2018 Alumni Service Award Winner
Tom Edwards, a 1972 mechanical engineering graduate, has graciously given time and resources to his alma mater for more than 40 years, staying involved with the Tickle College of Engineering, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and UT Athletics while also establishing several endowments to support student scholarships.
Olympic Industries of Cordova, Tennessee, was founded by Edwards’s father in 1959. Upon graduation from UT, Edwards returned home to join the company. Through his leadership, the company is now known as one of the nation’s premier custom steel fabricators.
He and his wife, Elaine, have made leadership gifts to the Tickle College of Engineering, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and UT Athletics as part of the Join the Journey campaign. Through their giving, they have inspired others to do the same. The “Edwards’ Challenge” helped create more than 900 new donors for scholarships to benefit the Pride of the Southland members.
Edwards is currently a member of the Nathan Dougherty Society, the Benefactor’s Society, and the W J Julian Legacy Society. He was inducted as a Lifetime Member of the Pride of the Southland in 2013.
Tom Edwards, a 1972 mechanical engineering graduate, has graciously given time and resources to his alma mater for more than 40 years, staying involved with the Tickle College of Engineering, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and UT Athletics while also establishing several endowments to support student scholarships.
Olympic Industries of Cordova, Tennessee, was founded by Edwards’s father in 1959. Upon graduation from UT, Edwards returned home to join the company. Through his leadership, the company is now known as one of the nation’s premier custom steel fabricators.
He and his wife, Elaine, have made leadership gifts to the Tickle College of Engineering, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and UT Athletics as part of the Join the Journey campaign. Through their giving, they have inspired others to do the same. The “Edwards’ Challenge” helped create more than 900 new donors for scholarships to benefit the Pride of the Southland members.
Edwards is currently a member of the Nathan Dougherty Society, the Benefactor’s Society, and the W J Julian Legacy Society. He was inducted as a Lifetime Member of the Pride of the Southland in 2013.
