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Celebrating 100 years of the Tech Oracle
In honor of the 100th anniversary of Tennessee Tech's student newspaper, the Crawford Alumni Center produced a special newsletter titled "Celebrating 100 years of the Tech Oracle." It highlights some of the most historic editions of The Oracle, including the 9/11 issue and the newspaper printed on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It also features several Oracle alumni who have enjoyed successful careers in journalism.
Click the link below to read the newsletter online. If you prefer a print version, email alumni@tntech.edu and we'll mail you one!
read "celebrating 100 years of the oracle"
Tech 'College Colors Day' Aug. 30 also celebrates 100 years of Golden Eagles
Aug. 30 is College Colors Day! The annual festivity celebrates collegiate fandom nationwide and returns to Tennessee Tech as its 2024 college football season kicks off. Golden Eagle fans from coast to coast are encouraged to put on their favorite Tennessee Tech attire this Friday to showcase how the sport brings people together. The Golden Eagles football season starts Saturday with an away game at Middle Tennessee State University.
College Colors Day unites Tennessee Tech fans across the country in showing their passion, spirit and joy of supporting the Golden Eagles. Fans are invited to share photos and videos on social media of them wearing their Tech gear and showing how they celebrated the day using #CollegeColorsDay.
Tennessee Tech welcomes class of 2028 at fall convocation
Tennessee Tech welcomed the class of 2028 last week at its annual convocation, held at the Hooper Eblen Center. Convocation at Tech is a formal induction ceremony of the freshman class each fall semester into the academic community of the university.
"Wings up, class of 2028! Welcome to campus and to Cookeville," said President Oldham to the freshman class in remarks at the event. "You will find adventure, friendships and success here. Welcome home."
Make a gift and get some awesome socks
What better way to show your Tech spirit this fall than by wearing some really awesome socks and supporting Tech students at the same time? Make a gift of $30 or more to the University Memorial Scholarship (or the campus fund of your choice) by Sept. 1 to receive your pair!
The University Memorial Scholarship can be awarded to students in any major, and it is one of Tech's most strategic scholarships for recruitment and retention.
Tennessee Tech 'Spirit Days' return Aug. 5 - Sept. 6
Tennessee Tech will once again welcome students back to Tennessee's college town with the return of "Spirit Days," beginning Aug. 5 and continuing through Sept. 6.
This year's Spirit Days will include free, limited-edition yard signs commemorating the upcoming centennial anniversary of Tech's identity as the Golden Eagles. Signs are available for pick up at the Crawford Alumni Center (705 N Dixie Ave) and the University Bookstore inside the Roaden University Center. Signs are also available at the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce in the Leslie Town Centre.
Alumni invited to share favorite Golden Eagle memories
This year we celebrate 100 years of the Golden Eagle mascot, and we invite alumni to share their favorite memories of Tennessee Tech's favorite bird.
Do you have a photo of yourself with Awesome Eagle? Do you have a favorite memory of Tech's beloved mascot? We invite you to share your stories and upload your photos via the form linked below. We also encourage alumni to share what it means to be a Golden Eagle. You can do this in writing or even in a video! Click the link below to learn more.
Tech Alumni learn cake decorating techniques at The Cakery
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first Tennessee Tech Alumni Workshop! We decorated six beautiful purple and gold cupcakes and learned great decorating tips and tricks from The Cakery! We enjoyed chatting with all of you and hope you enjoyed meeting one another.
We plan to offer additional workshops, so if you have a suggestion for something you'd like to see (flower arranging, cooking, card making, etc.), email alumnievents@tntech.edu.
Olympic athlete Choi, NBC broadcaster Taylor share Tennessee Tech connection
During the 2024 Olympics in Paris earlier this month, a star athlete and journalist found themselves sharing a special moment at the realization of their mutual connection to Tennessee Tech University and the Cookeville community.
Star athlete Sunny Choi and NBC sportscaster Maria Taylor were both born in Cookeville, and both had parents who worked at Tech!
Tennessee Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomes four new members
The Tennessee Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors is excited to welcome four new members:
Stan Harper (`80 civil engineering)
Anne Hewitt (`09 finance)
Nick Russell (`17 mechanical engineering)
Shonta Russell (`09 finance)
They look forward to working with you!
Photo: Clockwise from top left, Anne Hewitt, Nick Russell, Stan Harper and Shonta Russell
27th annual Bacchanal fundraiser to be held Oct. 27
Save the date! The 27th annual Bacchanal, a celebration of art, wine and food, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 1-5 p.m. at Spankies Restaurant in Cookeville.
Watch your inbox, social media and the Crawford Alumni Center events page for more information as details are finalized!
Alumni invited to share Memorial Gym concert memories for Appalachian Studies Conference presentation
Tennessee Tech University is set to host the 48th annual Appalachian Studies Conference
on March 20-22, 2025, and event organizers -- including several Tech faculty members
-- are giving the community the chance to get involved.
