July 11, 2025 • 34 mins
What does it take to go from a 9-year-old girl excluded from Little League to breaking barriers at every turn? Ann Furrow's story captivates from the moment she recalls picking up a sawed-off golf club and deciding if boys wouldn't let her play their games, she'd excel at her own.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Check us out to hear the latest on life in the
volunteer state.
Yvonca and her guests discusseverything from life, love and
business with a Tennessee flair.
It's a Tennessee thing, alwaysrelatable, always relevant and
always a good time.
This is Talkin' Tennessee, andnow your host, yvonca.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This episode is brought to you by the Landis
team, your go-to real estatefamily in East Tennessee.
If you are looking to buy orsell, we are the ones you should
call.
Give us a call at 865-660-1186or check out our website at
YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom.
That's Yvonca Y-V-O-N-N-C-ASellsRealEstatecom.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonca.
I am your host and I'm herewith a dear friend, ann Farrow.
Welcome to Talking Tennessee,thank you.
I'm glad to be here.
Thank you so much, so much.
(01:10):
Viewers, let me just say I'mfanning out on this one because
this person has done so much inher life and she's paved the way
for so many women and men thatwhen you agreed to accept the
invitation, I'll never forgethanging up and I was like, yes,
yes, I really wanted to talk tosomebody that has inspired me
from afar and that I've alwaysjust like what would she be like
(01:32):
?
What would she say to me?
So thank you so much for comingto Talkin' Tennessee.
It's my joy, my pleasure.
So who is Ann Farrell?
Who is that person?
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Well, I have been a very, very fortunate person.
Okay, because my life has beenso blessed and so bountiful and
so wonderful.
I can't tell you how blessed Ihave been.
God has been really good to me.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I know that you are a woman of faith and you pride
yourself in philanthropybuilding up your community,
making a difference.
Let's start from the beginning.
What was it like living andgrowing up in Maryville?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
That's a little bit of heaven, and it still is a
wonderful community.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
I know, you know that , yes, I love.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Maryville, but everybody because of the plant
and alcohol.
Everybody was pretty equal.
Great school systems becauseeverybody was upwardly, mobile
and wanting to get better theirlives and the community was so
supportive of me in everythingthat I did.
Great teachers it was just anunbelievable place to grow up.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
So you grew up and let's talk about you.
Know your mom.
What did your mom inspire inyou at a very young age of just
where you needed to go?
What did you need to do?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Well, my mother was the math teacher, algebra
teacher at the high school.
Okay, very demanding, okay,high expectations of everyone.
Our kids would go to MIT andDuke and Vanderbilt, I mean,
that's where they wereencouraged to go and she was
there to support them.
I tell a lot of people when shedied well, she died going into
(03:21):
my senior year of high school.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I was about to say how old were you when you lost
your mom?
Just turned 17.
17.
Yeah Well, let me say this,viewers, when I met Ms Ann, we
had a conversation.
We were just talking, and shetold me about losing her mom,
and that was one of the thingsthat connected me to her,
because I lost my mom at a veryyoung age, not as young as you.
(03:44):
But losing your mom, it caneither build you strong or you
can truly, truly go through somethings that hold you back, and
it sounds like that you got somethings from your mom before she
died that helped build you as awoman.
Can you talk about those?
Oh yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I think I told you this story because I thought it
was so wonderful.
When she died, a student,anonymous student, wrote a
letter to the editor and theletter to the editor was
entitled Battling Bell.
Her name was Bell Baker, okay,and found out a little bit later
who wrote that letter to theeditor was Lamar Alexander, oh,
wow.
Our governor senator and alllike that.
(04:27):
My mother really was anencourager of him, but just
battling Bell and I guess I kindof inherited some of those
traits.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
I don't know.
So, did she talk about you know?
Hey, of course she talked aboutyour education and, you know,
having a strong education.
Did she talk about communitywith you?
Well, she participated.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
I mean she really was involved and encouraged the
kids so much.
And I saw it, I just saw it.
It was an innate thing for mewhen Sam and I got married and I
was involved is to participatein your community.
And again, I have been soblessed that I've had so many
doors opened that I could beinvolved.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes.
