Haslams give College $1 million

Community leaders Dee Bagwell Haslam and James A. (Jimmy) Haslam III have secured funds of $1 million to be given to Pellissippi State.

The gift represents the largest contribution the College has ever received.

“We are extremely grateful that the Haslams think so highly of our college that they would invest in our programs,” said Allen Edwards, president of Pellissippi State. “The Haslams’ generous gift will open new doors for our students and, we hope, also encourage other community leaders to support our outstanding programs.”

The $1 million will be used to furnish and equip a new building at the Pellissippi Campus. The facility will house the Media Technologies program and fine arts. The building is scheduled for completion in 2007.

Dee Haslam, CEO of RIVR Media, LP, made the announcement during last Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the building.

“We are fortunate that this area has dozens of media and television companies that require a skilled and creative workforce,” said Dee Haslam. “And we are very fortunate to have Pellissippi State.

“The programs the College offers supply those companies with talented people, as well as enrich this region with a community of artists that contribute to the cultural heritage that makes this a great place to live.”

The College has submitted a request for the Tennessee Board of Regents to name the 27,000-square-foot building the Bagwell Center for Media and Art, in honor of Dee Haslam’s parents, Ross Bagwell Sr. and Sue Burchfield Bagwell.

Ross Bagwell is a pioneer in the media industry. He began his career with NBC Television Network in the 1950s and worked on numerous shows, including the Peabody Award-winning children’s show “Howdy Doody.”

In the early 1960s Bagwell developed programming for CTV Canadian Network before returning to Knoxville in 1963. From 1967 to 1973 he worked with Lavidge and Associates Advertising and Marketing, first as senior vice president and then as president.

Ross Bagwell received the national Addy Award in 1969 for Best Television Campaign in the United States. In 1993 he received the Silver Medal Award from the Greater Knoxville Advertising Club, the highest honor the organization bestows on an individual.

From 1973-1994 he was chairman and CEO of Bagwell Communications Inc./Cinetel Productions. Cinetel became the largest independent cable network program production company in the U.S. in 1993.

Ross Bagwell sold the production company to Scripps Howard Broadcasting for use as the headquarters for the cable network Home and Garden Television Network. He and his son, Ross Bagwell Jr., formed Bagwell Entertainment, LLC/Ross Television Productions, ThunderRoad Production Services and Pageboy Productions, a cable programming development and production company, in 1994. He currently serves as CEO, and his son is president.

In 1999, Ross Bagwell Sr. and Ross Bagwell Jr. transferred ownership of Ross Television Productions and ThunderRoad Production Services—under the banner of RIVR Media and Ross Television Productions—to Dee Bagwell Haslam. Having served in various production roles with the Bagwell organization for more than 20 years, she was named executive producer and CEO of RIVR Media in Knoxville that same year.

Dee Haslam’s first project as executive producer was spearheading the creation of the program “Trading Spaces.” She, along with Rob Lundgren, founded RIVR’s Internet content company, RIVR Media Interactive. She has since overseen development of 30 series and 12 documentaries.

Dee Haslam has earned numerous awards both for her professional work and her community involvement. Among them are an Emmy nomination in 2002, 15 Telly Awards for documentary and series production, a Platinum Aurora Award in 2004, the YWCA Tribute to Women Community Service Award, the Junior League Sustainer Award and the Delta Delta Delta Community Volunteer Award.

Her civic work includes serving on the board of directors for United Way of Knoxville, the Knoxville Zoo and the Emerald Avenue Youth Foundation. She has also been a member of the University of Tennessee’s College of Education Board of Visitors and the UT Alliance of Women Philanthropists, and she has served as a UT Chancellor’s Associate and chair of UT’s Development Council.

Jimmy Haslam is president of Pilot Travel Centers LLC, a national retail operator of 269 Travel Centers and 38 convenience stores in 40 states. The company has annual revenues of approximately $10.5 billion.

Jimmy Haslam is a member of the board of directors of UT Athletics. He has served on the United Way of Greater Knoxville Board of Directors since 1989 and is a past campaign chair. He is also on the Lakeshore Park Board of Directors and was 1999-2000 campaign chair for the Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries.

His involvement also includes serving on numerous other boards, among them, the National Association of Truckstop Operators, First Horizon Corporation, Ruby Tuesday, Inc., Anderson Media Corporation and Clayton Family Foundation.

Dee and Jimmy Haslam have three children: Jim, Whitney and Cynthia.

"Inside Pellissippi" is a bi-monthly electronic publication produced by the Community Relations Office for the faculty and staff of Pellissippi State Technical Community College, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, P.O. Box 22990, Knoxville, Tennessee 37933-0990. All suggestions and comments should be sent to Julia Wood (jwood@pstcc.edu).

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