University of Tennessee Athletics
T-Club Adds Three Honorary Lettermen
November 12, 2010 | Football
Nov. 12, 2010
The University of Tennessee Lettermen's T-Club is honoring three individuals by assigning them honorary letterman status for outstanding service and achievements that reflect favorably on UT and its athletics program.
This year's honorees are Bobby Campbell, retired UT Director of Sports Surface Management, Charlie Morgan and Buck Vaughn.
BOBBY CAMPBELL--For 20 years as UT's sports surface manager, Campbell grew, watered, nurtured, clipped, edged, weeded and doctored every blade of green grass on every living Big Orange playing and practice surface the Knoxville campus had to offer. Campbell was born in Pulaski and grew up in Lawrenceburg, Middle Tennessee towns along the Alabama border. He graduated first from what was then Martin Junior College (1969) in Pulaski, and taught briefly at Knoxville's Doyle High School before resuming his academic studies at UT. He earned his bachelor's (1973) and master's (1975) degrees while serving as student assistant baseball coach under Bill Wright. Campbell returned to Doyle High in 1975 and resumed his teaching and coaching career. Ten years later, the Knoxville Blue Jays hired him to maintain the field at the old Bill Meyer Stadium off Magnolia Avenue. It was also around that time that Campbell came in contact with the UT turf grass specialist who would take his level of understanding of all things green to another level. He was hired by UT in May 1990.
CHARLIE MORGAN--A 30-year member of the Knoxville Quarterback Club, Charlie served on the Board of Directors for many years and is currently past president. During his tenure as president, the Big Orange Tip-Off club was formed and Morgan served as an original board member and also president. A graduate of UT, Morgan also is a current member of the Board of Governors for the UT Alumni Association. He and his wife, Sherry, have supported the Lady Vols for the past 20 years and through his company, Gray-Hodges, he has served as the main sponsor for the Lady Vols Illustrated program.
BUCK VAUGHN JR.--Founder of the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 1983, Emmet P. "Buck" Vaughn Jr. has had his hands in every part of the growth and development of the Hall as well as the Knoxville Area's Boys and Girls Club annual fund raising. Vaughn has served on many volunteer boards in the Knoxville Area and in 2001 he and his wife Linda were selected Knoxville Volunteers of the Year. The Gift of Hope Award was created to honor and recognize the Vaughns for their many years of outstanding dedication, inspiration and hope they have provided to the members of Boys & Girls Clubs. Vaughn is president of Emmet Vaughn Lumber Co., one of the nation's leading suppliers of Appalachian Hardwood. He has worked for the company founded by his father, Emmet Vaughn, since 1967.
The official announcement is being made Friday night at the annual Letterman's Reunion Banquet at the Foundry. Saturday's game against Mississippi also includes an on the field presentation.
SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
In addition, the T- Club is honoring two members with service awards to former letter winners Betty Shell Sonnenfeldt (Track 1976-78) and Marty Sonnenfeldt (Track and Cross Country 1976-77). The Sonnenfeldts were very active in the Knoxville Track and Field Club's Youth Athletics Program (YAP), which serves more than 7,000 area children ages 5-18.
The T-club annually honors members whose service to the University, the Athletic Department and the community has highly distinguished them.
