Good morning! Click here to see what is happening around campus at NOAC 2022 on Tuesday, July 26th.
Learn from yesterday; live for today; hope for tomorrow.
Must-See Landmarks Around Campus
The Rock:
Before the Rock became a beloved campus message board, a very small portion of it was visible in the lawn of Calvary Baptist Church, where Fraternity Park is now located. In 1966, after UT acquired the land, the A.B. Long Company unearthed the 97.5-ton hunk of Knox dolomite rock while grading for roads and buildings.
The painting tradition began in 1980. At first, the Rock was cleaned regularly, but by 1982, the administration decided to stop repainting the Rock, which explains its rather unique coloring at the intersection of Volunteer Blvd. and Pat Head Summitt St. on campus!
General Robert Neyland Statue:
Robert Reese Neyland was named Tennessee’s head football coach in 1926 while he was an assistant coach, an ROTC instructor, and a major in the Army. Of the 216 games he coached, the Vols shut out their opponents 112 times, recording 17 consecutive regular-season shutouts from 1938 to 1940. Neyland’s teams eventually won four national championships and compiled an overall record of 173 wins, 31 losses, and 12 ties. During World War II, he was recalled to active duty and retired as a brigadier general.
Although health issues forced Neyland to step down from coaching in 1952, he served as UT’s athletic director for a decade and helped design the stadium that bears his name.
The Smokey Statues:
He’s here, he’s there, Smokey seems to be everywhere on the UT campus! In 1953, the university ran a competition during half-time to select a dog to be the school’s live mascot. At the very end of the line-up, “Blue Smokey” stood howling enthusiastically as he was introduced. The crowd went wild and from that point on, the bluetick coonhound and the University were inseparable. Ten Smokey statues can be found all around campus and each is ready to take a selfie with you! Can you find them all?
The Goodman Edson Observatory
The Goodman Edson Observatory (GEO) is the OA’s museum at NOAC. The GEO is no ordinary static museum; it is a place where our past comes alive. The GEO is not just about preserving artifacts from our history, it gives us guidance and inspiration for the next generation of Order of the Arrow leadership. Woven into every uniform, patch, and item on display are the stories of our Brotherhood that bind every Arrowman from all times past, present, and future. Make sure you check out the GEO, which will be open every day this week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the UT Student Union, Room 262.