Fulfilling a Vow

by CHUCK WASSERSTROM

Bill Epstein and Russell Linnemann came from different parts of the country, growing up with different backgrounds.

But when their paths first crossed in the 1960s at Grinnell College, a small liberal arts institution in Iowa, they hit it off.

Although they were both history majors—Epstein majoring in American history and Linnemann initially concentrating on British history—working together at a restaurant washing dishes junior year brought them together. They became fast friends, relishing in philosophical exchanges on history and politics.

“We laughed a lot,” Epstein says. “I think Russell liked to hear me talk and I think I expanded his horizons.

“I remember one night when I brought a couple of blues records over to his house, and that might have been his introduction to blues. I think it was John Lee Hooker, a really interesting introspective sort of stream-of-consciousness blues singer.”

Following their graduations, Linnemann pursued master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan before arriving at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1970. He spent 36 years as a professor in the Department of History. Epstein went overseas, obtaining a master’s from the University of Sussex in England, before settling in the St. Louis area as a building products company executive.

They remained in touch and, during a get-together with spouses in New Orleans around 40 years ago, they made a vow.

“Russell had become interested in African History and African-American History,” Epstein recalls, “so we made a vow that when we both retired, we would spend time together and travel. The idea was to go tour Africa together.”

That plan never came to fruition, as Linnemann died unexpectedly in 2006.

For years, Epstein thought about the best way to pay homage to his friend. Then the idea hit: Create an endowment at UTC to ensure that Linnemann’s legacy lives on.

Epstein has established the Dr. Russell Linnemann Memorial Endowment in History to support Africana Studies in the Department of History. The endowment gives $500,000 for the study of African and African-American history and the history of the blues. The money, given in perpetuity, is divided into $450,000 to fund ongoing programs and $50,000 to create an account to honor the career of Linnemann and his academic contributions.

Linnemann taught African and British Empire History and was a scholar in concentrations like Western Civilization, African History and Modern European History, but he was celebrated for his courses on the blues—for which he was affectionately known as “the Blues Doctor.”

Along with his teaching duties, he was the longtime host of “Blues and More,” a show on WUTC-FM 88.1 that gained national notoriety for the NPR affiliate.

Thanks to Epstein’s generosity, Linnemann’s story will continue to be told.

“UTC provided academic and cultural support for 36 years to my friend, Russell,” Epstein says. “That support means a lot to me, and I wanted to acknowledge it with a contribution in memory of my friend.”