- Frank Winston was a 1952 graduate of the UT law school and was elected in 1955 to the Tennessee State House of Representatives as its youngest member.
- The renaming was made possible with a $32.5 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation.
- Winston served 25 years as legal counsel to entrepreneur Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, who was the single largest donor to the University of Kentucky at the time of his death in 2022.
For just the fifth time, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville has attached a person’s name to one of its colleges, with the law school becoming the Frank Winston College of Law in honor of a notable 1952 graduate and former member of the Tennessee State House of Representatives.
The naming is boosted by a multi-million-dollar donation from The Bill Gatton Foundation, which historically has focused its efforts more on the University of Kentucky.
The donation is rooted in the foundation’s relationship with Frank Winston, who practiced law for 40 years before serving 25 years as legal counsel to entrepreneur Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton.
Winston was a trustee of the Bill Gatton foundation until his death in 2023.
