Hartsville

Tim and Jackie Gregory hope their new mural will make a statement—a statement of their love for the University of Tennessee and a statement in Trousdale County about what UT means to so many people.

“Tim emailed to tell me what he’d done before he even made it home,” Jackie said of her husband submitting their property for consideration. “And we’ve been excited since that day.”

The Gregorys, who live in Old Hickory, own 38 acres in Tim’s hometown of Hartsville. The farm has been idle since the passing of Tim’s mother, Betty Gregory, in 2012, and the couple is working to bring it back to life in hopes of spending quality time there when they retire.

“People are always asking what we’re doing at the farm,” Jackie said. “We’re so excited because we love the University of Tennessee and are Big Orange supporters. When passersby see the mural, they’ll be as excited as we are.”

Among the estimated 2.3 million people a year who drive that stretch of highway, the most excited of them all to see the mural is Jackie’s father, Jackie Oldham, who lives nearby in her hometown of Smith County.

“I come from a family who have been UT fans since I was born,” she said. “Dad is one of the biggest Big Orange fans in the state. To this day, he wears orange and white wherever he goes.  

Tim’s ties to UT also date back to childhood. Attending UT was something he’d dreamed about since he was 10 years old, he said.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from UT Knoxville in 1977 and went on to study at the Nashville School of Law before beginning a career of public service for the State of Tennessee.

In addition to expressing their love for UT, the Gregorys hope the mural will inspire more individuals to attend college.

“I want to encourage the youth in the county to consider UT,” he said. “My experience at UT Knoxville was such a great one, and I want more students to have the same experience.

“UT is our university in Tennessee.”