The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Special Collections received a $144,049 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The grant is for processing the papers of Dr. Tommie Brown, a former UTC professor and state legislator. Dr. Brown donated her papers to Special Collections in March 2023.
Carolyn Runyon, assistant head of collection services for the UTC Library and director of Special Collections, acknowledged the grant. She stated that it’s the first major federal grant the library has received since 2013. The grant was awarded after an anonymous peer review, approval by the NHPRC, and the Archivist of the United States.
Dr. Brown’s papers are stored in individual boxes and need to be processed. The grant will fund a professional archivist, a student assistant, acid-free boxes, protective folders, and additional equipment.
Rev. Ann Pierre, president of the Chattanooga chapter of the NAACP, discussed Dr. Brown’s work on the WDEF-TV talk show ‘Let’s Chatt.’ She highlighted that Dr. Brown pursued her degree for the benefit of the community.