Knoxville: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Knoxville public schools are considered models of quality. They recently received an A + rating from the Tennessee State Department of Education. The system offers diverse options, including advanced programs for gifted students, and comprehensive services for students with learning disabilities or physical challenges. Knox county's five magnet schools offer enhanced arts and science curriculums.

The following is a summary of data regarding Knox County public schools as of spring 2004.

Total enrollment: 62,000

Number of facilities elementary schools: 51

junior high/middle schools: 14

senior high schools: 12

other: 12 (2 vocational schools and 10 special education centers)

Student/teacher ratio: 16:1

Teacher salaries (2004-2005)

minimum: $30,530

maximum: $51,770

Funding per pupil: $5,701 (2000-2001)

In addition to the public schools, students in metropolitan Knoxville may attend one of the area's 31 private or parochial schools. Hearing-impaired children from across the state attend the Knoxville-based Tennessee School for the Deaf.

Public Schools Information: Knox County Public School System, PO Box 2188, Andrew Johnson Building, 912 S. Gay St., Knoxville, TN 37901; telephone (865)594-1800

Colleges and Universities

Knoxville is home to one public and three private institutions of higher learning. The largest and most influential by far is the main campus of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT), located near downtown. The centerpiece of a statewide university system, it has 21 different schools and colleges (among them a College of Veterinary Medicine). UT offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees in a total of 809 fields of study ranging from engineering and business to history and music. Several of the university's programs are highly ranked nationally, including its Physician Executive MBA program (ranked 1st), graduate program in printmaking (ranked 3rd), pharmacy (ranked 7th), and nuclear engineering (ranked 11th). The university works closely with area industries and research centers, including the Tennessee Valley Authority and nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to provide leadership and expertise in a variety of high-technology fields.

The city's other major facilities are Knoxville College and Johnson Bible College, both of which provide four-year degrees in liberal arts and sciences, and Bristol University which offers bachelor of science degrees in business and computer science. Located nearby are Carson-Newman College and Maryville College. Pellissippi State Technical College offers two-year college transfer and technical programs, and State Area Vocational Technical School at Knoxville offers career-oriented programs.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Knox County Public Library System (KCPLS) consists of the Central Library downtown (the East Tennessee Historical Center and Lawson McGhee) and 17 branches located throughout Knox County. Its annual circulation is over two million. The system's holdings encompass approximately one million volumes as well as numerous films, videos, compact discs, and other materials. Special interest fields include the history and genealogy of Tennessee, and the city of Knoxville and Knox County archives. The KCPLS offers free Internet access to patrons. The University of Tennessee (UT) at Knoxville and Knoxville College also maintain their own large libraries. Additionally, several Knoxville-area hospitals and city, county, and federal offices maintain libraries.

In addition to the Tennessee Valley Authority and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the region's two largest research and development facilities, Knoxville is home to several other research centers, most of which are affiliated with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 2000, UT created nine Research Centers of Excellence in the following areas: information technology research, food safety, neurobiology of brain diseases, diseases of connective tissue, environmental biotechnology, structural biology, vascular biology, genomics and bioinformatics, and advanced materials.

Public Library Information: Knox County Public Library System, Lawson McGhee Library, 500 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902-2505; telephone (865)544-5750; email kplref@aztec.lib

Knoxville: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 546,488

1990: 585,960

2000: 687,249

Percent change, 1990–2000: 17.3%

U.S. rank in 1980: 60th (MSA)

U.S. rank in 1990: 65th (MSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 62nd (MSA)

City Residents

1980: 175,045

1990: 169,761

2000 estimate: 173,890

2003 estimate: 173,278

Percent change, 1990–2000: 2.4%

U.S. rank in 1980: 77th

U.S. rank in 1990: 101st (State rank: 2nd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 135th (State rank: 2nd)

Density: 1,876.7 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 138,611

Black or African American: 28,171

American Indian and Alaska Native: 541

Asian: 2,525

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 60

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 2,751

Other: 3,982

Percent of residents born in state: 67.6% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Poplation under 5 years old: 10,296

Poplation 5 to 9 years old: 9,610

Poplation 10 to 14 years old: 9,033

Poplation 15 to 19 years old: 13,652

Poplation 20 to 24 years old: 20,800

Poplation 25 to 34 years old: 27,311

Poplation 35 to 44 years old: 24,062

Poplation 45 to 54 years old: 20,702

Poplation 55 to 59 years old: 7,361

Poplation 60 to 64 years old: 6,069

Poplation 65 to 74 years old: 11,977

Poplation 75 to 84 years old: 9,393

Poplation 85 years and older: 3,624 Median age: 33.4 years

Births (2003; Knox County)

Total number: 5,058

Deaths (2003; Knox County)

Total number: 3,661 (of which, 39 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $18,171

