An Endowed Professorship Puts UT on the Cutting Edge of Telecommunications

Planned Giving

Photo of Stuart Brotman

Stuart Brotman (pictured) was the first to fill a position at UT through the Herb Howard Distinguished Endowed Professorship of Media Management and Law. Brotman is an expert in telecommunications, internet media, entertainment, and sports.

Herb Howard was a longtime professor in the College of Communication and Information who inspired many of his students. Several years ago, Larry Patrick (’73) wanted to honor Howard and make a significant impact on the college. Patrick set up a $1 million planned gift and, at the same time, made a donation to establish the Herb Howard Distinguished Endowed Professorship of Media Management and Law. Stuart N. Brotman, a global expert in telecommunications, internet media, entertainment, and sports, arrived to fill the position in January 2016.

Before coming to UT, Brotman taught entertainment and media law at Harvard Law School, served on the faculty of Harvard Business School’s executive education program, and annually lectured in entertainment and media law at Stanford Law School.

“The areas of media management and law are closely related,” says Brotman, who is also the Beaman Professor of Communication and Information. “Management issues have legal implications and vice versa. I want to develop this discipline in a more holistic way, not just in Tennessee but around the country and the world.”

“This guy is a major player,” says CCI Dean Michael Wirth. “He dramatically elevates our national and international impact and visibility in the telecom and new media areas. He’s a Renaissance guy. He votes on the Emmys. He knows everybody. Everybody knows him. He can bring people to campus who would never come otherwise.”

Brotman is the author of Communications Law and Practice, the leading comprehensive treatise covering domestic and international telecommunications and electronic mass media regulation. He is also a frequent analyst for leading newspapers and magazines, including Fortune, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

“This is a truly unique professorship, not only in the US but globally,” says Brotman. “There are so many cutting-edge opportunities in my areas of interest that can be pursued through meaningful cross-campus collaborations. I am a firm believer in UT’s Join the Journey campaign, and I know that being at UT now definitely is the right place at the right time for me.”

Want to make a difference at UT with gifts like the one Larry Patrick made? Contact the Office of Gift Planning at 865-974-3388 or giftplanning@utk.edu to get started. All gifts make a real impact at UT.