Well then, your mom taught youwell because, viewers, you're
about to hear a story that'sunbelievable.
The next question is who andwhat inspired you to start
playing golf at nine years old?
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Well, I grew up in a neighborhood of boys Okay, and I
think this is really important,people know this but I played
with boys all the time.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I did too.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Everything, Everything.
Tennis, basketball, ping pong,croquet, Anything you could
compete in.
We competed from early morningto late at night.
They gave me no advantage.
Most of the boys were a littlebit older than I was and I
really would get offended.
There were a couple of boys ayear younger than I was.
They gave them an advantage,but they would not give me any
(05:58):
advantage.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
I think I told you I grew up in Harriman, tennessee,
and there was a park the park isnamed after my grandfather now,
but back then it wasn't.
And we would go up to the parkevery day, oh yeah, and my mom
and dad would say don't let thestreetlight catch you, you
better be home before dark.
And so we were like you.
We played.
You know basketball every sportyou can think of softball
(06:23):
everything in the park.
And the boys basketball everysport you can think of softball
everything in the park.
And the boys yes, I playedbasketball with boys.
I think that's what reallyconditioned my body Because, if
you think about it, you knowyou're playing, you're trying to
beat these boys because youdon't want it to say, oh, that's
just a girl playing.
You know that type thing.
But when you were nine yearsold you decided to be a golfer.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Well, what happened was the boys went off to play
Little League, and guess what?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
You didn't have anything to do.
I couldn't play Little League,I was a girl.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yes, and if you've talked to Joan Krohn and she
said that's when she really gotinto sports, I mean knowing I'm
going to make a difference inwomen's athletics.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yes, most definitely.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, and so my dad was a weekend golfer not very
good.
I pulled his golf cart a fewtimes and then he bought me a
sawed-off driver and I startedplaying and by 10, I'd won the
nine-hole women's tournament andby 11, I was playing the Knox
area and the state and women's.
(07:22):
I played no junior thingsexcept the national junior and
the western junior.
Other than that, everything.
So, you just fell in love withgolf.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, I was good at it, okay, and I love competition
and it gave me something to doand I hear people say you know
not to teach your kidscompetition, and I don't agree
with that because there'scompetition in the world In
everything, in everything you do.
You know not to teach your kidscompetition, and I don't agree
with that because there'scompetition in the world In
everything, in everything you do.
You know.
And yes, I do get when peoplesay you know it shouldn't be all
(07:54):
about competition, but you haveto teach your kids how to
compete, because in jobs, ineverything we do, there is
competition.
And so at nine years old youdecided okay, you wanted to play
golf, you wanted to compete,you wanted to achieve.
And you kept achieving yearafter year.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Yeah, I don't know that I wanted to achieve, I just
wanted to do well.
My goal has always been to dothe very best I can do, and so
it was never oh gosh, I'm goingto go win this or that or
whatever.
It really wasn't until, let methink, if there were some
tournaments.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
I wanted to no there was.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
I could tell you that story later.
Go ahead, no, no, it's later on.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yes, I'll tell you that I was always taught in
school and out of school,especially with my grandfather
being an educator and, and youknow, he was the very first
black principal in Harriman, andso he taught a lot of people
and the stakes was high becauseme being his grandkid, a
granddaughter, it was likeeverybody was looking at me and
(08:58):
my brother and sister, you know,and every flaw they pointed out
.
But the biggest thing mygrandfather taught me was do
everything in excellence.
He said do not worry aboutaccomplishments, do not worry
about accolades, don't worryabout anything.
Those things come, he said.
Those things will come, he said, but you should never do
anything.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Less than your best.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Less than your best, and everything that I do.
I teach my kids that is.
Know that you did your best andyou know what, and let the
rocks fall you know, that typething.
Can you walk us through thejourney of playing local to
earning a full scholarship?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
golf scholarship.
Well, again, I told you, godhas blessed my life.
It's unbelievable.
I had won at 16,.
I won the women's state.
I won the national WesternJunior at 16.
At 16?
Yeah, at 17,.
I was expected to.
