Prominent Tennesseans Endow Baker School Scholarships at UT

Six esteemed Tennesseans have pledged $500,000 each to endow four-year undergraduate scholarships at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs. Demonstrating a commitment to investing in UT students and strengthening civic health, the Baker Scholars program aims to attract and educate a new generation of leaders who will rise to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The $3 million in endowed gifts will support six named scholarships for four years of study. The founding donors include Tennesseans who have made a significant difference in public policy, public service, philanthropy and education:

• Al Gore, 45th U.S. vice president, former U.S. senator and U.S. representative from Tennessee, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient
• Lamar Alexander, former Tennessee governor, U.S. senator from Tennessee, U.S. secretary of education and president of the University of Tennessee System
• Natalie Haslam, philanthropist
• James A. Haslam II, Pilot Company founder, philanthropist and Baker School board chair
• Heath Shuler, former U.S. Congressman, and his wife, Nikol Shuler
• Bill Powers, Tennessee state senator and former staffer for Senator Howard H. Baker, and his wife, Fran Powers

The Baker School, the first of its kind across Tennessee's public universities, prepares future generations for roles in government, public policy and public service.

"I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to these Tennesseans who are investing in the future leaders of our state and country," said Marianne Wanamaker, dean of the Baker School. "We are seeding the next generation of public leaders in the legacy of Howard Baker, looking for opportunities to come together and move confidently into the future. Our students are fortunate to have these Tennesseans supporting them from the very beginning."

The six endowments will support four Baker School students each year. Wanamaker expects to attract more gifts to the program with the goal of awarding more than 20 scholarships each year, which would support 80 students at a time. The scholarship program is designed to ensure that the Baker School can recruit top talent from Tennessee and beyond.

"Strengthening civic health and restoring faith in our institutions is a critical part of our programming, curriculum and outreach at the Baker School," she said. "The significant investment to create these endowed scholarships will ensure the state's flagship land-grant university continues to produce leaders who are capable of navigating tomorrow's challenges."

Baker Scholars Founding Donors

Before serving eight years as vice president of the United States, from 1993 to 2001, Gore served for eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives and eight more in the U.S. Senate. The son of Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Sr., Gore succeeded Baker in the Senate. Prior to his political career, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, spent six months as a journalist in Vietnam and later worked as an investigative reporter for the Tennessean. Gore was the Democratic nominee for president in 2000. Since leaving office, Gore has continued his work to protect the environment. In 2007, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in recognition of his efforts to combat climate change.

Alexander was an early staffer on Baker's 1966 campaign and has been a champion of the Baker School, sharing expertise as well as mentoring students and faculty. He served as the governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987 and as president of the University of Tennessee System from 1988 to 1991. President George H.W. Bush appointed him secretary of education in 1991, and he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2003, where he served until 2021. In retirement, he continues to focus on education. In addition to his involvement with the Baker School, Alexander serves on the board of his alma mater, Vanderbilt University.

Natalie Haslam, a 1952 UT graduate, is a trailblazer with a philanthropic vision centered on fostering arts and culture at UT and across the region. The first woman president of the Knoxville Symphony Society, she has also served in leadership roles with organizations such as the East Tennessee Foundation, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the East Tennessee Historical Society, the Knoxville Garden Club, Zoo Knoxville, the Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville. Haslam's commitment to the university is evident through her decades of service on numerous boards. The University of Tennessee's Natalie L. Haslam College of Music is named in her honor.

Like his wife, Jim Haslam has long and distinguished service to the university. He is a former vice chair of the UT Board of Trustees, a UT Distinguished Alumnus and a former Vol football captain. As a first-generation college student, he credits his first-class education as key to successfully founding Pilot Company and is passionate about creating opportunities for others to pursue higher education. Haslam served as the principal fundraiser for many of Baker's campaigns. He has served on the board of the Baker Center since its inception and is the current board chairman for the Baker School.

A native of Bryson City, North Carolina, Heath Shuler served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 11th Congressional District from 2007 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he played in the National Football League for five seasons prior to his political career. An alumnus of UT, he played quarterback for the Volunteers and was named SEC Player of the Year in 1993. Since choosing not to seek reelection to the House in 2013, Shuler has moved to Knoxville and is a sought-after speaker and consultant, sharing his insights on leadership. His wife, Nikol Shuler, joins him in supporting the Baker Scholars scholarships.

Bill Powers serves in the Tennessee Senate, representing District 22 in Montgomery County including Clarksville. Like Jim Haslam, he has a history with Baker, having worked as a staffer for the senator. The former managing partner of Wyatt-Johnson Automotive Group, Powers was elected to two terms of the Clarksville Council and is a past chairman of Clarksville Gas and Water, the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Clarksville, and Clarksville Parks and Recreation. His wife, Fran Powers, joins him in supporting the Baker Scholars scholarships.

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