Overview
- Dee and Jimmy Haslam committed $130 million to the University of Tennessee, a record donation for the Knoxville campus that raises their lifetime giving to about $195 million.
- University officials said $100 million is earmarked for the Haslam College of Business to fund student success programs, graduate scholarships and an undergraduate honors program.
- The remaining $30 million will be used to recruit renowned faculty across academic disciplines to raise UT’s research and teaching profile.
- The Haslams announced the gift on Thursday, June 4, 2026, and university leaders and the governor framed it as an academic and workforce investment rather than funding for athletics.
- The Haslams are longtime UT donors and Knoxville natives with major business and sports holdings, and university leaders say the gift is aimed at keeping top talent and strengthening the state’s workforce pipeline.