East Tennessee State University has the authority to award honorary degrees. This authority is exercised only on rare occasions for individuals who have made extraordinary achievements, per university policy. Honorary degrees—specifically honorary doctorates—are not only ways to recognize distinguished careers, talents, generosity, and goodness. They are distinctive accolades recognizing those whose impact is far-reaching and significantly benefits ETSU and the communities it serves.
Following are the individuals who have received the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from ETSU:
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2004
Donna Netherland - December 2004
Donna Netherland, a member of East Tennessee State Normal School Class of 1923, was invited to deliver East Tennessee State University’s commencement address twice: first in 1998 and then again in 2004, just one month before her 100th birthday. At the ceremony, she was presented with the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
She first came to East Tennessee State Normal School in 1921 – just 10 years into the institution’s history – and was awarded her teaching certificate two years later. In 1949, Netherland graduated from East Tennessee State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in English; in 1998, she was named ETSU’s “Adult Learner of the Year;” and in 2003, she was named an “Outstanding Alumna” of ETSU.
At age 18, she began teaching at a small rural school in Montezuma, North Carolina, and later married Houston Netherland, an avid sportsman who was working for Clinchfield Railroad. They met in Johnson City, married in New York City where she was attending a summer study program at Columbia University, and celebrated 47 anniversaries before he died in 1976. She retired in 1970 following a career in education that spanned 46 years and during which she taught mainly first graders, primarily at West Side School in Elizabethton.
A charter member of ETSU’s Institute for Continued Learning, Netherland’s devotion to “learning for a lifetime” is legend. She passed away on February 20, 2006.
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2005
Claudius Clemmer - May 2005
Claudius Greer Clemmer was born in 1911 – the same year that East Tennessee Normal School (now East Tennessee State University) was established.
Clemmer earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education and history from what was then East Tennessee State Teachers College in 1934 and later his master's degree from the University of Tennessee.
His career spanned several areas – from working in his father's general store in various capacities to teaching in a one-teacher school and later in the Kingsport City School System. He began part-time employment with Slip-Not Belting Corporation in 1937. Then, in 1946, he began selling pumps for the company full-time. This business later became Jefferson Sales Corporation. Clemmer served as the company's president until his retirement at age 80 the. He then served as chairman of the board emeritus of the company and continued to visit the business frequently.
Clemmer established a proven record of business success and community involvement. He and his wife, Katherine, held a lifelong interest in education. In 1985, they established the Claudius G. and Katherine Earnest Clemmer Endowment for the ETSU College of Education.
He served as a member of the ETSU Foundation board of directors through 1994 and was a member of the ETSU Foundation, the ETSU President's Trust, and the ETSU "Committee of 1000."
Clemmer received the ETSU Alumni Association Award of Honor in 1987 and was recognized as the ETSU Outstanding Alumnus in 1995.
In 2004, the then ETSU College of Education was named after Mr. Clemmer to become the Claudius G. Clemmer College of Education. In 2017, the college's name changed to Clemmer College and then again in 2023 to Clemmer College of Education and Human Development.
In 2005, just six months before Mr. Clemmer would die at the age of 94, he was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from ETSU by President Dr. Paul E. Stanton.
Tennessee Governor Ned McWherther - December 2005
Former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter was a consistent supporter of East Tennessee State University. In 1974, as Speaker of the House of Representatives for the Tennessee General Assembly, he cast the deciding vote to override Gov. Winfield Dunn’s veto, thereby ensuring the creation of the Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU.
Thirty years later, in the spring of 2004, McWherter became the inaugural recipient of the Quest Award, given by ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine. The Quest Award was established to recognize leadership at the state and national level advancing health care for the underserved.
In 1986, McWherter successfully sought the governorship of the Volunteer State. He was re-elected — receiving 62 percent of the vote — in 1990, becoming, at that time, only the second governor ever elected to a second four-year term in Tennessee. His eight-year tenure as governor was characterized by increased economic growth and development, record road-building budgets, the creation of new, well-paying jobs, a push for a drug-free state, and new efforts to make health care more affordable and accessible to Tennesseans. His 21st Century Schools education reform program launched similar programs in other states. He provided progressive leadership by insisting that all proceedings of the House be open to the public and press and was the original sponsor of the “Sunshine Law.”
Following his last term as Tennessee’s chief executive in 1995, McWherter was appointed to the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service by President Bill Clinton.
McWherter passed away on April 4, 2011.
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2006
Ernest McKinney - May 2006
The McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School is named after the McKinney family, specifically, Dr. Ernest McKinney, Kevin McKinney, and Marion McKinney. Through generations, the McKinney family had a significant, lasting impact on Jonesborough schools and the town.
