Members of the East Tennessee State University Distinguished President’s Trust were honored earlier this month during the annual dinner at MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center. The Distinguished President’s Trust is made up of more than 720 contributors who have surpassed the $10,000 level in giving to the university.
“This annual event for Distinguished President’s Trust members is our opportunity to thank those individuals and businesses that have shown their support of ETSU’s mission through financial gifts,” said ETSU President Paul Stanton. “With their support, we are achieving what could not be done within the realm of state and federal dollars alone. We are pleased to welcome 44 new members into the Trust this year.”
Many other donors were added or moved to the next giving level on the ETSU Wall of Honor located on the main campus in Johnson City. The second floor of Burgin E. Dossett Hall administration building features engraved portraits of ETSU’s President’s Society members, recognized on the Wall of Honor for significant lifelong contributions to the ETSU Foundation. Stanton noted that together, this esteemed group has given more than $92 million to the university.
The Bronze Society represents donors who have made cumulative gifts of more than $50,000 to ETSU. New members are Chaparral Pontiac, Buick, GMC Trucks; Citadel Broadcasting Co.; Dr. Burgin E. Dossett Jr.; Dr. Bill and Kathy Linebarger; estate of Elizabeth Ann McInturff; Pfizer Inc.; estate of Vivian V. Rockwood; and Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
The Silver Society honors donors whose cumulative contributions have exceeded $100,000. New members are Bobby and Yolanda Hardin; estate of Edna Harrison; John A. and Janet Snodgrass Jones; Terry W. and Patricia D. Muse; Diane and Jack Nelson; Fred Warren; and James W. and Anne Reel.
J. Rolland and Sharon S. Boles were welcomed as the newest members to the Gold Society, whose contributors are honored for cumulative gifts of more than $500,000.
The highest giving level is the Diamond Society, which honors donors for cumulative gifts of more than $5 million. Parametric Technology Corp. of Newport Beach, Calif., which provided $20 million in computer software for ETSU students this year, is the newest member of this society.
Seven of ETSU’s longtime supporters were honored with the new Margin of Excellence Award, which the ETSU Foundation established to recognize those individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in supporting the foundation.
All exhibit a strong commitment to helping ETSU, its faculty, staff and students in the quest to become the best regional institution in the country. In addition to financial support, recipients exhibited loyalty for every aspect of supporting the mission of the university and the ETSU Foundation.
The first recipients of the new award all played key leadership roles in the success of the Campaign for ETSU Tomorrow. They are: retired Congressman James. H. Quillen, honorary campaign chair, longtime advocate and supporter of ETSU’s College of Medicine which bears his name, and member of the Platinum Society; Stuart E. Wood Jr., co-chair of the capital campaign, ETSU foundation immediate past president, and Platinum Society member; Wayne G. Basler, co-chair of the campaign, former foundation president, and Platinum Society member; Scott M. Niswonger, board member of the ETSU Foundation, Honorary ETSU alumnus, and member of the Platinum Society; Dennis T. Powell, ETSU Foundation president, member of the campaign’s executive steering committee, and member of the Distinguished President’s Trust; ETSU President Stanton, former vice president for health affairs and dean of the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, and member of the Bronze Society; and Dr. Richard A. Manahan, vice president for university advancement and executive vice president of the foundation, and a member of the Silver Society.
In addition to capital campaign success, ETSU is celebrating a record giving total for 2000-01. “Partnerships formed with businesses and individuals at the local, regional and national levels enabled us to almost double our previous best year of annual giving,” said Dennis T. Powell, ETSU Foundation president.
ETSU received $36 million in private gifts, which includes $28.2 million to the ETSU Foundation, $2.9 million in planned and deferred gifts, and $5 million from private gifts and contracts generated by university faculty and staff.
In addition, almost 30 new endowments were established in the ETSU Foundation, raising the total of endowments to 280. Endowment holdings exceeded $36 million as of June 30, 2001, bringing the fund balance to more than $43 million. Endowments represent dollars for student scholarships, faculty teaching and research support, and community service throughout the region.
ETSU was recognized among its peer institutions during a recent Tennessee Board of Regents meeting where officials announced that ETSU leads the TBR four-year institutions in private giving for the eighth consecutive year.
Support generated by ETSU comprised 49 percent of the total $67,780,958 raised by the universities during 2000-01. The TBR is the nation’s sixth largest higher education system, governing 45 post-secondary institutions – six universities, 13 two-year colleges and 26 technology centers – and providing programs to over 180,000 students in 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
“No university can become truly distinctive without private support,” Manahan said. “The investment these donors have made in the students of East Tennessee State University will have positive results for years to come.

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