Giving Opportunities
The School is pleased to offer students six scholarship awards. You can read about the history and purpose of the SIS scholarship funds below.
Students: Click here to apply for SIS Scholarships or to read their eligibility criteria.
We invite you to give directly to the School's scholarships on the secure University of Tennessee Gifts and Giving website. Or send your checks to Joel Southern at the UT School of Information Sciences, 1345 Circle Park Drive, Suite 451, Knoxville, TN 37996-0341.
SIS Scholarship Funds
Information International Associates (IIa) Scholarship
Gary R. Purcell Scholarship Endowment
John C. Tyson Minority Student Fellowship
Glenn Estes
Glenn Estes was a nationally recognized authority in children's literature and a masterful coordinator of conferences involving storytelling, literature, and continuing education for librarians. Professor and associate director of the School of Information Sciences, he served on the School's faculty from 1967 to 1996. He was editor of the School Media Quarterly for its first seven years and contribute substantially to the field of children's and young adult literature and children's materials and services for school and public libraries.
Mr. Estes served as a mentor to hundreds of school librarians whom he
educated during his thirty-year tenure. He was exceptionally
service-oriented as noted by the following examples. Nationally, he chaired
the Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Committee for the Association for Library
Service to Children and chaired the ALA Publishing Committee. He was twice a
member of the Newbery/Caldecott Awards Committee and chaired the 1980 Laura
Ingalls Wilder Award Committee. Regionally, he served as president of the
Tennessee Library Association in 1973-74. He oversaw the last of the
International Loughborough Literature Conferences in 1983 in which Milton
Meltzer, Tomi DePaola, and others participated. This was a memorable event
for the international community of literature scholars and practitioners,
and he did a great job of showing off Appalachia and Knoxville.
Mr. Estes also published widely and served as editor of three significant
reference works. He edited the 430-page American Writers for Children Since
1960: Poets, Illustrators, and Nonfiction Authors (Vol. 61 of the Dictionary
of Literary Biography series). He published articles in Horn Book Magazine,
Book Links, Tennessee Education, and School Media Quarterly.
He was also active in the American Association of School Librarians. He
co-authored a book entitled Organization and Administration of the School
Media Center published by McGraw Hill series in library education.
Glenn Estes collected nearly 5,000 children's books, with an emphasis on
fairy tales, folklore, Appalachian stories, African American authors, art,
poetry, and the classics.
Glenn E. Estes Fellowship Criteria and Application
Information International Associates
Information International Associates (IIa), is a woman-owned, information business headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Led by Bonnie Carroll, president, and Pat Powell, vice-president and SIS alumna, IIa employs a number of SIS graduates and actively supports the School’s Practicum Program.
The IIa Scholarship was established for a full- or part-time student, attending either on-campus or via distance education, who shows unusual promise as a leader, and who intends to pursue a career that encompasses research, innovation, and creativity in the fields of information science and information technology.
One IIA scholarship will be awarded annually in the amount of $1000 and
will be awarded to a student who has completed at least one semester of
study. Visit IIa for more
information about the company.
IIa Scholarship Criteria and Application
Carmen L. Moulton
Carmen L. Moulton was born in 1915. She attended Knoxville High School and was an honors student but Carmen was unable to attend college. She married Andrew Rawls Moulton and had two daughters--Sylvia Anne Moulton Sproul and Jimmie Jane Moulton Ray--who, because of her urging and support, attended the University of Tennessee. They both earned undergraduate degrees and later Masters degrees from the School of Information Science.
“We didn’t know you could finish your education with high school, Mother
said in such a matter-of-fact way that we were to attend college that we
thought it was mandatory” Sylvia relates.
“Mom was an inspiration to us. She served as president of the Fair Garden
PTA and was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader. Later she worked as assistant
employment supervisor at the old Miller’s store downtown and was considered
an early “computer” because of her excellent memory while employed at
Highland Products and National School Products school supply stores,” said
Jane. She loved helping schools get the most for their money and was known
for her warm manner and knowledge of school supplies.
Sylvia Moulton traveled with professor and Department of Library Science
director Dorothy Ryan to LIS schools around the Southeast to examine the
curriculum and management so that the then Department of Library Services
could gain ALA accreditation. Enlivened by this planning process Sylvia
Moulton Sproul helped plan a new library in the Lenoir city public schools
and has worked in libraries there for three decades.
Carmen Moulton was an excellent mother and grandmother with an interest
in literature and libraries. She endowed her daughters with a lifelong
interest in librarianship and literature. They served the profession
proudly: Sylvia became a librarian in the Lenoir City Schools and Jane Ray
served Knox County. Interestingly, Margaret Dickson, Children’s Librarian at
Lawson McGhee Library, was Sylvia’s and Jane’s mentor and also a classmate
of Carmen Moulton at Old Knox High.
An advocate of education and libraries, Carmen Moulton would be proud
that funds given in her name would help young students to attain their
dreams.