Ernest McKinney moved to Washington County in 1936 from South Carolina. He graduated from Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial College in Nashville in 1947 and married his wife Marion in 1950. He began his career as a teacher and principal at Booker T. Washington School in Jonesborough and later taught at Langston High School, the historically black school in Johnson City. After integration, he moved to Science Hill High School in Johnson City.
McKinney was elected to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in Jonesborough as an Aldermen on April 4, 1968, the same night Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in Memphis. He was again elected to the Town Board in 1978 starting a run of 40 consecutive years in which an African American has served on the five-member Board of Mayor and Aldermen of Jonesborough. In 1980 he became the first African American elected to the Washington County School Board, serving as chairman for many years.
McKinney passed away on November 30, 2009.
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2007
The Honorable Howard H. Baker, Jr - May 2007
The Honorable Howard H. Baker Jr. served his country in the United States Navy, in the U.S. Senate, and as a presidential adviser and ambassador. When he was presented with the Honorary Doctor of Human Letters by ETSU in 2007, he served as senior counsel to the firm at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.
Baker’s public service career began in 1966 when he became the first Republican popularly elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee. He gained national recognition in 1973 as vice chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee. Three years later, he was keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention, and he was a 1980 candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. He concluded his Senate career in 1985 after two terms as majority leader and two terms as minority leader. From February 1987 until July 1988, he served as President Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff.
Beginning as a delegate to the United Nations in 1976, Baker developed extensive foreign policy experience. He served on the President’s Foreign Intelligence Board from 1985-87 and again from 1988-90. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs, the board of the Forum of International Policy, and an international counselor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Prior to his return to law, he served as the 26th U.S. Ambassador to Japan, an appointment made by President George W. Bush in 2001.
He received the 1984 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, and the 1982 Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service Performed by an Elected or Appointed Official.
He passed away on June 26, 2014.
Composer Kenton Coe - May 2007
Johnson City composer Kenton Coe began his musical training at the Cadek Conservatory in Chattanooga and continued his studies in Knoxville before attending Sewanee Academy. After studying at Hobart College in upstate New York, he graduated from Yale University with a degree in music history.
Working privately in France with Nadia Boulanger both at the Paris Conservatory and the American School at Fontainebleau, he received two French government scholarships at her request.
He is the first American to have an opera (“South,” from the play by Julien Green) produced by the Paris Opera. His opera “Rachel” was produced in Nashville and Knoxville by the Knoxville Opera. His opera Le Grand Siècle (on a text of Ionesco) was produced by the Opera of Nantes. Coe writes in almost every format: orchestral, choral, and chamber music. He has written the scores for all the Ross Spears documentaries, including “Agee,” which was nominated for an Academy Award. He wrote the score for
Universal's “Birds In Peru” starring Jean Seberg and directed by Romain Gary. His music has been performed by major symphony orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His suite for jazz trio and symphony “Purcellular” was commissioned by the City of London-Westminster for the Purcell Tercentenary.
ETSU celebrated the founding of a composition scholarship named in Coe’s honor in 2004 with a concert devoted to his music. This concert featured the world premiere of Coe’s “2nd Fantasy for Organ,” performed by organist Dr. Richard Webb, a former chair of ETSU’s Department of Music.
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2014
Ellen F. Wilhoit - May 2014
Ellen F. Wilhoit retired as the President and Chief Administrative Officer of the LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville.
She graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1979. Throughout her career, she built on the foundation gained at ETSU to become a leader in the healthcare field.
Her years of service include beginning her career at Laughlin Memorial Hospital in Greeneville as a registered nurse in critical care and then as a nurse manager of obstetrics and a childbirth educator. Next, she became employed by the Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center, starting as obstetrics and neonatal unit manager, then as women’s services director, until her promotion to Director of Nursing. Her next position within the center was as Vice President of Women’s Services, and then as Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Administrator.
In 1999, Wilhoit became President and Chief Administrative Officer of the center, which is now called LeConte Medical Center.
Wilhoit’s subsequent education includes a Master of Science in Health Services Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. In addition, she has achieved licensure as a Registered Nurse and as a Registered Nurse Certified, Inpatient Obstetrics. Named Fellow, Certified Healthcare Executive and Diplomate, all through the American College of Healthcare Executives, she is a Tennessee licensed nursing home administrator.
Wilhoit was the recipient of the 2013 Boys and Girls Club “Woman and Youth Award,” to add to many previous distinctions, including the American College of Healthcare Executives Service Award, the Tennessee Business Journal listing of “Top 25 Hospital Operators,” and the ETSU National Alumni Association’s 2006 Award of Honor.
