith Herbert, a couple who met at UT and graduated in consecutive years in the 1960s. When Jim Herbert was attending UT, he received a room in exchange for taking care of the plants in the greenhouse — an offer given to him by a professor.

Soon after graduating, the Herberts began donating to give back to their alma mater. In 1982, Jim Herbert cofounded Neogen Corporation, a food and animal safety company focused on detecting unsafe substances in food. Judith Herbert had a passion for reading, writing, and advocating for and supporting literacy of students.

Because of the Herberts’ continued donations to their respective roots on campus, the agriculture college was named the Herbert College of Agriculture in 2018, and the Writing Center was renamed the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center in 2019.

Natalie L. Haslam

The most recent addition to these honorees is Natalie L. Haslam, wife of James Haslam, in the naming of the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. Natalie Haslam graduated from UT in 1952 with a major in French and could be found in that year’s yearbook as having been involved in several activities on campus.

These included being a member of the Chi Omega sorority as well as being crowned Miss Tennessee in the university’s Volunteer Beauty Ball. Though Haslam majored in French, she was known for being interested in all things music.

In June 2024, UT’s music college was renamed the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music as a second institutional honor to the Haslams after a sizable donation made this year. It is the first UT college to be named after a woman.