On Wednesday, November 12, 250 guests gathered to celebrate Pete Claussen, the 11th recipient of the East Tennessee Historical Society’s East Tennessean of the Year award at Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville. The annual event featured a cocktail hour with live music, a seated dinner, and an award presentation.
Prior to dinner, Board Chair Sam Albritton led the lively crowd in a harmonious birthday song to celebrate Claussen’s upcoming 85th birthday, complete with candles. Celebrations continued throughout the program with a list of Claussen’s accomplishments and accolades, including contributions to the Smithsonian, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Portrait Gallery, as well as kind words from close friends. East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) Board Member Susan Williams remarked on the impacts Claussen, and his late wife Linda made including bringing the 9-11 Smithsonian exhibit to the Museum of East Tennessee History and contributions to ETHS’s extensive quilt collection.
History wasn’t the only point of praise. Carol Evans, Executive Director of Legacy Parks Foundation, remarked on Claussen’s invaluable contributions to Seven Islands State Birding Park and to the future SoKnox Rail Trail. Evans praised Claussen’s philanthropy saying, “Rarely do you hear Pete say I – it is always we. Of all his successful projects, he has reluctantly lent his name to only a few – three I believe. Pete finds his reward in the accomplishment not the accolades.”
Following Evans’ remarks, Greer Tidwell, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environment and Conservation, announced a significant expansion at Seven Islands State Birding Park which will include a 400-foot, ADA fully-accessible pedestrian bridge spanning the French Broad River. The bridge will connect the current park with additional land that is being donated by Claussen and Legacy Parks, adding 90-acres to the State Park.
Herman Peter “Pete” Valentine Claussen II was born in Bloomfield NJ to Herman and Catherine Claussen. He graduated from Lafayette College with an AB degree in English and from Rutgers Law School with a JD degree. After graduation Claussen joined the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville, Tennessee where he worked for 13 years as an attorney, Assistant General Counsel, and Division Director. In 1979 he joined the 1982 World’s Fair as Vice President-Legal Counsel, leaving that position in 1983 with the wrap-up of the Fair Corporation. In 1985 he established Gulf & Ohio Railways (G&O) of which he is Chairman. Gulf & Ohio Railways owns and operates four railroads in the Southeastern United States.
Claussen is the founder and Chairman of the Seven Islands Foundation which recently donated land to help create Tennessee’s 56th State Park, Seven Islands State Birding Park. He has also served as a member of the Smithsonian National Board, as co-chairman of the Alumni Board and has been a member and past Chairman of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. He is a past Chairman of the Legislative Policy Committee of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association and a past member of its Board and Executive Committee. He also serves on the Boards of the Legacy Parks Foundation, the Tennessee Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and the Knoxville Zoo.
The East Tennessee Historical Society has bestowed the East Tennessean of the Year award to honorees who are ambassadors for the East Tennessee region and represent integrity, dignity, leadership, and the volunteer spirit. The award is given by the ETHS Board of Directors to an East Tennessean with either a recent accomplishment or a compilation of accomplishments in fields such as history, politics, entertainment, education, or humanitarian work that improves the lives of others. Previous honorees include Bill Haslam, Roy Kramer, Pete DeBusk, Natalie L. Haslam, Phillip Fulmer, Lamar Alexander, Jenny and Randy Boyd, Rick Barnes, and Jim Haslam.
| Table Sponsors | Table Hosts |
|---|---|
| 21st Mortgage Kati and Jim Blalock City of Knoxville First Century Bank FirstBank Gulf & Ohio Crissy & Bill Haslam Adrian and Larsen Jay KaTom Leadership Knoxville Sherri Parker Lee Legacy Parks McLaughlin Group Museum of Appalachia Pilot Company Stowers Machinery Corporation Foundation Tombras Trust Company of Tennessee Susan Richardson Williams |
Clayton Cindi and Pete DeBusk First Horizon Bank Lynne and Scott Fugate Cynthia Moxley and Alan Carmichael Raymond James Mitch Steenrod |
Founded in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society encourages the collection and preservation of the stories, artifacts, photographs, diaries, and official records documenting the individual lives and shared history of East Tenensseans.
The Society is one of the most active regional historical organizations in the southeast. History is brought to life through a world-class, award-winning museum, traveling exhibitions, K-12 education and the First Families of Tennessee heritage program, which comprises the largest collection of documentation on the state’s first citizens and their families.
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This list of names, drawn from tax records, offers a unique snapshot of early Tennesseans—many of whom left no other trace in land, court, or marriage records. It may be the only record of their lives and locations during this time.
Explore the digitized Federal Distillery Tax Book for Tennessee 1796–1801.
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By Dr. William E. Hardy
published in the Journal of East Tennessee History, Vol 85, 2013
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In the eighteenth century, East Tennessee was a homeland for Indigenous nations, particularly the Cherokee. European trade and colonial interference reshaped regional politics and Cherokee society, creating new pressures within their communities. During the American Revolution, Patriot militias launched campaigns that destroyed Cherokee towns, turning the conflict in Appalachia into a struggle that threatened Indigenous land, sovereignty, and survival.