William Everett Derryberry

William Everett Derryberry (October 11, 1906 – October 26, 1991) was an American football player and coach and university president.

William Everett Derryberry
Biographical details
Born(1906-10-11)October 11, 1906
Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedOctober 26, 1991(1991-10-26) (aged 85)
Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.
Alma materOxford (BA, 1932, MA, 1940)
Playing career
1925Tennessee
1927Tennessee
Position(s)Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1934–1936Tennessee JC

College football

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Derryberry was a football player at the University of Tennessee, lettering in 1925 and 1927. He was the first person in that school's history to earn a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity (Beta Sigma chapter) at the University of Tennessee and was recognized by the fraternity as a Significant Sig in 1977.[1] He served as the head football coach at the University of Tennessee Junior College at Martin (now known as UT Martin) from 1934 to 1936.[2]

Before and after his coaching career, he earned two degrees from Oxford University in Oxford, England while studying as a Rhodes Scholar.[3]

Tennessee Tech presidency

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Derryberry was the president of Tennessee Tech from 1940 to 1974.[4] The university's administration building is named in his honor.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ "significant sig recipients". sigmachi.org. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Football Media Guide" (PDF). UT Martin Skyhawks. 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  3. ^ "Rhodes Scholar William Derryberry". University of Tennessee–Knoxville. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "Tennessee Technological University". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  5. ^ "Office of the President - Past Presidents". Tennessee Tech. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Tennessee Tech's Derryberry Hall - Tennessee Tech University Archives and Special Collections". Tennessee Tech. January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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