Among other areas of focus, the conference is set to include a presentation highlighting the rich musical history of Tech's Memorial Gym, which served as a popular stop for concerts and performing arts events in the 1960s and 1970s, hosting everyone from the Charlie Daniels Band and Ray Charles to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Linda Ronstadt.
Tech alumni and community members can send their Memorial Gym concert photos and memories to Dr. James Akenson, professor of curriculum and instruction at Tech, at jakenson@tntech.edu. The deadline for photos and memories is Oct. 1.
Where is the strangest place you've run into a Tech alum?
This summer we asked, "Where is the strangest place you've run into a Tech alum?" Alumni have bumped into one another in New York, England, Germany, Ukraine and even on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean! We randomly chose one person to win some Tech SWAG, and congratulations to Hillary Gould (`00 multidisciplinary studies) who shared this sweet story:
"Several years after graduating from Tech, I moved with my family to Myrtle Beach. We often visited the Harley Davidson dealership there. One Saturday, my husband, three children and I drove up to the dealership to go look (and dream about) the motorcycles there. I saw a man sitting on the bench outside wearing a Tech cap. I normally don't approach strangers and am a bit of an introvert, but I smiled and walked over to him and asked him if he was a Tech alum. (My father wore a Tech cap often, but he wasn't the alum...just a proud dad!) The man was indeed an alum, and we shared some fond memories!"
Thank you to everyone who shared your stories! And we love that the Goulds' motorcycle is purple!
When Blue Origin engineer Ramon Sandoval Plascencia (`18 mechanical engineering) met
Tennessee Tech engineering alumnus, trustee and astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore at
Tech's solar eclipse event in 2017, Sandoval never imagined that, seven years later,
he would see Wilmore launch into space while working in the industry that made it
possible.
"I felt a connection with him since he also attended Tennessee Tech," Sandoval said. "He was the first astronaut I ever met, and the day I met him, I felt like the dream of working in the space industry was not so distant nor impossible. Meeting him is even more special to me now since I get to work on rockets. And I was able to see Barry launch from Cape Canaveral, live from work, a few months ago."
Wilmore is part of the Boeing Starliner's maiden manned voyage to the International Space Station, which launched on June 5.
Sandoval says Blue Origin, an American aerospace manufacturer, government contractor, launch service provider and space technologies company, hopes to launch their heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle New Glenn for the first time later this year. New Glenn is named after NASA astronaut John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth.
Tech Took Us There features outstanding Tech alumni who credit their career success to the education they received at Tennessee Tech.
Jerry Cantrell's gift to Tennessee Tech Football honors fond memories playing for the Golden Eagles
Jerry Cantrell ('67 industrial engineering) says his Tennessee Tech degree and 46-year career in the financial services industry are in many ways thanks to football. Now, Cantrell wants to give back to a program that prepared him for success through a generous gift to Tech Football.
"I could not -- could not -- have attended college without a scholarship," Cantrell said. "Had it not been for Coach Wilburn Tucker, there's no telling where I would be. I have a deep-seated respect for this university."
Head Football Coach Bobby Wilder says Cantrell's fondness for Tucker and the football program are inspiring.
"The entire football program is grateful to Jerry Cantrell for his support of our program," Wilder said. "As a former Tennessee Tech football player, Jerry understands the importance of commitment. His gift will go a long way towards helping us build a championship program in Cookeville."
Cantrell says his gift to Tech Football gives back to a program that gave so much to him.
"Had it not been for football, I could not have afforded a college degree and I could not have become an entrepreneur," Cantrell said. "Tech Football did a lot for me, and I'd like to think I have done a lot for Tech Football."
Alumni invited to participate in monthly Tech Trivia question
Last month we asked the following trivia question:
In 1924-25, a committee suggested potential mascots to the Athletic Association, and the Association voted between the two most popular. Golden Eagle won, but what was the other mascot being considered?
The answer was Mountaineers! Congratulations to Jessica Callahan Steele (`17 interdisciplinary studies) who guessed correctly and won some Tech SWAG. And thank you to TTU Sports for researching the history of Tech's mascot!
On Feb. 14, 1925, the nickname "Golden Eagles" was officially adopted. The school newspaper, The Oracle, printed a story that outlined the efforts of a committee to suggest several possible nicknames to Athletic Association members for their consideration. The two most popular names were "Golden Eagles" and "Mountaineers," and the Association, by a vote of 139-18, proudly declared its preference.
And now for this month's question:
What is the name of the waterfall on Centennial Plaza?
Monthly trivia questions in The Alumnus are designed to test your knowledge of all things Tech! If you know the answer, email alumni@tntech.edu. We'll randomly select one of the correct answers to win some Tech SWAG! And if you have an idea for a trivia question, send it to us! You may see it in a future edition of The Alumnus.
