The University of Tennessee at Knoxville will ask the UT System Board of Trustees to name one of the newest buildings on campus after UT trustee and former PepsiCo President John Compton and his wife, Cindy Compton.
The Student Success Building is scheduled to open by fall 2027 on the state's flagship campus following an undisclosed donation from the couple. The $108 million building will be named the Compton Center for Student Success, pending approval from the board during its Oct. 15-16 fall meeting.
John Compton has chaired the UT System board since he was appointed by former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam in 2018, the same year Haslam scaled back the number of board members through the UT FOCUS Act. The former governor now serves on the same board.
Compton is a Knoxville native and graduated with a finance degree from UT in 1983 before landing a job at PepsiCo the same year. He started out making cookies for Frito Lay and worked his way up the company ladder before serving as vice chairman and president of Frito-Lay North America.
Compton also served as CEO of PepsiCo Americas Foods and later as the company's president before leaving in 2012 and returning to Knoxville for a short stint as chief executive of Pilot Flying J.
In 2013, Compton joined private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, where he still works as a partner while also serving as lead director of First Horizon Bank's board of directors.
Compton also has served as an "executive-in-residence lecturer" and on the Dean's Advisory Council for the Haslam College of Business, according to Chancellor Donde Plowman's letter of recommendation.
"(John and Cindy's) transformational commitment will provide vital academic program support and, as needed, help advance building construction, renovation, and long-term maintenance," Plowman said in her letter.
UT System President Randy Boyd will present the proposal to the board during its meeting.
Agenda documents describe Compton as a leader who "has kept students at the heart of the Board’s work and challenged the University to focus not only on access to a University of Tennessee education, but also on ensuring that students have the support, opportunities, and experiences they need to succeed."
The Compton Center for Student Success is being built in place of the demolished Melrose Hall next to the John C. Hodges Library. Once complete, it will house the Division of Student Success, University Honors and several other academic centers.
The proposed naming of the Student Success Building continues a recent trend of honoring major donors, university leaders and longtime supporters through building and college names, including:
- Randy Boyd Hall (2026)
- Charles and Julie Wharton Chemistry Building (2025)
- Frank Winston College of Law and Building (2025)
- John H. McLeod Food Science Building (2025)
- Natalie L. Haslam College of Music (2024)
Just down the hill from the Compton Center for Student Success, Randy Boyd Hall is also scheduled to open in fall 2027, giving the area two major new buildings named for two of the most influential contemporary UT leaders.
Boyd's term as UT System president was extended in 2024 to 2030, which is the same year Compton's term on the board is set to expire.
Keenan Thomas is the higher education reporter for Knox News. Email: keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee wants $108M building named for one of its own