Generous with her time, Wilhoit has served on the boards of many organizations, including the ETSU Foundation, ETSU Board of Visitors, the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU Nursing Advisory Council, and the ETSU/Sevier County Partnership, which has resulted in new educational opportunities for students across the ETSU Academic Health Sciences Center.
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2015
Bruce Behringer - May 2015
Bruce Behringer, M.P.H., was appointed the Deputy Commissioner for Continuous Improvement and Training for the Tennessee Department of Health in 2012. Behringer holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Human Development. Behringer joined the Health Department after 20 years at East Tennessee State University’s Office of Rural and Community Health and Community Partnerships in the Division of Health Sciences as associate vice president and executive director.
He served as faculty and helped develop ETSU’s nationally recognized interprofessional community-based programs and has published community-based participatory research about Appalachian disparity issues, such as substance abuse, cancer, and diabetes. Before joining the faculty at ETSU, Behringer was executive director of the Virginia Primary Care Association, Inc. and administrator of Tri-County Health Services, Inc. in Aurora, N.C. Behringer has served on numerous national health committees and councils focusing on rural health, including the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Health Policy Advisory Council, Tennessee Institute of Public Health, Tennessee Rural Health Recruitment and Retention Center (The Rural Partnership) and the National Rural Health Association, of which he was president.
In the Tri-Cities TN/VA, he also assisted with the formation of CareSpark, the regional health information exchange; the Hispanic community coalition Puertas Abiertas; and the African American coalition, Minority Access to Community Health.
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2016
Scott M. Niswonger - May 2016
Scott M. Niswonger is Executive Chairman of Landair Transport, Inc., and Chairman Emeritus of Forward Air Corporation.
He was born in Van Wert, Ohio, where he learned to fly, soloing on his 16th birthday. During his aviation career, he has flown everything from J-3 Cubs to the Boeing 747. He currently enjoys flying his Gulfstream IV and his aerobatic Navy T-34 trainer.
He is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Aviation Technology and was awarded a Doctor of Technology in 2004. In addition, Niswonger earned a BSBA from Tusculum College in 1986 and was honored with a Doctorate of Human Letters in 2006.
After graduation from Purdue University, Niswonger moved to Greeneville, Tennessee, as the corporate pilot for the president of the Magnavox Company. In 1973, Niswonger
started a cargo airline, General Aviation, Inc. After selling that company, he became the Vice President of North American Operations for Flying Tiger Lines – a military contractor and global cargo airline. He later co-founded a second transportation company, Landair Services, with an initial investment of $2,000, and in 1990 formed Forward Air Corporation. Those companies today have annual sales of over $1 billion. It’s impressive to note that he founded the first two companies to ever be taken public in Greene County’s 233-year history. Niswonger currently serves as Executive Chairman of Landair Transport, Inc., and Chairman Emeritus of Forward Air Corporation. He is a member of the Executive Committee and board of directors of First Horizon National Corporation (NYSE: FHN), the parent of First Tennessee Bank, a $26 billion financial services company.
He is especially proud of The Niswonger Educational Foundation which he established in 2001 to create opportunities for individuals and regional growth through educational programs, scholarships, and other charitable activities. This educational operating foundation currently has 20 scholars in universities across the United States and 57 alumni. The Foundation has an annual program budget of more than $5 million and has invested more than $43 million in our region.
Niswonger is the lead benefactor for the Niswonger Children’s Hospital, which is home to one of only six St. Jude Affiliate Clinics in the world.
Jim and Sandy Powell - May 2016
Jim and Sandy Powell were recognized for their achievements and longstanding and ardent support of East Tennessee State University.
The son of a farmer without sufficient means, Mr. Powell never thought he could afford to pursue higher education until a teacher intervened and helped him secure a $250 scholarship – and that made all the difference. During college, he lived in an old coal cellar and held a job making sixty cents an hour. From those humble beginnings, he built
a business empire that spanned multiple states and industries, became one of the most respected businessmen and leaders in Tennessee, and created a legacy of generosity and service.
Mr. Powell excelled in his business ventures and in the service and leadership roles he played in the community, the region, and the state. While pursuing all those achievements, however, he never forgot the impact a teacher made on his life, never forgot how a $250 scholarship enabled him to transform his life and his future and never veered from his commitment to creating opportunities – through scholarships and educational programs – that would make a difference for others.
Mr. and Mrs. Powell established an unparalleled legacy of scholarship funding at ETSU and throughout the region. To date, the scholarships they funded have helped more than 4,000 students pursue higher education in Tennessee and thus, as Mr. Powell always said, to experience the same educational opportunities that a small scholarship had provided years ago to enable him to achieve his dreams. In addition, the Powells made major commitments to educational programs and facilities at ETSU.