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University Archivist Megan Atkinson and the University Archives staff are responsible for collecting, preserving and making accessible materials of historical significance to the university and the Upper Cumberland. Follow Archives and Special Collections on Facebook, email their office with questions and watch for more "Archives with Atkinson" in future editions of The Alumnus.
Bill Carden
LTC William Jasper Carden III, U.S. Army Retired, passed away on July 27.
A graveside service was held on Aug. 4 with military honors provided by the United States Army Honor Guard.
LTC Carden was born Sept. 30, 1948, in Chattanooga, Tenn. He was raised in Columbia and was a graduate of Columbia Military Academy. He graduated from Tennessee Tech in 1971 with a degree in business management. He was a longtime member of the Tennessee Tech ROTC Alumni Association.
LTC Caren fought a heroic battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease). He was diagnosed in January 2018. He and his wife Jackie were featured in a 2019 article titled "Couple shares ALS story to raise awareness." In the article, they said they hoped to raise awareness and help others fighting the debilitating disease.
Mary Jo Denton
Mary Jo Denton, age 80 of Cookeville, passed away on August 15 at her home.
Born Feb. 24, 1944, in Livingston, Tenn., Mary Jo was a long-time crime reporter for the Herald-Citizen newspaper.
Charles Denning published an article about Mary Jo in the Herald-Citizen titled "Mary Jo found her calling as H-C news reporter." The article does not require a subscription, so anyone can read more about her life and legacy.
Mary Jo's family, friends and former colleagues plan to establish the Mary Jo Denton Memorial Scholarship for journalism students at Tech. Give to the scholarship online at tntech.edu/giving or mail a check made payable to the TTU Foundation to TTU, Box 1915, Cookeville, TN 38505. Indicate the name of the scholarship in the field provided online or with the check.
Ira Mookherjee
Ira "Khushi" Ganguly Mookherjee, aged 81, passed away on August 8, 2024, in Seattle,
Wash. Born in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, on Oct. 7, 1942, Ira was a devoted housewife
who took immense pleasure in cooking and singing, often filling her home with the
aromas of delicious food and the sound of music.
Ira and her husband Harsha moved from India to the United States in 1967. After Harsha completed his doctoral studies at Mississippi State University, they then moved to Cookeville, Tenn., in 1970 where Harsha joined the faculty at Tennessee Tech University.
Ira and Harsha were very active in Tech's International Host Family Program since its inception in 1970. They also established the Mookherjee Sociology Award at Tech, along with their daughter, Paramita, a Tech alumna.
Marjorie Meadows Sumner
Marjorie Meadows Sumner passed away on August 13, 2024.
Marjorie grew up in Cookeville, Tenn., where her father was the first Dean of Students at Tennessee Tech. After Dr. Meadows' untimely death in 1953, Marjorie's mother earned a degree from Tech and became the librarian at Tech Campus School.
Marjorie met her husband Ernest at Tech and shortly after graduation, they married on Dec. 20, 1954. While Ernest served in the U.S. Army, they lived in New Jersey, Texas and Georgia.
Like her father and mother, Marjorie was an educator at heart. She taught biology at Tucker High School for more than two decades where she enjoyed taking students to Europe during summer breaks.
After she retired from teaching, Marjorie joined her cousin in operating a travel agency that allowed Marjorie and Ernest to travel all over the world.
In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the TTU Foundation in memory of Marjorie Meadows Sumner, designated for the Dr. and Mrs. John L. Meadows Scholarship Endowment. Mail checks to TTU, Box 1915, Cookeville, TN 38505 or give online at tntech.edu/giving. Indicate the name of the scholarship in the field provided.
VISIT FRIENDS REMEMBERED webpage FOR FULL OBITUARIES
Emily Armstrong ('22 business information technology and '24 MBA) was a photographer for World Archery at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was featured in a Tennessee Tech article titled "Tennessee Tech grad student photographs 2024 Olympic Games."
Deji Badiru (`79 industrial engineering, `81 M.S. and `82 M.S.) received the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society. He is a Dean Emeritus of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology, having retired in January after 10 years in his role.
Dyan Damron (`02 civil engineering) has joined Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. as a senior associate and section head for traffic and right-of-way in Nashville, Tenn.
Daniel Diffenderfer (`18 MBA) is now an executive board member for Trelleborg Medical Solutions. He is the medical device solutions business unit president for Europe and has been with Trelleborg for 11 years.
Derrick Edwards (`08 psychology and `11 M.A.) was featured in a Tennessee Tech article titled "Tech professor, veteran firefighter leads first responder mental health research and advocacy."
Colt Elrod (`20 wildlife and fisheries science) is now a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Officer for DeKalb County in Tennessee.
