Jim Haslam seems to approve of the statue of him that was unveiled Friday at the University of Tennessee. He and his late wife, Natalie, are among the largest donors to the University of Tennessee. The college of business at UT is named for him; and the college of music is named for her.

Jim Haslam says that everything he has accomplished in his 95 years on this Earth started on the football field at the University of Tennessee.

Haslam was honored with the unveiling of a statue of his likeness Friday afternoon on the University of Tennessee campus. Crafted by renowned sculptor Brian Hanlon, it stands in front of the north entrance to the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center.

“We lived our whole life in the stadium,” said Haslam, who was a starter on the offensive line of the 1951 national championship team and captain of the 1952 football team. “I learned there that you have to surround yourself with good people. So many good things that have happened to me started on that football field.”

Haslam was a high school football star in St. Petersburg, Fla., before coming to UT in 1948 and becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college.

The temperature on Friday afternoon was near 90, but thanks to the foresight of UT planners, a huge white tent with fans pointing inward from all directions made it feel almost comfortable. And another tip of the hat to the organizers who, despite having five speakers, kept the formal ceremony to 38 minutes, a nod to the honoree who is famous for his desire to keep programs as short as possible. The crowd of 100 or so consisted mostly of family and close personal friends of Haslam, as well as top UT brass. Continue reading →