UTC student Brianna Johnson spent her Dolly Day volunteering to read books at Tommie F. Brown Academy. Photo by Angela Foster.
Dolly Parton was an East Tennessee girl before she became a country music icon.
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” Parton once said.
A few hours southwest of the Smoky Mountains where she grew up, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga celebrated Parton’s legacy with Dolly Day on Friday, Sept. 25.
The date is a nod to one of Parton’s best-known roles in “9 to 5,” with 9/25 offering a chance to recognize her work in music, education, literacy and philanthropy.
Those different sides of Parton’s career showed up throughout the day, both on campus and in the Chattanooga community.
At Tommie F. Brown Academy, approximately 250 elementary school students spent part of the day with UTC students, faculty, staff, alumni and retirees. The College of Health, Education and Professional Studies and College of Nursing partnered with the school for activities centered around reading and service.
Among the UTC students volunteering was Brianna Johnson, a junior exercise and health science major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Students made a Dolly Parton tribute on Chamberlain Field.
Johnson grew up a Dolly fan. Her dog is named Truvy after Parton’s character in “Steel Magnolias.”
“Dolly is a big thing in my family,” Johnson said. “I think this is just a really fun way to honor her.”
Johnson said she saw a connection between spending time with the children and the work Parton has done for young people throughout her career.
“She did so many things for children, and she also was just such a kind person that we can all look up to in that way,” Johnson said. “It’s important for college kids especially to come to younger children and show them kindness and show them what a future may look like for them.”
Dr. Valerie Rutledge, dean of the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, said the activities gave the campus an opportunity to recognize the many areas Parton has influenced.
“Very few people have shown such wide-ranging generosity, a focus on the importance of literacy, a deep love of music and an astute understanding of business,” Rutledge said. “Our celebration allowed us to pay tribute to her across all those areas while recognizing her belief in the value of being a really good person.”
Back on campus, Dolly Day continued at the UTC Library.
During “9, 2, 5 … Action!” the Arts-Based Collaborative invited students to step in front of a green screen and act out their future 9-to-5. Students sang and danced along to Parton’s music, with the option to record their performance for a “9 to 5” music video.
Later in the afternoon, the UTC Library screened “The Library That Dolly Built,” a documentary about Parton’s Imagination Library and its work providing books to children.
The Gary W. Rollins College of Business hosted “What Can Business Students Learn From Dolly?” Students, faculty and staff shared lessons from Parton’s career in entrepreneurship, leadership and philanthropy.
With “9 to 5” playing nearby, students also took part in an “HR Violation Challenge,” spotting questionable workplace and human resources practices depicted in the movie.
At 5 p.m., the Department of Political Science and Public Service hosted a screening of “9 to 5” in Derthick Hall, followed by a discussion of Parton’s influence, trivia, music and a costume contest.
For Dr. Liz Hathaway, a professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, that influence is something she thinks about every day.
Her office is filled with photos, and the last one she sees when she walks out the door is Dolly.
“That photo serves as a daily reminder to steward my platform as thoughtfully as she stewarded hers,” Hathaway said. “Clearly, I am no Dolly, but she modeled invaluable lessons for me and so many others: work hard, pursue big goals with grit and determination, never take yourself too seriously, bring humor whenever you can, and always, always give back.
“Dolly never had children of her own, yet think of the countless children whose lives she touched through the Imagination Library,” she said. “Think of how intentionally she invested in the next generation and the opportunities she created for others.”
Hathaway said that example is also what makes Parton worth celebrating at a university.
“Her legacy lives in the people she invested in, the wisdom she shared and the lives she changed,” Hathaway said. “Through her music, her words and, most importantly, her actions, Dolly taught so many of us what it means to use our influence for good.”
Chancellor Lori Bruce
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A drawing of Dolly Parton on a UTC Library whiteboard.