I was one of the top juniors inthe country, one of the top two
(09:58):
or three or something like thatExpected to win the national
junior and my mother died inJuly.
The tournament in August andit's the first time my dad had
ever gone with me to tournaments.
I've always had the women inKnoxville were fabulous and
Maryville were just fabulous tome and they, you know,
(10:18):
shepherded me and took me in andwere nice to me.
That wasn't always the the case.
All my junior friends said, oh,those women are really ugly to
me.
No, the women were just reallynice to me.
So my dad and I went up toBuffalo, new York, for the
National Junior.
I was expected to win.
I lost in the first round.
I was disappointed.
(10:41):
Yeah, I bet you were.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Was you in shock?
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Well, you know, I don't remember that.
I just know I was so mad and soangry that I had let Maryville
down.
I'd let my friends, I'd letpeople down, and the next week
was the national amateur.
Where it was, it was the topwoman's amateur tournament in
the world.
They came from all over.
Well, by darn, I said, nobody'sgoing to beat me.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
And after you had that loss you said nobody's
going to beat me.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
I did and I had this seat that I had with me, that I
can still feel it.
It was very slow play, and so Iwould walk down the fairway
with that seat that you know youcould stick in the ground, that
you'd open up and rest when youwere having to wait, and I'd
walk down that fairway and saynobody's going to beat me,
nobody's going to beat me.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
So you talked yourself through, you spoke
affirmations in yourself, nobodywas going to beat you.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Well it kept me focused.
And then I was runner-up in theNational Amateur to Joanne
Karner, big Mama, big Mama, bigMama Won the National Amateur to
Joanne Karner, big Mama, bigMama, big Mama won the National
Amateur five times in a row,turned pro, was a Hall of Famer,
fabulous, fabulous golfer andbecause of that I was the number
(11:56):
one junior in the country andthe tenth woman in the country.
And the SEC had just passed arule saying women.
In 1962 they passed a rulesaying women could play varsity
men's sports no contact, butvarsity tennis, basketball,
tennis, golf, maybe swimming, Idon't know, but no contact.
(12:18):
Well, I'm from Maryville.
The newspapers had been so goodto me, I mean they had promoted
the heck out of it.
They don't promote individualsnow much unless you play
football or basketball, maybe alittle softball, but oh they,
you know I was promoted big,well, number one junior golfer
in the country, living righthere, and UT offered me a full
(12:39):
athletic men's scholarship.
Four, years.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Let's talk about that .
That was going to be.
My next thing is tell me whatthat was like when you got your
letter saying you got a fullscholarship.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Well, I, what happened was Bowden Wyatt, who
was from Kingston, tennessee.
Actually, it was my neck of thewoods.
Yeah, yeah, uh, was the actingathletic director.
He'd been the head footballcoach and he's the one that
called me up and said Ann, we'dlike to meet you at Dean Hill
Country Club, and I don't knowthat.
They told me they were going togive me a full scholarship.
Maybe they did, but we theywe'd like to talk to you.
(13:15):
Okay, and because my mother hadjust died, that gave me a
wonderful opportunity to stayhome near my father.
Okay, and you did not havebeing the number one junior in
the country.
You had no opportunity.
Girls, I know I say this allthe time.
Girls now have no idea what itwas like back in my day.
(13:39):
Yes, I agree, I would have afull ride to every school in the
country now if I was the numberone junior.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And I do agree with you when it comes to a lot of
girls of today do not realizehow hard that was back then.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Well, girls weren't given the opportunity.
I agree, there were no women'sathletics departments, there was
no Title IX, there was nothing.
But you know, I got this littlebone that said, well, I could
play on the men's golf team if Iwanted to, you know, on
scholarship.
Well, anyway, that only lastedtwo years.
The SEC passed a rule sayingwomen could not play varsity
men's sports.
(14:20):
Those of us already onscholarship or already involved
could finish out our eligibility.
So you got to finish it.
I represented UT in otherthings, but not in competition,
after my sophomore year and Imade the freshman team.
I was third person Varsity team, I was like seventh or eighth
(14:42):
person and you know, I don'tknow what I would have been.
But you know what God is so, sogood.
