The East Tennessee Historical Society named community leaders Jenny and Randy Boyd as East Tennesseans of the Year at a celebration dinner at Cherokee Country Club on November 3.
Honorary co-chairs for the event were Bill and Crissy Haslam. Randy Boyd is President of the University of Tennessee System and the founder of Radio Systems Corporation, Boyd Sports, and TnAchieves. Jenny Boyd owns Boyd’s Jig & Reel, is a member of the Old City Association, and serves on the boards of the Tennessee Arts Commission, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, and the Museum of Appalachia. Together the Boyds have given more than $10 million to more than 100 charitable causes, from entrepreneurship and education, to child and animal welfare, to mental health and the arts.
The East Tennessee Historical Society Board of Directors established the award in 2011 to recognize and honor an East Tennessee history maker. Honorees must be an ambassador for our region and represent integrity, dignity, leadership, and the volunteer spirit. The award is given to East Tennesseans with either a recent accomplishment or a compilation of accomplishments in fields such as history, politics, entertainment, education, business, research, or humanitarian work that improves the lives of others. Previous award winners are Bill Haslam, Jack Hanna, Roy Kramer, Pete DeBusk, Natalie Haslam, Phillip Fulmer, and Lamar Alexander.
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While Americans celebrate July 4, 1776, as the birth of the nation, the story of independence unfolded very differently on the Appalachian frontier. In what is now East Tennessee, settlers and Cherokee communities faced years of conflict, diplomacy, and uncertainty as the American Revolution reshaped the region. This article explores how the fight for independence was experienced beyond Philadelphia, where the meaning of freedom was forged in frontier cabins, forts, and contested lands.
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As Tennessee marks the 230th anniversary of its admission to the Union, it is worth remembering that statehood was neither simple nor inevitable. From the failed State of Franklin to the creation of the Southwest Territory and eventual statehood in 1796, Tennessee’s story reflects the challenges and opportunities of building a new nation on the Appalachian frontier.
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By Kristin Brig
published in the Journal of East Tennessee History, Vol 88, 2016