Moulton Scholarship Criteria Application
Pioneer Award
The founder of this yearly scholarship, Mrs. Chrissie Anderson Peters chose to call her award the Pioneer Award in honor of all students who have pursued a graduate-level degree while holding down a full-time position, raising families, and being active in professional organizations. Mrs. Chrissie Anderson Peters notes: “Regardless of the media by which we accomplished such feats, we are all ‘pioneers’!”
Pioneer Award Criteria and Application
Gary R. Purcell
Gary R. Purcell, formerly professor at the School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, passed away on 6 May 1997 in his sleep at home. Gary was well known as a leader in library education, especially in reference work and government information.
He began his library career in 1957 as a library assistant in the State Library of Idaho at Boise. He soon fell in love with library work and become a vigorous advocate for library service, and later library education. His professional interests also reflected his education in government and politics, his undergraduate major at the University of Utah. Moving to Seattle, he began the MLS program at the University of Washington and worked as a library assistant at the Seattle Public Library. After graduation in 1959, he went to Enoch Pratt to be a reference assistant in social science and government publications. He would continue to develop his interest in public libraries, social science reference, and government information throughout his career.
Formal classroom instruction began in 1961 with an appointment as
instructor in the Department of Librarianship at Western Michigan
University. In 1965, Gary left Kalamazoo to enter the doctoral program at
Case Western Reserve University and to teach as an instructor. He earned his
Ph.D. in 1975 in library and information science. In 1971, Gary left
Cleveland to come to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville as the first
director of a newly created Graduate School of Library and Information
Science. Under his leadership, the school developed quickly into a solid
ALA-accredited program. Health problems caused Gary to return to full-time
teaching in 1990 and eventually to retire prematurely September 1994.
Gary was a leader in both library service and library education. He
served as president of the ALA Reference and Adult Services Division
(1984-85), president of the Association of American Library Schools
(1978-79), and president of the Tennessee Library Association (1978-79). He
also served as a member of ALA Council in 1987-91 and 1969-71.
Gary R. Purcell received several notable awards during his career. The
Tennessee Library Association awarded him the Frances Neel Cheney Award in
1987 for his “outstanding contribution to books and librarianship.” In 1985,
he shared with his co-author, Gail Schlachter, the ALA Knowledge Industry
Publications Award for the outstanding contribution to the library
literature during 1983-85, Reference Sources in Library and Information
Services: A Guide to the Literature. This book, Gary’s major contribution to
the library science literature, was the first single guide to reference
literature on library service and was widely acknowledged as an impressive,
classic contribution to the literature. It was published by ABC-Clio in
1984. Both Case Western Reserve and the University of Washington schools of
library science selected Gary as a distinguished or outstanding
graduate.
Gary co-authored three notable monographs: Linking the U.S. National
Technical Information Service with Academic and Public Libraries with
Charles McClure and Peter Hernon; GPO’s Depository Library Program A
Descriptive Analysis with Charles McClure and Peter Hernon; and Collections
of U.S. Government Publications with Peter Hernon. While Gary will be
remembered for his publications and professional service, many of us recall
his goodness as a colleague, mentor, and teacher. Gary smiled and laughed
easily. Despite difficult physical problems, he was invariably positive and
cheerful. He always had time to help with a problem or offer an encouraging
word.
As Keith Cottam said, “In his kind and unassuming way, he touched many,
many lives in uplifting ways.” Gary encouraged both students and colleagues
to “reach further and climb farther.” He was a scholar who entertained all
sorts of queries and interesting hypotheses. No matter what was said, Gary
always listened thoughtfully and responded lovingly. Keith Cottam put it
well when he said that Gary was a “giant of great faith and good will, of
genuine goodness.” He made a difference in many lives. All who knew him
loved him.”
Contribution: William C. Robinson’s “In Memorium: Gary R. Purcell.”
Purcell Scholarship Criteria and Application
John C. Tyson
John C. Tyson, associate professor at SIS, died unexpectedly young at age 44. His distinguished career included four years as State Librarian of Virginia and five years as University Librarian at the University of Richmond. He was a founding member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, which gave him the 1992 Distinguished Service Award.
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) serves as an advocate for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation’s African American community, and provides leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African American librarians.
In memory of John Tyson, the BCALA Executive Board established an award, which consists of a citation and a check presented in conjunction with the Dr. John C. Tyson Memorial Lecture at each National Conference of African American Librarians.
President of BCALA, two-term ALA Library Council member, International
Federation of Library Assocations supporter, academic librarian, library
consultant, professor of library and information science, and Virginia State
Librarian, John was a consummate professional. In the years since his
passing, his influence on BCALA is still very evident.
For more information about these scholarships, or to set up a new named scholarship, please contact Karen Rohr at (865) 974-7074 or krohr@utk.edu, or Joel Southern at (865)974-6727.
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School of Information Sciences
University of Tennessee
451 Communications Bldg.
1345 Circle Park Drive
Suite 451
Knoxville, TN 37996-0341
Phone: (865) 974-2148
Fax: (865) 974-4967