1942 graduate cements lifelong dedication to ut with gift to scholarships

April 30, 2008

KNOXVILLE -- Since her graduation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1942, Sara Louise Mott has been active in the Knoxville and UT communities.

A longtime supporter of the visual and performing arts, Mott is a founding member of Knoxville's Community School for the Arts, which provides art instruction to children, particularly those from the inner city and rural areas. She also is founder of the Prater Scholarship Endowment at UT, a significant bequest to the Campaign for Tennessee. She did not restrict her gift to any one academic area but will allow the university to use it as needed.

The campaign is a $1 billion fundraising effort that was officially launched on April 17 at the University of Tennessee.

Mott has seen UT gain in stature over the years. "I'm thankful for where UT is today and glad I'm able to contribute," she said.

Giving is in Mott's genes, as her uncle was Sen. Herbert Walters of Morristown, Tenn., who funded the Walters Scholarship Endowment, one of UT's single largest scholarship endowments.

Mott's passion for giving is almost as strong as her passion for Lady Vols basketball. Even at 86, she still attends basketball games, sitting in the front-row seats she and her late husband bought years ago. She also attends performances at Clarence Brown Theatre and shows interest in UT's School of Music.

The Campaign for Tennessee -- the most ambitious effort in the university's 214-year history -- places UT among the ranks of the nation’s largest public and private institutions that have sought this level of private support.

The campaign, which launched its silent phase in 2005, will secure private gifts that, in turn, will contribute substantially to the distinct, but linked, campuses comprised by the University of Tennessee system. Funds raised through the campaign will directly support the objectives of UT's strategic plan, as outlined by UT President John Petersen. Among those objectives are improved student access and success, research and economic development, outreach and globalization.