Susan and Larry Patrick Donate First Multi-million Dollar Gift to UT’s College of Communication and Information

Through his media brokerage and investment banking firm, Larry Patrick enjoys helping families build their own businesses.

By giving back to his alma mater, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Patrick is making sure students who follow him will have the same opportunities.

Larry Patrick and his wife, Susan, of Clarksville, Md., recently made a $3 million bequest to create a fund for excellence in the College of Communication and Information as part of the Campaign for Tennessee. It is the first multi-million dollar gift to the college.

Their gift is part of the Campaign for Tennessee, a $1 billion fundraising effort that was officially launched on April 17 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

"I've decided to give back to the places that made a difference for me. Tennessee is No. 1 on that list," said Patrick. "I had a terrific experience at UT. The professors cared, the graduate program was flexible, and it was just a great time for me."

Patrick earned his master’s degree in communications at UT in 1973, and he received the college’s Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award in 1995.

Larry and Susan Patrick are co-owners and managing partners of Patrick Communications, which has sold more than 500 radio and television stations worth nearly $6 billion in the past decade. They also own Legend Communications, a group of 15 small-market radio stations.

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.