Following the death of Dolly Parton last week, a movement started on campus to name the recently completed Academic Building after Parton. Started by student Emilee Rose, community members, students and supporters have offered support and advocated to honor her legacy through this endeavor.
Rose emphasized her continuous presence in the life of her and others throughout Tennessee and talked about her passionate advocacy for education.
“For many students, Dolly Parton was one of few public figures that not only did not forget where she came from, but actively contributed to the region despite her success,” Rose said. “Education was also one of her priorities, and naming a building specifically for students would be an appropriate way to honor her legacy.”
Rose said that what pushed her to make the first move was seeing other people online finding different ways to honor her memory.
“Because of the amount of people I was seeing who had the same idea, I expected to get a decent amount of responses,” she said.
For many students, Dolly’s influence spread beyond just her music.
“Speaking as an East Tennessee native, whether or not someone has met Dolly in person, she has somehow probably played a part in his or her life. She has probably touched most people’s lives one way or another,” Rose said.
Rose then specifically recalled Dolly’s influence on her own personal life.
“As a kid, I was enrolled in the Imagination Library. I loved seeing which book I received that month and reading it later before bed,” she said. “The Dollywood theme park played a decent role in my childhood as well. No matter the age, Dollywood is a blast.”
As support for the petition grows, Rose said she hopes that naming the new building after Dolly Parton would continue to remind everyone of her impact on both community and education in the region for generations to come.
