Dear Sewanee Family,
Bring out the balloons and confetti—we’re throwing a birthday party!
Tiger Tuesday turns the big 1-0 on April 14, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting your favorite campus cause. On last year’s day of giving, 3,125 members of our community provided over $4.8 million to elevate the Sewanee experience. We’re aiming for a new record in 2026!
As always, thanks for celebrating the Mountain.
Your friends in University Relations
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Karen and Mark "Moose" Phillips, both C'83
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| Honoring "Uncle Willie": Karen and Moose Phillips, both C'83, Celebrate Beloved Professor with Endowed Scholarship |
In the early 1980s, Karen Jenkins Phillips and Mark “Moose” Phillips, both C’83, routinely camped out all night to score seats in front of a living legend. The icon they hoped to see wasn’t a rock star in the literal sense, but he had an impressive Sewanee fan base, according to the Phillipses. “Everyone referred to him as ‘Uncle Willie,’ and it really felt like he was one of your favorite uncles,” Karen says.
Securing a class with Professor of English William T. “Willie” Cocke, C’51, could be tricky, as the Phillipses describe—and it was well worth staking out an overnight spot in front of the registrar’s office. In tribute to Cocke’s three decades of outstanding teaching on the Mountain, the Phillipses recently established the William T. Cocke III Memorial Scholarship, which will help meet the financial needs of students from Virginia, Alabama, or Tennessee who are interested in majoring in English or creative writing.
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Brannon Family Faculty Fund Prioritizes a Thriving Academic Community |
What happens when a community known for its close-knit relationships suddenly loses the ability to gather? Like other Sewanee alumni who attended the University at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, siblings Stella and Hampton Brannon, both C’22, know this scenario too well.
While Stella and Hampton reflect fondly on many of their Sewanee experiences, they say the pandemic gave them a new, sometimes painful perspective on the importance of connecting with faculty in person and one-on-one. Recently, they joined with their parents, Camille and Wade Brannon, P’22, P’22, to establish the Brannon Family Faculty Fund, which celebrates Sewanee’s professors as essential to the University’s success.
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The Brannons (from left to right): Hampton, C'22; Stella, C'22; Maxine; and Camille and Wade; P'22, P'22
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The Brannons’ endowment will help cover a range of Sewanee faculty needs in perpetuity, including research pursuits, professional development, conference travel, and other critical expenses. “Faculty are the backbone that makes Sewanee what it is,” Hampton says. “They give all they can, so why would we not do the same?”
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Tippy Anderson and the Rev. Dr. Andy Anderson, T'94, T'06; P'07, P'16
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| The Rev. Dr. Andy Anderson, T'94, T'06, and Tippy Anderson; P'07, P'16, Boost School of Theology Study Carrel Campaign |
In 1991, the Rev. Dr. Andy Anderson, T’94, T’06, P’07, P’16, left a successful career in corporate banking to pursue his formation at the School of Theology. He says this seismic transition would not have been possible without significant financial support from his diocese and parish—and from the seminary’s donor community. In gratitude for their Sewanee experiences, Andy and his wife, Tippy, recently provided multiple gifts to the University, including a contribution to the School of Theology’s study carrel initiative. Through this campaign, any individual or group who makes a gift of $6,000 or more to the seminary may dedicate a Hamilton Hall study carrel with a bronze plaque.
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| Stepping Up to the Plate for Sewanee |
Batter up! We expect to see lots of purple and gold at Alumni Baseball Weekend, scheduled for Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25. If baseball was your sport on the Mountain, we hope you’ll join us for a fun lineup of activities, including a doubleheader vs. Southwestern University, plus multiple happy hour receptions.
Sewanee continues to fundraise for the installation of new energy-efficient LED lighting systems at our baseball and softball stadiums. This upgrade will enable nighttime practices and games, among other significant benefits. To learn more about this funding opportunity, email Director of Major Gifts John Whaling, C’07, at jawhalin@sewanee.edu.
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Discover more stories about amazing alumni—and fuel your campus nostalgia—by checking out Sewanee magazine.
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The University of the South • Office of University Relations • waystogive.sewanee.edu
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