He gave me the opportunity tobe involved in the time, to be
involved in the campus at UT andI was heavily involved in
things at UT and sorority andgovernment, student government
and all.
So I had it both ways.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Most definitely, you lost your mom at a young age,
but the community, your dad anddifferent people rallied around
you to get you through it.
So let's bring marriage in it.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Marriage marriage, marriage, okay.
So when did you and Sam.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
tell us how Well Y'all met.
Tell us how you got married.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Tell us it all I told you I was very active very
involved.
I was sweetheart of Phi DeltaTheta fraternity at UT.
Okay Sam started Phi DeltaTheta fraternity at UT.
Okay Sam started Phi DeltaTheta fraternity.
He's three and a half yearsolder than I am.
He's bond number one.
He started Phi Delta at UT.
I had class every morning at 8o'clock, advanced calculus, five
(15:49):
days a week with Andy Holt Jr,or Andy Holt.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
And I go in his building a lot.
Well, this is his dad'sbuilding, yes, his dad's
building, yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
And so Andy and I got to know each other well and he,
when I was a sophomore, saidwould you be sweetheart?
He was a Fidel.
Okay, he pledged Fidel.
And he said would you besweetheart of Fidel?
And I said, well, yeah, thatsounds nice.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I'll do that and I loved it.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I had a great time.
I loved it.
Sam was in the service, cameback, was working with his
father in Sweetwater, sweetwater.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Yeah, that's where his father lived.
That's where my dad was from.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Oh, really yes.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Okay, see, I told you we got a lot of connections.
Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Anyway, he was advisor to the fraternity, so on
Monday nights or whatever, hewould come and advise the
fraternity.
One day I had lunch with him atthe house and about a month
later one of the guys said youknow, it was time for me to give
up being sweetheart.
And he said well, who would youlike to take you to the formal?
And I said, well, Sammy JoeFurrow would be nice, and his
(16:54):
legal name was Sammy Joe Furrowwould be nice and his legal name
was Sammy Joe Furrow.
Okay, and it's another storyI'll tell you.
But so he called me up.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
So you got to pick the person that would take you.
That would take me, Did youlike?
What made you pick?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Well, I'd had lunch with him.
I'd only had lunch with him.
I missed that little part.
I'd had lunch with him one day,okay, and so I thought he'd be
good.
And I knew him.
He was very well respected oncampus.
He was cadet colonel, you know,spare being.
He just was a leader on campusand a good guy At a very young
age.
And so he called and said wouldyou go out to dinner?
(17:30):
Before with the former, I said,sure, that'd be great, went out
to dinner and he bought thecouple next to us.
I kind of knew the couple, itwas their anniversary.
He bought their dinner for them.
I thought, well, that's agenerous guy, that's a nice guy.
And I went back in the dormthat night, told my roommate I'd
lived with her for three years,she'd gone through everything
with me, and I said that's whoI'm going to marry Really.
(17:53):
And we went out every nightfrom then until we got married.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
So y'all went on two dates.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Well, we had one quick little lunch and then went
out to dinner With the couple.
No, no, they just had to besitting next to us.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Oh, they were sitting next to us.
We were at Riga's.
He didn't even know them.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
They were my friends Guy Ray Henderson from Maryland
Tennessee.
And you knew that that wasgoing to be your husband, I said
immediately to my roommate.
I said that's who I'm going tomarry.
He must have felt the same waybecause we went out every night
until and I graduated early.
I graduated in March and we gotmarried the next April, so I
got married at 21.
(18:28):
I was 21.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
At 21 years old, you had went through playing golf,
you know, graduating fromUniversity of Tennessee, and now
you're married.
Yeah, what was it like startingout at that young age?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Well, Sam was in law school he is when we met.
Two weeks after we met he saidI'm going to go to law school
and he happened to know the deanof the law school and he got in
the law school.
He got in.
Yeah, he played basketball withthe Dean's son and so he got in
law school.
(19:04):
So he was in law school and Iwas going to go to work, and
when I was a senior I thinkyou'll appreciate this when I
was okay, we'd met and he saidyou know what am I going to do?
I was a math major until my.
