The UT Department of Religious Studies was founded in 1966 under the direction of its first department head, Ralph Norman. This new department replaced the Tennessee School of Religion. Over the course of the first few years several additional faculty members were added, including Charles Reynolds. Reynolds would go on to head the department from 1980-2001.
Now 50 years later, the department is still going strong with 14 faculty and lecturers and is currently celebrating its golden anniversary.
In preparation for this celebration, Norman and Reynolds provided funds to help establish the Religious Studies Endowment. This new endowment will provide funding for departmental programming and/or faculty retention needs.
Several retirees also have contributed toward other awards and endowments to support the department.
Read the full story on the Department of Religious Studies website.