The University of Tennessee will grant entertainment legend and philanthropist Doly Parton an honorary doctorate degree.Parton, a Sevier County native, will receive a doctorate of humane and musical letters during the College of Arts and Sciences spring commencement ceremony May 8, pending approval by the UT Board of Trustees at their meeting in Memphis on Feb. 26. The UT Faculty Senate approved the action after an initial nomination by former Interim Chancellor Jan Simek.
"Because of her career not just as a musician and entertainer, but for her role as a cultural ambassador, philanthropist and lifelong advocate for education, it is fitting that Dolly be honored with an honorary degree from the flagship educational institution of her home state," said UT-Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek in a statement.
It is only the second honorary degree ever granted by UT-Knoxville. Former U.S. Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr. received a doctorate of humane letters in May 2005. In 1990, Parton received an honorary doctorate degree from Carson-Newman College for her commitment to education in Appalachia.
"It is an incredible honor for me to receive this degree from a prestigious university like UT. I've been a volunteer all my life and entertained folks around the world with 'Rocky Top,'" Parton joked in a statement. "Seriously, education and the arts are very important to me, and this degree is something that makes me and would have made my parents very proud."
Parton's five-decade musical career has produced more than 3,000 original musical compositions. Her philanthropic work has focused on the importance of reading and education in the lives of children. She founded the Imagination Library program in Sevier County in 1996, which provides children with a book every month from birth to 5 years of age.
She has also provided incentives for graduation and college scholarships to Sevier County students, as well as funds to local schools to support operating expenses.
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