Once I met him, I.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
He said you know, what am I going to do?
Speaker 4 (19:17):
I was a math major.
Once I met him, I droppedadvanced something, something I
couldn't.
I was going to fail it.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
He said let me drop it real quick.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Yeah, drop it real quick so I don't fail it.
Anyway, just one day Sam said,well, have you thought about
real estate, would you?
And I thought, well, that'd besomething I could do using my
contacts, people I knew in thearea.
Gives me freedom to do what Iwant to do.
I don't have to sit behind adesk and all like that, right.
So I got my license before Igraduated from high school, I
(19:44):
mean from college, before Igraduated.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
So you got your real estate license coming out of
college, yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Okay, I already had it and went with the firm
Wallace.
Wallace Great, I already had itand went with the firm Wallace.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Wallace, great firm Still is, still is.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
But they dealt locally in kind of Squaw Hills,
westmoreland that area.
Until about two years later andSam was in law school.
But Sam was still working, hewas still doing lots of auctions
everywhere.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Okay, that's where Farrell auctioned later on, but
he was doing auctions before,even in college.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Oh yeah, wow, in college he was doing auctions In
law school.
He was doing auctions Really alot of the country over the
country.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
That was smart for you to go into real estate
knowing that you're alreadydoing auctions.
Yeah, and I thought I couldhelp too.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It just gave me freedom to do what I wanted to
do.
It just gave me freedom to dowhat I wanted to do, and so we
started our lives doing that.
And then one day I knew ChesterMassey and he called me up and
said I want to develop aresidential area around a new
golf course out in WestKnoxville out in West Knoxville.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Before you tell that story everybody, this is a big
throwback to what truly happenedin this subdivision, because a
lot of people don't know.
Oh, a lot of people have noidea how it was done, so I want
people to know listen closely,go ahead.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Well, we went around, Chester said would you be the
broker?
And I got my broker's licenseand I said yeah, that would be
good.
And we went around, traveledaround with his daughter and all
, and maybe his wife didn't come, but looking at, like Quail
Hollow in Charlotte, I think, orjust places where you have a
(21:32):
residential area around a golfcourse, hired a guy named
Willard Bird.
I walked to the Fox Den when itwas a farm.
Did y'all hear it?
Speaker 3 (21:41):
It was Fox Den.
He called her to help developit and be the broker of this
development.
So Fox Den, for the viewersthat don't know, is one of the
most established subdivision inKnoxville's history.
Fox Den is so well loved tothis day and what I love about
(22:07):
Fox Den is that none of thehouses look the same.
No, none of the houses look thesame and there's character in
those houses and there's so manydifferent amazing stories that
come out of those houses.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Now keep going.
Well, so I did.
I think I told you driving,because I was driving down here
today I thought God, foxden wasa long way down there, because
nobody went to Foxden.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
And so we developed it, sold lots, sold memberships
Anyway, and I stayed thereprobably for three years until I
had children and three or fouryears.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
So she was brokering and developing Fox Den and
everything else, and thenchildren came.
Children came.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
How many children do you have?
We just have two.
We have a daughter, LeanneTolsman, who runs the car
dealerships.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
They've been great kids, both of them, and she's
amazing.
Yeah, great kids.
Well, they're not kids now gosh.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
I think our kids will always be kids, because I still
call my kids Adrienne's 31, andshe's still my kid.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I think it's just that way with moms Leanne is 54,
and Jay's 52, so I don't thinkthey're kids anymore, but both
of them were wonderful.
Growing up.
I really never had any issues,problems or whatever Heavily
involved in everything they did,as you I'm sure were.
They were athletes, they playedsports and government,
Something that you don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
my husband and Jay played against each other.
Yes, way back when Really yes.
So David was like.
You've got to make sure youtell her that I used to play
against her son.
Yeah, he was a bearded man andhe always because David was at
Farragut.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Oh yeah, but they definitely played each other.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
So he was like be sure to tell her that.
So being a mom and finding yourway, as I mean, when you're a
broker, you're an entrepreneur.
You are self-employed, You'rean entrepreneur.
What was that like back then?
