James H. “Jimmy” Quillen’s $14.6 million endowment to East Tennessee State University will give future students opportunities he never had.
“It’s the largest endowment this university has ever received,” said Richard Manahan, vice president for University Advanc-ement and executive vice president of the ETSU Foundation.
In Quillen’s will, he “provided for the establishment of ‘two equal academic scholarship funds’ to be maintained in the ETSU Foundation.”
One of the funds is designated for students at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine while the other is for undergraduate and graduate students at ETSU.
Quillen, who died on Nov. 2, 2003, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District and served for over 30 years.
He was the longest continuously serving member of the House of Representatives in Tennessee history.
A Scott County, Va., native, Quillen graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, but never attended college.
“The gift to the ETSU Foundation is a demonstration of Jimmy Quillen’s commitment to give students the opportunity he never had a formal college education,” Manahan said.
Each scholarship will be limited to $4,000 per year per student, with cost of living increases every five years.
“Preference shall be given to applicants who live in the 1st Congressional District of Tennessee, and who, because of economic reasons, would not be able to attend ETSU or the James H. Quillen College of Medicine.”
Quillen’s intent is that if a student is eligible to attend ETSU, they would be eligible for the scholarships, Manahan said.
Recipients of the scholarships will be known as Quillen Medicine Scholars and Quillen Scholars. The earliest any scholarships will be awarded will be fall of 2005.
The $14.6 million gift will bring the university’s total endowments up to approximately $64.1 million – an increase of over 33 percent.
Out of the foundation’s $64.1 million, approximately $60 million is endowments used for scholarships, Manahan said.
In earlier years, Quillen also established two chairs of excellence at ETSU.
The Cecile Cox Quillen Chair of Excellence for Geriatrics and Gerontology, named for Quillen’s late wife who died in 2002, and the James H. Quillen Chair of Excellence in Education total $5.4 million.
The $14.6 million gift and the chairs of excellence awards have brought over $20 million to ETSU that can be directly attributed to Quillen, Manahan said.
“We are very pleased and humbled with his generosity,” Manahan said. “Jimmy’s vision was always focused on a better life for all East Tennesseans.”
Quillen, who wanted to be known as the “people’s congressman,” was honored by ETSU with a lifetime membership in the ETSU Foundation and with membership in the Distinguished President’s Trust.
“Though we grieve his passing, we celebrate the legacy of Congressman James H. Quillen,” Manahan said. “He was a true leader and a loyal friend.

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