A floral arrangement sits beside a memorial card honoring Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear. Photo by Angela Foster.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus community joined the family of Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear on Friday, Oct. 9, for a celebration of life reception in the Wolford Family Athletic Center.Obear, who served as UTC chancellor from 1981-97 and interim chancellor from 2004-05, died July 24 at age 91.
During his 16 years as chancellor, Obear helped guide a period of growth and change at UTC. Enrollment was just over 7,000 when he became chancellor in 1981 and had climbed to more than 10,000 by the end of his tenure.
Obear was initially charged with strengthening University governance and refining UTC’s mission. Under his leadership, UTC added undergraduate programs in physical therapy and legal systems and expanded graduate offerings in English, nursing, business, public administration and environmental sciences. He also was an advocate for tuition breaks for students from neighboring states and helped begin the push to make UTC a destination for out-of-state and international students.
His tenure laid groundwork for the expansion of on-campus housing and continued institutional growth.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Obear earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 1956 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of New Hampshire in 1961.
Before coming to UTC, he worked at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where he served as a professor of chemistry, dean of freshmen, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
After leaving UTC in 1997, Obear spent a year in Washington, D.C., as acting vice president for academic and international programs for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He later returned to UTC in a part-time teaching and administrative role before serving as interim chancellor from 2004-05.
In retirement, he worked with consulting firms, was active in the Rotary Club of Chattanooga and served on numerous nonprofit boards.
A longtime supporter of UTC athletics, Obear was recognized with the athletic department’s Harold Wilkes Award and the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame’s Fred Gregg Jr. Memorial Award.
He is survived by his children, Jeffrey, Deborah and James; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Photo gallery by Angela Foster
