ETSU receives $15 million gift from Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation

ETSU Board of Trustees approves naming of Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences.

East Tennessee State University’s largest college has a new name.

During its quarterly meeting today, the ETSU Board of Trustees approved the naming of the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences. The naming and recognition follow a recent $15 million gift to the university from the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation.

“For many decades, Phil and Martha Bachman have had a transformative presence here in our region, not only through the automobile industry but also in the endless ways they have given back to support the community they proudly called home,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “This investment represents one of the largest philanthropic gifts in the history of our institution, and we are deeply grateful and honored that they will be associated with the university in perpetuity.”

The $15 million gift commitment comprises a total $10 million of scholarship support, including $5 million for students in the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences, $2.5 million for the College of Business and Technology and $2.5 million for Clemmer College of Education and Human Development students. In addition, it establishes a $2 million dean’s discretionary endowment, and $3 million in capital support for the new Academic Building and the ongoing renovation of Brown Hall.

“We are very grateful to the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation for their invaluable support,” said Dr. Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “Year after year, scholarship funding will make higher education more accessible for students in this region and beyond. It will be empowering for these students to know that Phil and Martha Bachman’s legacy is providing a pathway for them to achieve the dream of earning a college degree.”

Phil and Martha Bachman were lifelong residents of Northeast Tennessee who made Greeneville their home. Phil was a native of Bristol, Tennessee, and Martha, an ETSU graduate, was raised in Chuckey. Both were active members of their community and longtime supporters of local charitable organizations. Together, they owned five automobile dealerships throughout Northeast Tennessee and built a legacy of service and philanthropy across the region.

The mission of the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation Inc. is to advance education to fuel growth, leadership and thriving communities for generations to come.

"When we invest in education, we really are investing in the future of Northeast Tennessee," said Suzanne Stouffer, president of the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation.

The Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college on campus, serving more than 6,000 students across three schools, with nearly 300 faculty and staff. The college offers a broad range of academic programs, including 22 majors, more than 60 concentrations and more than 60 minors, as well as more than 40 graduate programs.

It is also home to nationally recognized programs, research opportunities, clinics, museums and centers, including the ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music program; the Tennessee Climate Office; the B. Carroll Reece Museum; and the Gray Fossil Site Museum and Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology.

“This is a fantastic investment in our mission,” said Dr. Joe Bidwell, dean of the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences. “In addition to the very significant scholarship support, this gift is a critical investment in two capital initiatives: our new Academic Building and the renovation of Brown Hall. Both of these projects received funding from the State of Tennessee which had a matching fund requirement that had to be met with private dollars. The generosity of the Phil and Martha Bachman Foundation allows us to realize both of those requirements.”