Dr. Lorayne Lester Commission for Women's 2001 Notable UT Woman Co-Recipient

BIOGRAPHY

Lorayne W. Lester, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, the first woman dean of Arts & Sciences at The University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus, began her stint as dean in 1996. Her career at UT began with her B.S. in Education with a concentration in English Education in 1957. Afterwards, she received an M.A. in English with a major concentration in rhetorical and dramatic theory and criticism in 1960 and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a major concentration in teacher licensure in speech communication and theatre in 1975. Dean Lester has served as a Professor in the Departments of Speech and Theatre (formerly one department) from 1984 to the present.

She began as an Instructor in 1968 and moved up the promotional ladder, becoming the 5th woman to achieve full professor status in the College of Arts & Sciences. Her administrative service began with the Department of Speech and Theatre, where she served as department head from 1978-1982. When appointed, she was the only woman department head in Arts & Sciences and only the third woman in the history of the College. She next moved to Head of the new Department of Speech Communication, 1986-1990, and then to Associate Dean for Academic Programs from December, 1990-April, 1996. She was tapped to serve as Dean of the largest College on the Knoxville campus in May, 1996.

Several nominations were received for Dean Lester. One nominator stated,

"Over the past twenty-three years, I have worked with almost every woman who has held a major administrative position at the University of Tennessee. From my perspective, there is one who is clearly most outstanding and most deserving of the Commission for Women's 2001 UT Notable Woman Award: Dean Lorayne W. Lester. Dean Lester has devoted her entire academic career to UT. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from this University, worked her way through the faculty ranks from Lecturer to full Professor, served as department head, then Associate Dean and, since 1996, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Meanwhile, she has been active in research and publication, on-campus and professional organizations, community service and development activities. As an administrator, Dean Lester is experienced, intelligent, thoughtful and fair. She is a person of integrity and is willing to express her views, openly and honestly, yet listens to the views of others. In my opinion, she represents the best in university administration. Since she has announced that this will be her final year before retirement, it would seem particularly appropriate that she receive the 2001 UT Notable Woman Award."

Another nominator commented,

"Dean Lester's greatest achievement, it seems to me, is that as Dean, no one notices that she is a woman. By that I mean that even though she did something few have done, as a woman serving in such an important position, neither she, nor anyone else, seemed to make anything of this. By my reading this is what true gender equality is all about: a person serves, and her/his gender is irrelevant. Except, of course, that it isn't irrelevant. Dean Lester began at UT at a time when there were few women professors and even fewer women administrators. So, she is a pioneer, but it is to her great credit that this pioneering aspect of her career did not stop at that. Instead, she went on to serve, very sucessfully in my opinion, as a Dean whose primary goal was to serve students well and treat professors fairly. As she nears retirement, Dean Lorayne Lester merits special recognition as a woman of distinction at the University of Tennessee."

Dr. Lester maintains her interest in theatre, speech, and students. Her many publications and paper presentations include writings which span the gamut from scholarly research to her views on administration and issues concerning faculty and women. She has also made time in her busy schedule to author Course Materials for Public Speaking, now in the 4th edition. She was elected as President Elect of the Faculty Senate in 1990, but resigned to take an administrative post as Associate Dean for Academic Programs. Honors include membership in both Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and as a fellow in the Royal Society of Antiquaries in Scotland. Dean Lester also received the Tennessee Theatre Distinguished Service Award in 1982, a Mellon Foundation Regional Faculty Development Award in 1983, the Association for Communication Administration National Merit Award in 1986 and the Tennessee Speech Communication Association Speaker of the Year Award in 1987.

Dean Lorayane Lester's scholarly research, encouragement and support for students and faculty, and her pioneering administrative role as Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences make her an outstanding example of a UT Notable Woman.

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