For them, it’s about giving.
And students at ETSU have a lot to thank them for. “They” are the men and women honored at the Distinguished President’s Trust Dinner, and the reasons they contribute are as varied as the cast itself.
Mattie Mettetal, who is now legally blind, wanted to share her genealogy books with others who could use them. This and other gifts to the university have earned her a spot in the Distinguished President’s Trust.
Janette “Janey” Diehl, who was selected in 1996 as an outstanding alumna, actively supports music groups at ETSU as one of her endeavors.
John H. Poteat has helped finance and develop the Chair of Banking in the ETSU College of Business and Technology, which bears his name.
Both Diehl and Poteat were honored with the ETSU Foundation’s ‘Margin of Excellence’ Award. “Janey Diehl and John Poteat have each shown continuing commitment to the university in so many areas on so many levels,” said ETSU President Dr. Paul Stanton.
DPT members are also helping the university grow with endeavors including a planned Performing Arts Center and the proposed College of Pharmacy, Stanton said. “The (DPT) members enable ETSU to achieve even higher levels than we would be able to accomplish within the limits of state and federal dollars alone,” he said.
These dollars translate into new scholarships and better facilities on campus. Some projects funded in part by DPT members are already under way, like the new Honors College.
And, this fall ETSU will see more than 36 incoming students who are the recipients of new Quillen Scholarships, Stanton said. These scholarships were made possible by a $14.6 million bequest from Quillen to the university.
Thanks to Quillen and other donors, the ETSU Foundation reported $19.9 million in private giving last year. Members of the DPT alone have given a lifetime total of more than $122 million, Stanton said.
More than 750 members in the Distinguished President’s Trust have exceeded $10,000 in giving apiece, a recent press release said.
Forty-one new members joined that same society of giving on Feb. 11. “You are the people who make success possible,” Dr. Richard Manahan, executive vice president of the ETSU Foundation, said to the honorees.
Many of the honorees are recognized on the second floor of Burgin E. Dossett Hall, where the walls are lined with the likenesses of those who have contributed $50,000 or more.
“This year’s honorees for the ETSU Foundation Wall of Honor continue the outstanding legacy of leadership that provides the ‘margin of excellence’ for private support,” Manahan said.
“Their generous support assures a promising future for quality education at ETSU,” he said.
And, as the ultimate beneficiaries of this generosity, the university’s students, faculty and staff are most grateful for this stellar record of giving.”
After the awards were given out, everyone present was treated to a concert by the ETSU Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble, led by Dr. David Champouillon, received a standing ovation for its performance.
Thanks to the members of the DPT and other private donors, ETSU continues to lead four-year universities in the Tennessee Board of Regents system in private giving,” Manahan said.

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