Alumni Living in Las Vegas Still Keep UT in Their Hearts

Nancy and Bruce Sullivan have lived far away from Knoxville since they first met at the University of Tennessee. Now retired and living in Las Vegas, the couple remains very fond of UT.

As part of the Campaign for Tennessee, the Sullivans have included UT in their estate plans, which will provide a gift in excess of $1 million to benefit UT Libraries.

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

"We still have a special place in our hearts for UT," Nancy Sullivan said. "So in thinking which program to support, we decided the library was especially deserving, particularly since it has the capacity for reaching so many students."

Bruce Sullivan earned his bachelor’s degree in transportation and logistics from UT in 1971 and later spent 28 years in pharmaceutical sales with Colgate-Palmolive. Nancy Sullivan earned a master's degree in computer science at UT in 1973 and launched a career in information systems and training at Dow Chemical and later Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).

"We’re just average people, and we know there are lots of places we could invest our money," Bruce Sullivan said. "We worked hard and planned well. It's a pleasure to give back."

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.