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Well, when I got my license, there were very few
women.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Very few.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
It was Laverne Pryor, bea Corbett.
Yes, and maybebett yes.
And I may be about it.
Yes, laverne had her own office.
Bea worked for, I think,volunteer Realty.
She did, yeah, and there justweren't many women at all.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
No, and now they're.
You know it's a majority.
There's a lot of women in realestate now, but I'll tell you,
even when I came in at 25 yearsago, it was a man's industry.
It really was, and it wasn'tthe easiest to come into.
I'll never forget one of thefirst deals because I'm a hard
negotiator and so I'll neverforget trying to negotiate a
(24:53):
deal with a guy and thegentleman literally said to me
you really think that you'regoing to beat me at negotiations
?
He laughs to this day Becauseevery time we sit he goes you
beat me at negotiations.
Yeah so, but what was it liketrying to build a family and
find your?
I mean, you already had anidentity in golf and in all the
(25:15):
different sports, and then nowyou're in real estate there's an
identity.
What was it like trying tobring all that together and
balance?
Speaker 4 (25:21):
it.
I've always said if you're agood athlete and if you play
golf well, men really treat youquite well.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
That's true, they think that you're their equal,
almost yes.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Well, maybe don't, but at least they make me think
that.
But you know I never had anyissues with that.
And then at one point Sam saidhe really wanted me to stay home
and not work.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
So what was that like when he said okay, I want you
to stay home and just be a mom?
Speaker 4 (25:53):
Well, I didn't resent it, which is amazing.
And see, Sam, I quit golf afterwe got married.
I won the state a couple oftimes.
I wanted to win for him andthen I quit golf.
So I was not playing golf.
That's so sweet to say.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I wanted to win for him and then I quit golf, so I
was not playing golf.
That's so sweet to say.
I wanted to win for him.
I did.
I know that feeling becausethere's things that I have
accomplished.
It was more to make my husbandproud, yeah, and I don't think
people would admit that, butit's okay.
You want your husband to beproud of you.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Go ahead Anyway.
So I had been appointed to theBoard of Trustees when I was 26.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
26.
University of.
Tennessee, 26 years old.
How did that?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
happen.
That's an unbelievable story.
Okay, we've always been.
I was always well, we both wereinvolved in politics, and Lamar
Alexander is one of our verybest friends.
He was in our wedding.
His mother was my kindergartenteacher and nursery school
teacher.
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
And as I'd already told you mom taught him.
I was about to say your momreally liked him.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Yeah, and our families were close and we just
were always kind of involved inpolitics.
When Winfield Dunn ran forgovernor first, anyway, lamar
had already gone to WashingtonWashington I think he was with
Bryce Harlow, he in the Nixonadministration, okay, and he
(27:16):
then said I'm going to come backand run Winfield Dunn's
campaign.
And he asked Sam had justgraduated from law school and he
said would you come over andwork for me?
Well, you've got some time now.
Would you come over and workfor me?
You've got some time now.
Would you come over and helprun the campaign?
So Sam did that.
Winfield won, first Republicanto win, since in 100 years, 150
(27:37):
years, democrats always ran thecampaign.
So y'all was in shock, probably,Well sort of but anyway,
Winfield won, and maybe a yearwent by I don't know exactly
what and one day Sam came inwith a newspaper.
I was still in bed, thismorning newspaper, when you had
morning papers on Anyway he camein and he says look, you're not
(27:59):
going to believe this.
And there on the front page itsaid Ann Becker-Furrow to be
appointed to the UT board.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
What so you didn't?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
know.
No, I didn't Never asked.
Never A lot of people lobbiedfor that job.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
So it ran in the paper and that's how you found
out, mm-hmm oh wow.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
And that afternoon Winfield called and said would I
like to be a University ofTennessee trustee?
And I said I would be honored.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
That's amazing.
Yeah, that's a big deal.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Well, I'll tell you that you won't win anyway.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Well, I found out a few years, oh, five years ago, I
guess.
Winfield just died, I think inthe last year or two.
But great guy, great guy.
And there was somebody elsethat wanted the position.
