Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Dr. Charles Manning bestowed the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy on a Jonesborough woman who spreads “ETSU PRIDE” around the country in a unique way.
Manning presented the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy to Janette “Janey” Campbell Diehl, who “has truly led a distinguished life by dedicating her efforts to helping others, particularly students at East Tennessee State University.”
The Jonesborough native completed high school at age 16 and graduated from what was then East Tennessee State College in 1950 with a double-major in business education and health and physical education. She was a teacher and coach at Sweetwater High School before returning home to marry J. Richard Diehl.
She and her late husband established Richard Diehl Inc. with just two trucks purchased from his father. In the 43 years since then, the company, which specializes in refrigerated transport of grain and feed-ingredients, has grown into a fleet of over 30 tractor-trailers that criss-cross the nation daily, “spreading the good news about ETSU as the trucks prominently display the ‘ETSU PRIDE’ logo.”
Diehl credits the success of the business to “a lot of hard work and luck,” and she continues to work daily alongside sons Chris, Jared and Joe.
Diehl is a longtime member of the Buccaneer Athletic Scholarship Association in which she supports scholarships for student-athletes. She has established scholarships in the for students in the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, the Roan Scholars Leadership Program, and a general scholarship in tribute to her late son, J. Richard Diehl Jr.
For her dedication and service to ETSU, the Alumni Association selected Diehl as its 1996 Outstanding Alumna, and the ETSU Foundation presented her with its highest honor – the Margin of Excellence Award – in 2005. The ETSU College of Business and Technology presented Diehl with its 2006 Lifetime Achievement in Business Award for her significant accomplishments in business and exemplary public service and commitment to the community, the college and the university. In addition, the Southern Conference honored her in 2003 as one of that athletic league’s first Outstanding Supporters.
The Tennessee Board of Regents is the nation’s sixth largest system of higher education system encompassing ETSU and five other universities, 13 two-year colleges and 26 technology centers. The TBR system provides programs to over 180,000 students in 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
Both the Chancellor’s Award and the TBR Regents’ Award recognize persons and organizations that have demonstrated generosity of time and resources to TBR institutions, promoted higher education, and provided examples of ethical leadership.

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