Samuel W. Bartholomew Sr. was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia, in 1917. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee in 1936 and was captain of the legendary 1939 football team, which remarkably completed the regular season undefeated, untied, and unscored on! The 1940 team wasn’t too bad either, and Bartholomew captained that group to the Rose Bowl. He lettered three years in football and track and was a leader in extracurricular activities. He was president of his senior class and the number one military graduate. After graduating, Bartholomew played one year of pro football with the Philadelphia Eagles before entering the Army as a second lieutenant in 1941. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star during combat with General Patton’s Third Army and was discharged as a major. After his years of service, Bartholomew went on to work for the Eastman Kodak Company in Kingsport for forty-two years. During that time, he was a member of the University of Tennessee’s Athletic Committee for thirty-four years. Bartholomew retired as General Superintendent at the Eastman Plant in 1982 and was appointed Chairman of the State of Tennessee Reclamation Board by Governor Lamar Alexander in 1983. His admirable service to his alma mater, his state, his country, and his family make Samuel W. Bartholomew Sr. a success in every sense of the word.
