Leadership, love, and loyalty define the legacy of Sam and Ann Furrow
Story by Gary Wade | Opening Image By Nathan Sparks
Appeared in Cityview Magazine, Vol. 42, Issue 1 (Jan/Feb 2026)
I
n September of 1966, I enrolled at the University of Tennessee. Although fraternity life continues to get mixed reviews, going through rush had become a family tradition years before. Dad joined Kappa Sigma at UT in the 1920s. Big brothers Dwight, Jr. and Ken, had joined Alpha Tau Omega. Brother Sid, still in high school at the time, joined the fraternity I chose.
Along with my roommate, Roy Marshall, a childhood friend and football teammate at Sevier County, I naturally signed on for rush week. Phi Delta Theta, relatively new on campus, was among our last visits. We were greeted warmly by its members who lined both sides of the walkway to the house entrance. We recognized Bill Justus, who both of us had played against when he was the standout quarterback at Fulton High School. The UT president’s son, super friendly Andy “Bud” Holt, was also among our greeters.
Once inside the small house, I was wowed by Ann Baker and Sam Furrow. I knew of Ann by having religiously read the Knoxville newspaper’s sports pages for years. A Maryville native and outstanding student, Ann had led the state in basketball scoring her senior year in high school – over 35 points per game — and even more impressively, as a teenager, had dominated the Knoxville area women’s golf scene for almost a decade. It was a headliner when UT awarded her a golf scholarship to play for the men’s team– well before there was such a thing as women’s athletics at the school. Recruited as a candidate by her predecessor as sweetheart, Fran Holt (Bud’s sister), the up-and-coming chapter enthusiastically elected Ann as the new “Sweetheart of Phi Delta Theta.”
Later, I learned that tall, handsome Sam, originally from the Paint Rock community in Roane County, had graduated from Knoxville East High School, where he played basketball. After becoming a walk-on at UT in his freshman year, he chose not to join a fraternity, focusing much of his energy on Army ROTC where, by his senior year, he was named the company commander in the program. One of the army officers, Elden Wright, had been a member of Phi Delta Theta at another university, and, by 1961, had persuaded him to help organize a chapter at UT. Even while financing his college expenses by learning the auction business, Sam eagerly took on the challenge and recruited quality students for the fledgling group. Within two years, these young men earned full recognition as a bona fide chapter of Phi Delta Theta. As founder of what had become the Tennessee Gamma Chapter, Sam earned the coveted Bond Number One as the very first initiate of the fraternity on the UT campus. Soon after serving his term as the first president of the chapter, Sam
graduated then served a stint in the United States Army. Once he had completed his military service, he kick-started his auction business. Looking to broaden his career, a year later Sam started law school in Knoxville. Naturally he agreed to serve as his fraternity’s advisor. So, that is the back story which led to our first meeting.
The storybook romance between Sam and Ann, I learned later, was through their respective roles in the fraternity. In the spring of ’66, some of the chapter members decided to matchmake arranging for two to attend their annual formal together. To get acquainted before the fraternity’s big event, Sam took Ann to Regas, then the premier restaurant in town, for a Sunday night dinner. While there, they met a young couple celebrating their first anniversary. After pleasant table-to-table conversations, Sam quietly picked up the couple’s check, making a favorable impression on Ann in the process. Afterward, Ann announced to her roommate, “That’s the man I’m going to marry.” And so, she did.
During my undergraduate years, I saw less of Sam and Ann. Sam, when not inundated by law school studies and his auction business, visited our chapter meetings, but that was about it. I did get to caddy for Ann at one of her matches in the several years she won the Knoxville Area Women’s Golf Championship. After graduation, Sam and Ann married of course and then along came LeAnn and Jay. At the age of 26, Ann became not only the first women but the youngest person ever to be named to the UT Board of Trustees. By then, Sam’s business in Knoxville was booming. I was pretty sure that either of them could be governor of the state. As a couple, they regularly renewed their relationships with the chapter members, hosting rush events and generally offering advice and guidance.