The Powells provided major funding to support a state-of-the-art recital venue – Powell Hall – in the Martin Center for the Arts. In addition, they provided world-class keyboard instruments for the music department and provided the vision and energy to establish ETSU as an “All Steinway School.” For years, they provided student travel funding to support the ETSU Choral programs to perform abroad – and he and Mrs. Powell often accompanied the students on those trips. Mr. Powell also supported faculty and programs in the College of Business and Technology, and for intercollegiate student athletes – especially those on the ETSU men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Mr. Powell was part of many boards and organizations, serving as an inaugural member of the ETSU Board of Trustees. He also served as chair of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission from 2002 to 2006 and was president of the ETSU Foundation from 1981 to 1983.
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2022
William B. Greene, Jr. - May 2022
William B. Greene, Jr. is the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from ETSU, as well as ETSU’s George L. Carter Award. This award is the highest honor bestowed upon graduates or friends of ETSU who have made the university a more dynamic and viable force in the world of higher education. The award is named for the industrialist, railroad magnate and philanthropist who provided land, enlisted support, and organized local government agreements in the successful campaign to locate a normal school – now ETSU – in Johnson City.
Greene has enjoyed a long career as a banking executive. He became the youngest bank president and CEO in the United States at the age of 24, and today he is chairman of the BancTenn Corp., which owns the Bank of Tennessee, a bank he co-founded with his father in 1974 and previously served as president. The Wake Forest University and Rutgers University Stonier Graduate School of Banking alumnus is a U.S. Army veteran, certified pilot, and championship golfer.
Greene, an avid supporter of education, served on the board of trustees and in other roles at Wake Forest and is presently a trustee at Milligan University, where he was awarded the Doctor of Economics degree, and which named its School of Business and Technology in his honor.
At ETSU, Greene raised and contributed to establishing the Warren-Greene Golf Practice Facility. The university’s $28 million football stadium is named the William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
John Walter Tottle, III - October 2022
Jack Tottle, founder of ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies Program, was awarded an honorary doctorate at a special event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the program.
Tottle, a native of Baltimore, is a multi-instrumental musician, singer, songwriter, educator, and author. Educated at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, he founded the Lonesome River Boys in the early 1960s, and in the early 1970s, he joined Don Stover and the White Oak Mountain Boys. In 1976, he created the progressive bluegrass group Tasty Licks and still creates music and songs.
Tottle’s 1975 book “Bluegrass Mandolin,” published by Oak Publications, remains the best-selling mandolin instruction book of all time. He is also the author of two other instruction books, “How to Play Mandolin” and “Guitar from the Beginning.” His recordings include his 1976 solo album, “Back Road Mandolin”; a self-titled debut album and “Anchored to the Shore” with Tasty Licks; and “The Bluegrass Sound” and “The Eagle,” which include his original compositions performed by Tottle himself and numerous bluegrass luminaries.
In 1982, Tottle founded the first comprehensive bluegrass music studies program at a four-year university at ETSU. Since that time, the program has drawn students from throughout the United States and around the world and developed the nation’s first baccalaureate degree in Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies. Numerous program alumni have achieved remarkable success in the music industry as musicians, vocalists, songwriters, producers and more, with many earning Grammy, International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards.
Tottle retired as director of the ETSU program in 2007, and in 2020, the IBMA honored him with the organization’s Distinguished Achievement Award during its annual convention and awards ceremony.
Kenneth Chesney - October 2022
An ETSU alumnus, Kenny Chesney was presented with an honorary doctorate at a special event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies program.
Chesney is a country singer with more than 20 albums including more than 40 Top 10 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot County Songs and Country Airplay charts, 33 of which have reached No. 1. He received multiple Country Music Association Awards, including the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year honor four times, and 11 Academy of Country Music Awards, including four consecutive Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year from 2005 to 2008, as well as six Grammy Award nominations.
Born in a small town outside of Knoxville, Chesney did not begin having musical aspirations until attending East Tennessee State University. He received a guitar for Christmas one year and began practicing several hours a day. He then joined the bluegrass band at ETSU where he learned to write songs. While writing music and playing in the ETSU Bluegrass Band, Chesney landed a regular job at a Mexican restaurant, as well as playing for other local bars and fraternity parties. It was after a recording session at the Classical Recording Studio in Bristol, Va., that he realized his goal. From that session, he sold a thousand copies of an album filled with songs he had written.
