The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) mourns the passing of Governor Winfield Dunn, who served as Governor of Tennessee from 1971 to 1975. Governor Dunn was instrumental in the creation of the Tennessee Board of Regents and the TBR System in 1972. In his first year in office, he established a special commission to examine the governance of the state’s higher education institutions outside of the University of Tennessee System, which were then governed by the State Board of Education, primarily responsible for overseeing public K-12 education.
The commission recommended the establishment of a new board to oversee the state’s community colleges and the six state universities outside of the UT system. Governor Dunn endorsed these recommendations and presented them to the General Assembly, which subsequently approved them. He appointed the first members of the Board and served as its initial chair under the new statute. In the 1980s, the state’s technical colleges were transferred from the Board of Education to the Board of Regents. In 2016, new independent boards were created for each of the six state universities.
Latest TN News
Dr. Flora W. Tydings, Chancellor of the TBR system, reflected on Governor Dunn’s legacy: “Governor Dunn was a true advocate for higher education in Tennessee. He deeply believed in the power of education to change lives, and that belief is still felt in our colleges and communities today. While we are saddened by his passing, we are profoundly grateful for the strong foundation he helped create.”
Governor Dunn’s legacy continues in the TBR system and in public kindergarten in Tennessee, which was also established during his administration, along with various programs and reforms he proposed and implemented. TBR is fortunate that he participated in the system’s 50th Anniversary celebration and oral history project in 2022. The oral history project can be found at https://www.tbr.edu/50th-anniversary-history-project.
The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, consisting of 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology, and the online TN eCampus, serving approximately 140,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Contact:
Matthew S. Gann
615-366-4412
Published: 09/30/2024
Follow on Twitter: @CollegeSystemTN
Source: Read Original Release
Former Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn Dies at 97
Former Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn, who served from 1971 to 1975, passed away at age 97. Dunn, a Republican, was known for his significant contributions to education, public parks, and infrastructure, as well as his commitment to civility and unity in the state.