That was a very prominentperson and he drove across the
state to see this person and sayI'm not going to appoint you,
(28:54):
I'm going to appoint Ann.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
And that's why he didn't call me until that
afternoon, until he had died andit already ran because he
wanted to tell the other personthat he was going to pick you.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
I guess I don't know, but it was in the paper They'd
let it go to the paper so.
I went on the board at 26.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
And I bet you, sam, was so proud.
Well, I don't know.
I don't know Because itprobably took you out of the
house.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
No, it really wasn't.
So how long did you serve?
I served for 18 years.
18 years.
Then, lamar, when he becamegovernor, he reappointed me, but
I was the first woman and theyoungest person ever appointed.
So everybody laughed and saidyou're going to be in there with
all those cigars smoking oldmen.
(29:37):
Well, guess what?
You're right.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I sat next to cigars smoking old men.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yes, but again, they were very nice to me and I never
felt again.
I think it goes back to that Icould beat them in golf.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Yeah.
So what was it like?
You know, because nowadays youhear people talk about, you know
a seat at the table.
I want to be at the table andthis is me I had.
I heard a gentleman say I wantto own the table and I was like,
own the table.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I never heard anyone say that.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
And I said I just feel like if you have a seat at
the table, it's a duty to bringsubstance to a table that can
help, you know, make whateversuccessful, and it's not about
what seat you have or whatever,it's just doing your part.
What do you think about that?
Speaker 4 (30:32):
well, I think you just do what.
I think I got appointed when Iwas a woman, when I was young,
when I was an athlete, so Irepresented those areas.
I did chair the academic andacademic affairs committee for
nine years, so that all camethrough my committee so being a
woman.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
She's saying she knew that certain things, that her
being a woman, that is a plus.
So to women out there I wouldsay you know it's okay, it
doesn't matter.
You know I'll say in myposition that I'm like, okay if
(31:09):
the whole room is men.
Okay, that doesn't mean I can'tbe in that room.
And you showed that you canhang with that same crew with
the cigars and still getsomething done.
So what was that?
Like you know, being on thatboard and making decisions.
Did they ever give you a hardtime on your opinion?
(31:33):
No, they didn't.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
No, never, you know, I'm not a, I don't stir the pot
a whole lot.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Right, right, I go through the correct, correct
channels, channels, and you pickyour battles Right.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
And now the women's athletics.
Title IX came in in 72.
Ut had the Board of Trusteeshad a committee to study women's
athletics.
Where did we want that to behoused?
That was a big decision, a hugedecision.
Should we be separate from themen or should we be part of the
(32:07):
men decision?
Should we be separate from themen or should we be part of the
men?
And Dr Bowling did not want thewomen to take any money away
from the men, so we ended upbeing separate.
Well, that was a blessing,Unbelievable.
We were one of five Division Ischools that ran their own show.
We had our own athleticdirector, as you know, Ms Cronin
(32:28):
and Gloria Ray Fabulous, yes.
And we had Pat Summitt, whichhelped a whole lot.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
And Terry.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
Hull, who also won a national track title.
But there was so much pride inthe Lady Vols, so much, and I
will say this, and I always saythis Dr Bowling became one of
the biggest supporters of thewomen's athletics department.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
So they wanted it separated because they didn't
want money to be taken away fromthe men.
But they didn't realize theybasically started women's
athletics and starting it on abigger platform.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Giving us control of our own destiny.
Now the men still reported tothe president of the system, we
reported to the chancellor ofthe system, the women reported
to the chancellor of the system.
Howard Allman was our go-to andI can't remember who the
chancellor was.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
But anyway, just so much support for the women, so
viewers do you hear how, overtime working and sweat equity
too, sweat equity and just beingin the room and trying to build
up, and opportunities came,opportunities came, even when it
was meaning for the bad to notlet women have a portion of the
(33:44):
money, but it really opened upso many bigger things.
So that's why I always say Iwill always say God always has a
plan and no matter what manthinks it's supposed to be, god
will always rise up.
So tune in to part two ofTalking Tennessee with Yvonca,
(34:04):
next Friday with Ms Ann Farrow,my friend.
Bye, guys.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Thanks for listening to Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonca
.
