Cunningham Gift Supports UTC Students

James Vann Cunningham’s donation to the Department of Social, Cultural, and Justice Studies is already helping students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His pledge created the Vann Cunningham Scholarship Fund in Anthropology and the annual Internship in Anthropology and Cultural Archaeology.

Cunningham graduated from UTC in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology, followed by a master’s degree in planning from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

A resident of Arlington, Texas, Cunningham retired in 2016 as head of economic development for BNSF Railway Co., one of the largest North American rail networks. He created and led programs to encourage rail-oriented industries to build or expand facilities on BNSF routes, also developing railserved industrial, intermodal and transload facilities throughout BNSF’s rail network.

UTC students are already benefiting from Cunningham’s gift. This year, his internship facilitated the hiring of five anthropology students to work alongside their faculty advisors, completing more than 100 internship hours. The Vann Cunningham Scholarship further has supported six firstgeneration students.

In recognition of his generosity, the University is naming its anthropology teaching lab the Vann Cunningham Anthropology Teaching Lab.