Median household income: $27,492

Total households: 76,550

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 14,282

$10,000 to $14,999: 7,255

$15,000 to $24,999: 13,643

$25,000 to $34,999: 10,878

$35,000 to $49,999: 11,958

$50,000 to $74,999: 10,089

$75,000 to $99,999: 4,085

$100,000 to $149,999: 2,690

$150,000 to $199,999: 705

$200,000 or more: 965

Percent of families below poverty level (2000): 14.4% (29.8% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 11,983

Knoxville: Convention Facilities

Knoxville played host to the world in 1982 when the city staged a highly successful World's Fair. Situated within World's Fair Park is the Knoxville Convention Center, a sparkling, technologically-advanced facility boasting a 119,922 square-foot exhibit hall, a 27,300 square-foot divisible ballroom, 14 functional meeting rooms seating attendees in theater style, a lecture hall with seating for 461, and three luxury conference rooms. Opened in July of 2002, the Convention Center is within walking distance of excellent dining, charming shops, and major hotels.

While the Knoxville Convention Center is the area's newest and largest meeting facility, the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum has served the community well for many years. It has been the site of political rallies, rock concerts, major theatrical presentations, international circuses, glitzy ice shows, and grueling sports events. Conveniently situated in the downtown area, the Coliseum Convention Hall provides 34,000 square feet of uninterrupted exhibition space, with an additional 11,000 square feet available for storage. Seating capacity in the Convention Hall is 2,200 people. Smaller shows can be accommodated in the 11,130-square-foot Exhibition Hall. The ballroom is a multifunctional area of the Civic Coliseum used for banquets, exhibits, dancing and meetings. It has a seating capacity for meetings of 500 people. The Civic Auditorium, which seats up to 2,407 people, features two balconies, upholstered seating arranged in tiers, excellent acoustics, and a fully equipped stage.

Unusual meeting spaces include the Lamar House—Bijou Theatre and the Tennessee Theater. Knoxville's fine hotels and motor lodges not only furnish more than 7,500 rooms throughout the county (with approximately 1,200 in the downtown/convention area), but also provide additional private meeting rooms.

Convention Information: Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902; telephone (865)523-7263

Knoxville: Health Care

Quality, affordable health care is available through the Knoxville region's five general-use hospitals, offering about 2,590 beds and providing practically every imaginable specialty, including many that are generally not found in communities of this size. In addition, Knoxville's East Tennessee Children's Hospital devotes itself exclusively to prenatal and intensive care, pediatrics, and children's surgery.

The largest hospital in the area is the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville (UT). UT is nationally renowned for its research programs in heart disease, cancer, and genetics. Pediatrics, intensive care for newborns, and organ transplants are among its expanding services. Another of Knoxville's outstanding hospitals is Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. Fort Sanders features the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, an $8 million facility specializing in treatment for disabled accident or stroke victims and a Kidney Stone Treatment Center with lithotripsy, the latest in kidney stone treatment. The hospital houses the Thompson Cancer Survival Center, a $20 million regional cancer unit closely affiliated with the prestigious Duke University Cancer Center. East Tennessee Baptist Hospital, offering a full range of services, is particularly known for its heart clinic.

St. Mary's Health System features a substance abuse center, a diabetes management center, and an Alzheimer treatment and research program. The hospital excels in laser eye care treatment as well as programs related to adolescent emotional behavior problems and home health care. Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee is known for its leading edge techniques in carotid artery treatment, and has the only Gamma Knife treatment center in the region, offering an alternative for brain tumor patients facing traditional surgery. Parkwest Medical Center's specialties include bariatric surgery, and treatment of breast cancer and heart disease.

Knoxville city (1990 pop. 165,121), seat of Knox co., E Tenn., on the Tennessee River; inc. 1876. A port of entry, it is a trade and shipping center for a farm, bituminous-coal, and marble area. Its industries include meatpacking, tobacco marketing, and the manufacture of seat belts, clothing and textiles, electronics, mobile homes, chemicals, and marble, wood, and metal products. Tourism adds to the economy. The city is surrounded by mountains and lakes, and the Great Smoky Mts. National Park and several state parks are nearby.

A house was built on the city's site c.1785, followed by a fort and then a town, named for Gen. Henry Knox . Knoxville was the capital of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio from 1792 to 1796 and twice (1796–1812, 1817–18) served as the state capital. During the Civil War the area was torn by divided loyalties; Federals occupied the city in Sept., 1863, and successfully withstood a Confederate siege (Nov.–Dec., 1863).

The city is the seat of the Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville College, and the Tennessee School for the Deaf. It was the site of the 1982 World's Fair, which introduced permanent new structures to the city, such as the Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheatre. Knoxville also is headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority . Other points of interest include Confederate Memorial Hall, the William Blount Mansion (1792), a replica of the old fort, Chisholm's Tavern (1792), and other historic buildings. Nearby Pigeon Forge has Dollywood, a theme park created by country singer Dolly Parton .

