ETSU celebrates 'Generations of Pride' with book

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of East Tennessee State University, the main Johnson City campus has been decorated with symbols worthy of a centennial celebration.

On various poles, you’ll find flags noting "Partnerships, Promise, and Hope for 100 Years."

On campus, too, you’ll also find copies of the newly published "East Tennessee State University: Generations of Pride" (The Overmountain Press, $60).

Ideas to compile this full-color, coffee table book began about three years ago while the university made plans to celebrate the centennial, said Richard A. Manahan, ETSU’s vice president of university advancement.

"We looked at something that would be a permanent item, such as a book," Manahan said. "And we began to talk about a history book. And then we looked at that further and further, and we decided that there were a number of those around – and people were working on those."

In fact, earlier this year, a small book with black-and-white images was published – "East Tennessee State University: The Campus History Series" (Arcadia, $21.99).

Don Good, an associate professor in ETSU’s educational leadership and policy analysis department, compiled the photographs and wrote the text for that 128-page project.

Manahan and his book committee, on the other hand, took a different – and quite colorful – approach.

They asked, "What do people really like and what would they like to see?" Manahan said. "And that’s how we got focused on the photographs. And we looked at other books that had been done at other institutions throughout the country. And then we began to analyze, and that’s how we got to the results of where we are now."

That result is a giant, 160-page book loaded with local scenes like Roan Mountain, the Virginia Creeper Trail, Barter Theatre of Abingdon, Kingsport’s Church Circle, Bristol’s State Street and Johnson City landmarks like The Shamrock and The Farmhouse.

But, of course, there are also plenty of scenes of campus, including the archways of the John B. Lamb Hall, B. Carroll Reece Museum, Gilbreath Hall in the fall and the ETSU Arboretum.

And it comes at you in color – displaying winter, spring, summer and autumn on and around the campus.

Two pages, also, are dedicated to the university’s most famous alumni – Kenny Chesney, a country music superstar who graduated ETSU in 1990.

And, yes, there are a handful of black-and-white pictures taken from archives, showing such scenes as a cable car running from downtown Johnson City to the campus.

Manahan, the book’s senior editor, has served more than 16 years as the managing editor of ETSU Today magazine. He’s also a professor of accountancy and a professor of educational leadership and policy analysis.

Larry D. Smith served as the book’s chief photographer and photographic editor.

"I like the size of it. It’s a large-format book," said Smith, the university’s photographer and director of ETSU’s photo lab. "A lot of the pictures run all the way across both pages. And we got to use our freedom in taking a lot of the photographs. And most of them were taken within the last 10 years, within the digital age."

Others working on the book include design editors Deidre L. Yowell, Jennifer H. Barber and Robert M. Plummer.

The authors studied more than 1,000 photographs while working on the project, Manahan said.

And, Manahan added, all of the authors and designers add up to having about 100 years of service to the institution – just as ETSU celebrates 100 years since being founded in 1911.

"The ‘ETSU: Generations of Pride’ book was organized into a unique, 160-page format to emphasize ETSU, the beauty of the mountains, the quality of life, the culture and the strength of its people and their commitment to education and their strong work ethic," Manahan said. "That’s what we really focused on in trying to bring out in this book."

YOU SHOULD KNOW

What: Book signing for "ETSU: Generations of Pride" by Richard A Manahan, Larry D. Smith, Deidre L. Yowell, Jennifer H. Barber and Robert M. Plummer

Where: Barnes & Noble, 3030 Franklin Terrace Road, Johnson City, Tenn.

When: Dec. 12, 2-4 p.m.

Cost: $60

Info: (423) 952-5577

To order: (800) 992-2691

E-mail: orders@overmtn.com