We were honored today to host Retired Two-Star Major General Stephen A. Clark and his wife Cynthia for a visit to the Center for the Study of Tennesseans and War. General Clark sat down with Center Director Chris Magra for an interview about his life and his career in the service. General Clark was born […]
Tonight was the history department’s awards ceremony where we were able to recognize the great work of some of our interns and staff. Center Director Chris Magra spoke for a bit about the importance of the Center and the work we have done this semester. He introduced next year’s paid intern, Nathaniel Adams, and recognized […]
The Center is privileged to be the new home of a collection from Private John Russell of Elizabethton, TN, including a duffel bag from his time in the service. Private John Edward Russell was born on 18 April 1908 to James A. Russell and Sallie Katherine Webb. He was the brother of Walter Clyde Russell, […]
This week at the Center, we were extremely lucky to receive a visit from the Morilak Family. Major John Morilak served as an aircraft maintenance specialist for the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He served for twenty years, from 1964 to 1984. His daughter, Kat Morilak, followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the […]
Last week we received a donation from the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association. The donation may seem like a simple tackle box, but once it is opened, you’ll find a whole collection of letters written home from a Tennessee veteran serving in the Korean War! Sergeant Walter Seivers was born July 21, 1926. He attended […]
Last week, the Center was honored to interview Robert Yokley. Yokley was born and raised in middle Tennessee. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969 to serve in Vietnam. He was injured by shrapnel from a booby trap during his ten-month tour of duty. After returning home, Yokley pursued his lifelong interest in chemistry. […]
The Center is proud to welcome students back to campus for the Spring 2024 Semester! While we don’t have our undergraduate interns in residence this semester, they are still making their presence felt. One of our Fall interns, Caroline Workman, brought us an incredible gift today. She spent the winter break working on a beautiful […]
Yesterday we were fortunate that one of our interns, Gracie Amburn, brought in some of her family’s collection so that we could preserve some pictures and share in their history. Her great-great uncle, Private First Class Ordway Perry (March 24, 1925), served in the Army and Army Air Force in WWII. He was raised in […]
Earlier this month we were honored to receive a visit from Chad Faulkner, who shared his story with the Center. Faulkner is a retired Army veteran who lives in Knoxville who served from 1997-2017. In his twenty years of service, he served as an infantryman and later in special operations. As an infantryman, he served […]
After our Veteran’s Day event today, we were lucky to host Captain Connor Pearce for an interview. Captain Pearce’s story is one of a winding road and personal persistence. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina and is a native of Nashville, TN. He graduated from the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga and was commissioned […]