Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek joined alumni, sorority women, and other dignitaries today to dedicate UT’s new Sorority Village Center and Ann Baker Furrow Boulevard, the main street leading into the development.
Furrow, a 1967 alumna, celebrated the milestone. Chancellor Cheek said the event is the culmination of years of planning and the tireless work of many people.
“I’m happy that the sorority members will have a place to gather. Our sorority members are leaders on campus. Sorority women gain great leadership skills through their membership, and we are proud of the work they are doing on campus and in the community,” Cheek said.
Eight of the planned thirteen houses are occupied and three more are slated to open at the beginning of the fall semester. The new Sorority Village Center has offices for professional and graduate staff members from the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life. The building’s conference room and lobby are now available as meeting space for Sorority and Fraternity Life organizations.
Furrow is the first woman to serve on the UT Board of Trustees and is the first and only woman to receive a full men’s athletic scholarship. She was joined today by her husband, Sam, and her family and many friends, including longtime friend Governor Winfield Dunn. Governor Dunn appointed Furrow to the UT Board of Trustees in 1970.
“The successes that I have had are because of a culture and a community of support,” Furrow said. “I am proud to be a part of Sorority Village because it will enhance the lives and the education of sorority women for many years to come.”
As a UT student, Furrow played on the men’s golf team and received a scholarship for two years. She was also president of her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. She currently serves on the UT Development Council.
The university broke ground on the development’s infrastructure in 2011. Chapters began opening houses last fall. Once completed, thirteen of the university’s seventeen sororities will have chapter houses in the complex. The houses are funded through private donations and mortgage agreements that will be paid through residential rent and chapter fees.
The Chi Omega house has finished construction and plans to open in August. Pi Beta Phi and Zeta Tau Alpha are under construction and plan to open in August. Alpha Omicron Pi is currently under construction and is slated to open during the next academic year. Delta Gamma plans to break ground in late April.
The eight houses currently occupied are:
- Alpha Chi Omega
- Alpha Delta Pi
- Delta Delta Delta
- Delta Zeta
- Kappa Delta
- Kappa Kappa Gamma
- Phi Mu
- Sigma Kappa
—
C O N T A C T :
Karen Simsen (865-974-5186, karen.simsen@tennessee.edu)