Football, philosophy and the United Way

It was a strange mix of opera music, football talk and civic pride one evening last month at the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center on the University of Tennessee campus. The occasion? The annual dinner of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society, a special group of United Way supporters, each of whom contributes more than $10,000 per year to the cause.

The name Alexis de Tocqueville Society was chosen because of the French philosopher’s recognition of the overwhelming benefit of volunteer efforts for the common good that he witnessed during his travels to America in 1831 at the young age of 26.

“I must say that I have seen Americans make a great deal of real sacrifices to the public welfare; and have noticed a hundred instances in which they hardly ever failed to lend a faithful support to one another,” Tocqueville wrote in his seminal work, “Democracy in America.”

The special guest at the event – arranged by Jim Haslam, United Way supporter and football fan extraordinaire – was Roy Kramer, the former commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and the man responsible for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).

“It’s easy to see why the SEC is special,” Haslam said by way of introducing Kramer. “And it’s because of this man right here. He is all that’s good about college athletics.”

Bob Kesling, former WBIR-TV sportscaster and current “Voice of the Vols” broadcaster, is the chairman of this year’s United Way campaign. He also heaped praise upon Kramer.

“He changed the face of college football,” Kesling said. “He expanded the SEC and that changed the game and led to the BCS. Every year now we have the right two teams playing in the national championship. He did an unbelievable job as commissioner of the SEC.”

Kramer was the head football coach for Central Michigan University from 1967 to 1977, compiling a record of 83–32–2 and winning the 1974 NCAA Division II National Football Championship. He then served as the athletic director at Vanderbilt University from 1978 to 1990, and later was the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference from 1990 to 2002, which is where he created the Bowl Championship Series.

Since the location of the event was in the brand new music building named for Jim Haslam’s wife, Natalie, guests were treated to a couple of student operatic performances after dinner. This led Kramer to a few observations. “I’m seeing some unusual things tonight,” he quipped. “First of all, Jim Haslam is in a school of music! Second, I’m speaking in a school of music! And finally, this is the first time I’ve ever followed an operatic performance. I’ve followed some dramatic performances, but they’ve always been on the athletic field!”

Kesling shared the fact that he hails from a musical family. His sister is a Metropolitan Opera singer, his mother is an oboe player, his father was drum major at Ohio State, and his brother is a concert bassoonist. Kesling said that he, himself, decided to take up the cello in high school. “But all I could play was ‘Sweet Georgia Brown,’ and ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’ ” At some point, he said, the high school band director suggested that he go into athletics.

Dr. Jeffrey Pappas, the director of the UT School of Music, took the opportunity to say how important the Haslams’ support has been to the school. “I’ve only been here 15 months and I can see that the Haslams’ influence on the school is beyond profound,” Pappas said. “The Haslams have put us on the map. National and international conventions want to come to have events at our school.”

Mintha Roach, the president and CEO of the Knoxville Utilities Board, is a member of the United Way board and a former campaign chair. “We’re all here because we got one of those Jim Haslam phone calls,” she joked. (Actually, I was there because I got one of those Mintha Roach phone calls!)

During his brief remarks full of stories of individual football players he’s known, Kramer drove home this point: “Every great moment in history is the result of some ordinary individual doing extraordinary things.”

If you’d like to read about another interesting (and funny) Tocqueville Society dinner, click here. The guest at this particular dinner was Monte Kiffen. Ha.