To digress, my favorite story about Sam, exaggerated perhaps but based in fact, took place when he was near graduation from law school in 1967. He had a career choice to make. By then he was quite busy with his then fledgling auction company but wanted to explore his opportunities in the law. So, he scheduled an appointment with the UT College of Law Dean Harold Warner, a trusted and beloved educator who had served in his position for several years. “Dean Warner,” Sam confided, “I need to make a decision, what do you think about my taking a job in Knoxville with a local firm?”
“You are a good student, Sam, and I am sure any one of the larger firms would like to hire you,” the dean answered.
“Do you mind telling me how much firms are paying these days,” Sam asked. “About $7,000 per year, I think,” said Dean Warner.
When Sam did not seem satisfied, Dean Warner observed, “You might make a very good professor at a law school. Those jobs could pay as much as $15,000 a year,” explained the dean.
Still a bit perplexed, Sam had a last question, “Dean Warner, you are pretty much at the top of the profession, being the dean at the largest law school in the state, do you mind telling me how much you are paid?”
“Not at all,” he responded, “’It’s a matter of public record that I receive $30,000 annually.” When Sam’s expression did not change, Dean Warner asked, “What do you think, Sam?”
After a few thoughtful moments, Sam rose to his feet, “You know, I made twice that last year in the auction business, so I think I’ll just stick with it!” And that he did, with much success for more than the last half century.
Turning back to Ann, athletically speaking, the sky was the limit. In addition to her local dominance in golf, she had won the women’s state tournament five different times. After an eight-year layoff at the sport while raising a family, she decided to test her skills at the Women’s Southern Amateur Championship in New Orleans. Remarkably, she won, helping to earn
a number five ranking in the entire country. The local sports writers – Ben Byrd, Red Bailes, and Tom Siler — were amazed at her remarkable feat and so were golfing enthusiasts throughout the South. Then, at the top of her game, she retired.
Sam and Ann will always be among those
I have most admired in my life. Sam has helped open career opportunities, for so many of his friends and especially those of us who were members of “his” fraternity. To illustrate, after I had just graduated from law school, he telephoned to offer a job in his business. I am sure the salary would have been more than the modest amount I was making at the small firm in my hometown, but I stopped him mid-sentence. “Sam, law school was darn difficult for me, but I’ve done okay so far in my practice. Give me
a chance to have some success in this profession!” I then recommended George Archer, who had served as president of our fraternity. George, I thought, was a talent untapped in the business world. As it turned out, the hire worked out famously. Sam and George were partners in the real estate business, Archer-Furrow, until George’s untimely death in 2003.
I vividly remember Sam once telling me that he didn’t want to be rich, he just wanted to live like he was. When
I think about that statement today, I am pretty certain that he has far exceeded his ambitions! While I marvel at his business acumen and his financial success, his humility, his involvement in worthy causes, and his generosity are his chief qualities. Noted attorney and dear friend Tom Hale commented, “Sam is always committed to a win-win relationship in everything he does.” Sharon Mills, his chief assistant for the last 30 years, says Sam’s promise to always “do the right thing” inspires loyalty among those in his employ.”
A leader in United Way in times past, he has also served as the chair of the Knoxville Zoo, the Charter Commission years ago, and other many other community organizations – a perfect example of a life well lived. The same is true for Ann, an icon in women’s athletics, active in her community, and devout in her faith. Retired UT Women’s Athletic Director Joan Cronan, an ardent goodwill ambassador for the University, is among Ann’s many friends. “She is a woman of firsts! A great mentor, a dedicated Christian, and, along with Pat [Summitt], one of the two most competitive women I have ever known.”
On February 27th of 2026, Sam and Ann, adding to numerous other accolades, were honored as Heroes by the Museum of Appalachia, joining the likes of Howard Baker, Alex Haley, and those few others who have successfully embraced the ideals of East Tennessee. In the fraternity, Sam and I are called brothers. He has truly been like a big brother to all of us who have benefitted from his friendship. So, Sam, this is a tribute to you and the life you have led – a role model to those you have touched along the way. And the same is true for Ann, the Sweetheart of Phi Delta Theta and the lifelong partner of the old auctioneer. Thank you, Ann, for being a leader, a dear friend, and a legendary trailblazer in women’s sports.
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