Knoxville

The City in Brief

Founded: 1786 (incorporated 1791)

Head Official: Mayor Bill Haslam (R) (since 2003)

City Population

1980: 175,045

1990: 169,761

2000: 173,890

2003 estimate: 173,278

Percent change, 1990–2000: 2.4%

U.S. rank in 1980: 77th

U.S. rank in 1990: 101st (State rank: 3rd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 135th (State rank: 3rd)

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 546,488

1990: 585,960 (MSA)

2000: 687,249 (MSA)

Percent change, 1990–2000: 17.3%

U.S. rank in 1980: 60th (MSA)

U.S. rank in 1990: 65th (MSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 62nd (MSA)

Area: 92.7 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Approximately 936 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 60.0° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 48.2 inches

Major Economic Sectors: wholesale and retail trade, services, government

Unemployment rate: 3.3% (December 2004)

Per Capita Income: $18,171 (1999)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 11,983

Major Colleges and Universities: University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville College, Pellissippi State Technical Community College

Daily Newspaper: The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Knoxville: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

Knoxville has one daily (morning) newspaper, The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Numerous other weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly publications are published in Knoxville, as well as quarterly academic journals on such topics as mental health nursing, education for the gifted, nematology, economics, and journalism.

Television and Radio

Five television stations—four network affiliates, and one public education channel—operate in Knoxville. In addition, 17 AM and FM stations broadcast to listeners in metropolitan Knoxville, offering programs to suit every taste.

Media Information: Knoxville News-Sentinel Co., 208 W. Church Avenue, P.O. Box 59038, Knoxville, TN 37950; telephone (423)523-3131

Knoxville Online

City of Knoxville Home Page. Available www.ci.knoxville.tn.us

Knox County Public Library System. Available www.knoxcounty.org/library

Knox County Schools. Available www.kcs.k12tn.net

Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership. Available www.knoxvillechamber.com

Knoxville News-Sentinel. Available www.knoxnews.com

Selected Bibliography

Agee, James, A Death In The Family, (New York: McDowell Oblensky, 1957)

Manning, Russ, and Sondra Jamieson, Historic Knoxville and Knox County (Norris, Tenn.: Mountain Laurel Place, 1991)

Knoxville: Introduction

Just 30 miles north of the country's most visited national park, Knoxville, Tennessee, has long been known as the "Gateway to the Smokies." The greater Knoxville area has won accolades for its "livability"—a combination of qualities that encompasses such factors as economic outlook, climate, cost of living, education, transportation, and the arts. The corporate hub of east Tennessee and home to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville's main campus, the city is not yet among the South's urban giants. In the last several decades Knoxville has experienced impressive gains, particularly in high-technology industries and related firms. Because of the influence of TVA, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and world-famous Oak Ridge, 30 miles away, Knoxville has become known as one of the foremost energy centers in the world. Knoxvillians are determined to enjoy the fruits of development without sacrificing those qualities that have made their city stand out among the country's smaller urban areas.

Knoxville: Transportation

Approaching the City

Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport, located 12 miles south of downtown, is served by three national carriers and six regional carriers. The city's other major facility is down-town's Island Home Airport, which is a base for smaller general aviation traffic and privately-owned planes.

Access to the city via car, truck, or bus is made easy by the fact that three of the nation's busiest interstate highways—I-40, I-75, and I-81—intersect in Knoxville. Completion of an extension of the Pellissippi Parkway, designed to relieve congestion on Alcoa Highway, is expected in June of 2005.

Traveling in the City

Public transportation is provided in Knoxville by Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) buses; lift service for the disabled and handicapped is available. KAT routes reach within a quarter-of-a-mile of 90 percent of Knoxville's population, with discount rates offered to students and senior citizens. Colorful trolleys reminiscent of those of the turn of the century provide free service in the downtown area.

Knoxville: Geography and Climate

Knoxville is located at the headwaters of the Tennessee River in a broad valley between the Cumberland Mountains to the northwest and the Great Smoky Mountains to the southeast. Both mountain ranges modify the type of weather that plains areas at the same latitude experience by slowing and weakening cold winter air from the north and tempering hot summer winds from the west and south. Precipitation is usually in the form of rain, and falls primarily during the winter and in late spring, though sudden thunderstorms are also quite common in summertime and provide relief on extremely warm days in the valley. Snowfall averages approximately 12 inches annually, most often in amounts of less than four inches at one time; it rarely stays on the ground for more than a week.

Area: 92.7 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Approximately 936 feet above sea level

Average Temperatures: January, 37.6° F; July, 77.7° F; annual average, 60.0° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 48.2 inches

Knoxville: Municipal Government

Knoxville operates via a mayor-council form of government. The mayor and nine council members are elected to four-year terms.

Head Official: Mayor Bill Haslam (R) (since 2003; current term expires 2006)

Total Number of City Employees: 2,858 (2004)

City Information: City of Knoxville, PO Box 1631, 400 Main St., Knoxville, TN 37902; telephone (865)215-2000

Knoxville, Tennessee/USA Originally a frontier post, it was renamed in 1791 after General Henry Knox (1750–1806), who distinguished himself during the War of Independence (1775–83) and became the first secretary of war in 1785.

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