After graduating in December 1990 with a degree in advertising, Chesney decided to try to make it in the music industry. He moved to Nashville and acquired a job singing at a club on Lower Broadway. After several months of garnering experience at the club, Chesney quit to concentrate on songwriting. His songwriting skills have helped open many doors for him, and in 1992 it finally paid off when he signed a publishing deal with Acuff-Rose Music. This songwriter's showcase led to him signing a recording deal with Capricorn Records.
While his 1993 Capricorn debut had little success, he gained the attention of Music Row Executives. When Capricorn closed its country music division, Chesney signed with BNA Records. His first album under the BNA label charted three hit singles and his next two
albums gained even more success, producing the No. 1 hit "When I Close My Eyes." Then in 1997, Chesney was awarded top new male vocalist of the year by the Academy of Country Music.
Chesney received the Distinguished Alumnus in Arts award on August 29, 1998, during a concert for ETSU PRIDE Day at the Appalachian Fair in Gray, Tenn.
Dr. Bert C. Bach - December 2022
Dr. Bert C. Bach retired from East Tennessee State University in 2020 as the longest-serving Provost in university history. He became ETSU’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1994 and served as Interim President of the university from 1991-1992. A native of Eastern Kentucky, Bach was born in Jenkins, Kentucky, and grew up in the nearby town of Whitesburg where he graduated from Whitesburg High School. He earned English degrees at Eastern Kentucky University and George Peabody College before obtaining a doctorate in English from New York University. During a 43-year career in Tennessee higher education, he served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the Tennessee Board of Regents from 1981-1993 and earlier was Executive Dean of Faculty and Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga.
A lifetime devotee of the arts, Bach’s advocacy helped foster a major arts initiative at ETSU that had tremendous influence on the design and use of the new Martin Center for the Arts. His arts legacy also includes the Bert C. Bach Written Word Initiative, a highlight of which is the Spring Literary Festival, and the Bert C. Bach Fine and Performing Arts Scholars Program within the Honors College. The black box theater within the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts is named in Dr. Bach’s honor.
Bach was a board member and long-time supporter of the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, and was an advocate and benefactor of the theatre’s Appalachian Festival and College Playwriting Festival. He also facilitated the establishment of numerous student internships at Barter.
Bach passed away on August 14, 2023.
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2024
Timothy Busfield - May 2024
Timothy Busfield is a producer, director, and Emmy Award-winning actor with over 700 professional credits. He attended ETSU and was involved with the theater program where he worked closely with faculty members Daryl Frank and Bud Frank.
As an actor he has been a series regular or recurring character in 18 series including “thirtysomething” (four-time nominee and winner of the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama), “The West Wing,” “Entourage,” “Designated Survivor,” “Sleepy Hollow,” Secrets and Lies,” “ED,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Trapper John, M.D.,” “The Byrds of Paradise,” “Champs,” “Family Ties,” “Without A Trace,” “The Paper Chase,” “Reggie,” “All My Children,” and most recently “Almost Family” and “One Dollar.”
Busfield has appeared in over 40 television movies and feature films, including “Field of Dreams,” “Stripes,” “Revenge of the Nerds,” “Nerds in Paradise,” “Quiz Show,” “Sneakers,” “Striking Distance,” “Little Big League,” “First Kid,” “National Security,” “23 Blast,” “Strays,” and “Trucks.” His short film “One Smart Fellow,” which he co-directed, co-wrote and acted in, won many film festivals nationwide in 2015-16.
Busfield has directed over 140 episodes of television, including “This Is Us“ and multiple episodes of “The Fosters” for which he directed the pilot, “thirtysomething,” “Sports Night,” “Damages,” “Lipstick Jungle,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Without A Trace,” “Las Vegas,” “The Night Shift,” “Secrets and Lies,” “The Glades,” “Designated Survivor,” “The Rookie,” and many more.
He has served as a Producing Director on 6 television series including “The Cleaning Lady,” “Secrets and Lies,” “Mind Games,” “Lipstick Jungle,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Without A Trace,” “ED,” and the mini-series “Maneater.”
In theatre, Busfield has appeared in over 50 regional theatre productions and on Broadway twice, most recently as Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men.”
He has also directed more than 35 professional productions and written dozens of children’s plays. He founded two of America’s most successful professional theatres, The Fantasy Theatre (AKA the B Street School Tour) and The B Street Theatre, both in Sacramento, California. Now in their 33rd season, the theatres perform annually for over 250,000 children and adults at their facility in Sacramento and schools throughout northern California.
Busfield has an honorary Ph.D. from Michigan State University and has served as an Artist in Residence and Director of National Content for their PBS affiliate WKAR. Timothy lives in New York City with his wife, television icon and fantastic cook, Melissa Gilbert.