Board Of Trustees Names Rec Center After Burnett

The Tech Board Of Trustees voted Tuesday to name the Student Rec Center the Marc L. Burnett Student Recreation and Fitness Center.

Burnett worked with student government to fund fees for the center. He retired from Tech in 2019 as Vice President of Student Affairs after a 36-year career.

“I often refer to him as the heart and soul of Tennessee Tech,” President Phil Oldham said. “I think if you had to pick one person that embodies the spirit of Tennessee Tech, it would be Mark Burnett.”

Oldham said Burnett is the first African-American to have a campus building named after him. Burnett’s wife cheered as the Board voted.

“It’s an honor hard to absorb right now,” Burnett said. “I would say it’s a dream come true, but the truth is, it’s not. I didn’t dream that large.”

Burnett said his dreams were to help students. He said he never looked at a student and said “I am going to help a black student today or I am going to help a white student.”

In 2019, Burnett was appointed Tech’s first Chief Diversity Officer. He has raised approximately $1.2 million for the diversity scholarship fund, was instrumental in the founding and leadership for what is now the Leona Lusk Officer Multicultural Center.

A former basketball player at Tennessee Tech, Burnett scored the first points at the Hooper Eblen Center. He served the

By policy, buildings can only be named after employees who have not worked in the past year. Board of Trustees Chair Trudy Harper waived the one year requirement. The student rec center will open July 6.