Heritage Circle

East Tennessee is a land of mountains and valleys, towns and farms, and a way of life made special by a lingering sense of history and heritage. For almost two centuries, the East Tennessee Historical Society has worked to preserve this history and to share it with resident and visitors, and pass it forward as a gift to the future.

The Heritage Circle of Leadership Giving

Founded in 1834, ETHS has for 184 years encouraged the collection and preservation of the stories, artifacts, photographs, diaries, letters, and official records that document the individual lives and shared history of East Tennesseans.

ETHS is one of the most active regional historical organizations in the Southeast, and we fulfill our mission to “preserve, interpret, and promote the history of Tennessee, focusing on East Tennessee” through a variety of programs, such as a lecture series, student education, teacher workshops, free genealogy classes, and a regional history fair.

ETHS by the numbers:

• 35 counties covered
• 49 affiliate chapters
• Since 2008
          -  566,400 total reached through visitation to the Museum of East Tennessee History outreach programs
          -  67,573 students engaged through museum visits and ETHS outreach
          -  6,956 teachers led in professional development workshops

These programs are largely made possible with the support of our donors.

To honor and celebrate major annual gift donors, ETHS established the Heritage Circle of Giving, recognizing those contributing annual leadership gifts of $1,000 or more. This core group of annual leadership donors empowers ETHS to fulfill its education mission with yearly gifts and makes this work possible.

We invite you to join in these important efforts and help ETHS in its mission to preserve an understanding of and appreciation for the region’s history. Your support will help us reach additional teachers, schools, and students across our region and beyond; bring more quality programming to the region; and impact more lives by fostering a love for history.

Heritage Circle of Giving members enjoy special added special benefit in addition to the general package of ETHS membership benefits:

• Invitations to special preview and "behind-the-scenes" events
• Gift of annual commemorative holiday ornament
• Advice and counsel on genealogy and family artifact preservation
• Free museum admission tickets to share with family and friends
• Time Travelers membership - a reciprocal membership network for historical museums and societies in the U.S.
• Special recognition on the ETHS website and in publications
• The satisfaction of knowing that through your support, you are impacting future generations

For more information or to join the Heritage Circle of Giving, please contact Susan Arp in our development office at (865) 215-8827 or at sarp@eastTNhistory.org.
 

2018-2019 Members

Ambassador's Circle - $10,000+

• Will Haslam

President's Circle - $5,000-$9,999

• Wanda & John Sobieski
• Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Sullivan III
• Greg A. Vital

Founders Circle - $2,500-$4,999

• The Lamp Foundation
• Gayle Burnett
• Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Christenberry
• Susan K. Cooper
• Marvin House
• Richard L. Rose
• The Honorable Carroll Ross

Grand Benefactors Circle - $1,000-$2,499

• The Honorable and Mrs. Lamar Alexander
• Mrs. Samuel E. Beall, Jr.
• Ashley Capps and Dr. Maria Clark
• Steve Cotham
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Croley
• Mary Fanslow
• James S.M. French
• Margaret L. Goodman
• Mark and Sally Leach Hester
• Dr. Joseph E. Johnson
• Betty Lindsay King
• Imogene King and Richard Roberts
• Justin and Kelly Maierhofer
• Mark and Cathy Mamantov
• A. David and Sandy Martin
• Mr. and Mrs. David W. Mink
• Mr. and Mrs. Carrington Montague
• Martha M. Pentecost
• Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Taylor
• Dr. John Z.C. Thomas
• Joe Ben and Robin Turner
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Underwood
• Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Wheeler, Jr.
• Susan and Dick Williams
• Mr. and Mrs. Jack E. Williams
• Eleanor Yoakum

2017-2018 Members

Ambassador's Circle - $10,000+

• Will Haslam

Director's Circle - $7,500-$9,999

President's Circle - $5,000-$7,499

• Betty Lindsay King
• Dr. George K. Schweitzer
• Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Seymour, Jr.

Founders Circle - $2,500-$4,999

• Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Christenberry
• Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Sullivan III

Grand Benefactors Circle - $1,000-$2,499

• The Honorable and Mrs. Lamar Alexander
• Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Atchley, Jr.
• Gayle Burnett
• Ashley Capps and Dr. Maria Clark
• Susan K. Cooper
• Steve Cotham
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Croley
• G. Gregory and Mary Elizabeth Gilbert
• Margaret Goodman
• Dale and Barbara Keasling
• Imogene King and Richard Roberts
• Jerry Ledbetter and Merikay Waldvogel
• Justin Maierhofer
• Mr. and Mrs. A. David Martin
• Mr. and Mrs. Matthew McClellan
• Mr. and Mrs. David W. Mink
• Martha M. Pentecost
• Eddy Pratt
• Richard L. Rose
• The Honorable Carroll Ross
• Wanda and John Sobieski
• Strata-G
• Joe and Becky Swann
• Dr. John Z.C. Thomas
• Joe Ben and Robin Turner
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Underwood
• William and Alexina Van Pelt
• Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Wheeler, Jr.
• Susan and Dick Williams

ADDITIONAL ETHS LEADERSHIP GIVING PROGRAMS

Pillars of Support

Regional leaders whose contributions are permanent gifts that build ETHS’s Endowment Fund and/or Capital Fund in support of its educational mission and public programming. Learn more about the Pillars of Support.

The 1834 Society of Leadership Giving

A group of special donors who have made a multi-year commitment that results in a minimum cumulative gift of $25,000. Learn more the 1834 Society.