Chairs of Excellence

The Chairs of Excellence program began in the midst of the education reform and improvement measures passed by the General Assembly in the mid-1980s. This program brings eminent scholars to Tennessee public institutions and attracts research initiatives and private funding to our state. The program has resulted in an unprecedented level of donations to higher education from private and corporate sources.

The appointments to these chairs have been world-renowned. This program has brought new levels of scholarship to our campuses and has greatly increased the research output of all universities. This program, coupled with the equally successful Centers of Excellence program, raised Tennessee's status, among national peers, to new heights.

These Chairs were started with $44 million in state funding matched to private funds raised by individual campuses. The 1997-98 value of this endowment exceeded $205 million. Below is a summary of the number of chairs at each campus. The list represents the Chairs of Excellence at the selected institutions by sponsor.  

Click on the institution name to see the chairs at that school.