Brooke Fleenor (`02 business management) is now the Student Services Coordinator at Volunteer State Community College. She previously worked at Tennessee Tech for 21 years -- in University Development, Advancement Services, and most recently as the events coordinator for Tech's Crawford Alumni Center.
Dale Grandstaff (`96 wildlife and fisheries science and `98 M.S.) was named Colonel of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, where he will be responsible for the coordination of TWRA's statewide law enforcement programs.
Rabab Hassan (`12 M.S. electrical and computer engineering) was promoted to associate professor of electrical technology at Herkimer College.
Chris Hight (`90 accounting and `92 MBA) has been appointed chief manager at KraftCPAs effective Nov. 1. This follows his tenure as member-in-charge of the KraftCPAs assurance services department and nearly 20 years of service.
Kiera Hill (`23 interdisciplinary studies) was recently sworn in as a new officer by the Cookeville Police Department. During her time at Tech, she was a member of the women's basketball team.
Matt Hill (`10 business management and `13 M.A.) was named interim head coach of the Cookeville High School Cavaliers boys basketball team.
Kristen Hodge (`17 marketing) was featured in a Chattanooga Times Free Press article titled "Softball standout Kristen Hodge now pitches real estate in Chattanooga." She is a former member of the Golden Eagle softball team.
Mackenzie Hodge (`17 chemical engineering, `20 M.S. and `20 MBA) started a new position as program manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Bailey Hooper (`23 accounting and business information technology and `24 MBA) started a new position as a Staff IT Auditor at HCA Healthcare.
Dr. Harry Ingle (`07 business management and `13 M.A.) was named executive director for Student Affairs at Tennessee Tech. Dr. Ingle previously served as the director of Diversity, Recruitment & Student Success and director of the Clay N. Hixson Student Success Center in Tech's College of Engineering.
Gwen Jaskowski (`99 multidisciplinary studies) will serve as the interim principal at DuPont Hadley Middle School in Nashville.
Braedon Jett (`24 marketing) recently published a book titled "Did People Have Beds Just for Eating Foods?"
Gary Knox (`78 engineering science and mechanics) has been named an Arnold Engineering Development Complex (ADEX) Lifetime Achievement Fellow. An AEDC Lifetime Achievement Fellow must have personally made notable and valuable lifetime contributions to the nation's aerospace capabilities in any area relevant to the AEDC mission.
Kara Malone (`08 agriculture) is the recipient of an IMCOM Installation Directorate-Sustainment Stalwart Award. She is the chief of the Resources and Contracts Branch, Business Operations and Integration Division within the Directorate of Public Works.
Stuart W. McGregor (`87 M.S. biology) retired from the Geological Survey of Alabama after 35 years and seven months of service. He was director of the Ecosystems Investigations Program at the time of his retirement, and his career culminated in his co-authorship of the book "Crayfishes of Alabama" in 2022.
Maleah Murray-Human (`15 sociology and `22 M.P.S.) was profiled in a Knox TN Today article titled "THP Renaissance Trooper: Maleah Murray-Human" which highlights her work as a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper.
Michele Niec (`22 marketing and leadership and `24 M.P.S.) was recently elected to both the Barbershop Harmony Society Board of Directors (three-year term) and the Omega Phi Alpha Foundation Board of Directors (two-year term).
Russell Perry (`23 chemical engineering) is an associate scientist in Thermo Fisher Scientific's Cell and Gene Therapy Lab.
Michael Pick (`14 computer science) is a YouTube content creator with 1.25M subscribers and three Guinness World Records for his oversized versions of his favorite childhood games, including the world's largest Nerf gun. He was recently featured in a AL.com article titled "Huntsville engineer gets 3 world records by supersizing fave childhood games."
Gary Rankin (`80 M.A. administration and supervision) was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.
Dr. Kate Nicewicz Scott (`14 MBA) is the new MBA Director at Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business.
Cacey Spence (`24 elementary education) is a new kindergarten teacher at Cartwright Elementary School in Shelbyville, Tenn.
Glen Stewart ('67 mathematics) participated in the 2024 Tennessee Senior Olympics state finals. He won a gold medal in the 400-meter, 800-meter and 1500-meter races and a bronze medal in the free-throw shooting contest.
Hannah Thomas (`23 chemical engineering) started a new position as a process engineer at Y-12 National Security Complex.
Bradley Vickers (`22 secondary education) is the new soccer coach at Watertown High School.
Photo top left: Derrick Edwards (`08 psychology and `11 M.A.), assistant professor of counseling and psychology at Tennessee Tech, has spent two decades in the fire service and now supports the mental health needs of his fellow first responders through Tech's Responder Health Lab. Photo: Putnam County Fire Department
We love hearing about the successes of Tennessee Tech alumni. Email us your promotions, awards and other achievements, and we'll share in the next edition of The Alumnus!
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