Watch out for our weeklyepisodes from the First Family
of Real Estate and check us outon the web
wwwyvoncasalesrealestatecom.
See our videos on Yvonca'sYouTube channel or find us on
Facebook under Yavonca Landisand Twitter at Yavonca Landis,
(34:34):
and don't forget to tell afriend about us.
Until next time.
Yavonca signing off.
Check us out to hear the latest on life in the
volunteer state.
Yvonca and her guests discusseverything from life, love and
business with a Tennessee flair.
It's a Tennessee thing, alwaysrelatable, always relevant and
always a good time.
This is Talkin' Tennessee, andnow your host, yvonca.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This episode is brought to you by the Landis
team, your go-to real estatefamily in East Tennessee.
If you are looking to buy orsell, we are the ones you should
call.
Give us a call at 865-660-1186or check out our website at
YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom.
That's Yvonca Y-V-O-N-N-C-ASellsRealEstatecom.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonca.
I am your host and I'm herewith a dear friend, ann Farrow.
Welcome to Talking Tennessee,thank you.
I'm glad to be here.
Thank you so much, so much.
(01:10):
Viewers, let me just say I'mfanning out on this one because
this person has done so much inher life and she's paved the way
for so many women and men thatwhen you agreed to accept the
invitation, I'll never forgethanging up and I was like, yes,
yes, I really wanted to talk tosomebody that has inspired me
from afar and that I've alwaysjust like what would she be like
(01:32):
?
What would she say to me?
So thank you so much for comingto Talkin' Tennessee.
It's my joy, my pleasure.
So who is Ann Farrell?
Who is that person?
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Well, I have been a very, very fortunate person.
Okay, because my life has beenso blessed and so bountiful and
so wonderful.
I can't tell you how blessed Ihave been.
God has been really good to me.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I know that you are a woman of faith and you pride
yourself in philanthropybuilding up your community,
making a difference.
Let's start from the beginning.
What was it like living andgrowing up in Maryville?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
That's a little bit of heaven, and it still is a
wonderful community.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
I know, you know that , yes, I love.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Maryville, but everybody because of the plant
and alcohol.
Everybody was pretty equal.
Great school systems becauseeverybody was upwardly, mobile
and wanting to get better theirlives and the community was so
supportive of me in everythingthat I did.
Great teachers it was just anunbelievable place to grow up.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
So you grew up and let's talk about you.
Know your mom.
What did your mom inspire inyou at a very young age of just
where you needed to go?
What did you need to do?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Well, my mother was the math teacher, algebra
teacher at the high school.
Okay, very demanding, okay,high expectations of everyone.
Our kids would go to MIT andDuke and Vanderbilt, I mean,
that's where they wereencouraged to go and she was
there to support them.
I tell a lot of people when shedied well, she died going into
(03:21):
my senior year of high school.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I was about to say how old were you when you lost
your mom?
Just turned 17.
17.
Yeah Well, let me say this,viewers, when I met Ms Ann, we
had a conversation.
We were just talking, and shetold me about losing her mom,
and that was one of the thingsthat connected me to her,
because I lost my mom at a veryyoung age, not as young as you.
(03:44):
But losing your mom, it caneither build you strong or you
can truly, truly go through somethings that hold you back, and
it sounds like that you got somethings from your mom before she
died that helped build you as awoman.
Can you talk about those?
Oh yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I think I told you this story because I thought it
was so wonderful.
When she died, a student,anonymous student, wrote a
letter to the editor and theletter to the editor was
entitled Battling Bell.
Her name was Bell Baker, okay,and found out a little bit later
who wrote that letter to theeditor was Lamar Alexander, oh,
wow.
Our governor senator and alllike that.
(04:27):
My mother really was anencourager of him, but just
battling Bell and I guess I kindof inherited some of those
traits.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
I don't know.
So, did she talk about you know?
Hey, of course she talked aboutyour education and, you know,
having a strong education.
Did she talk about communitywith you?
Well, she participated.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
I mean she really was involved and encouraged the
kids so much.
And I saw it, I just saw it.
It was an innate thing for mewhen Sam and I got married and I
was involved is to participatein your community.
And again, I have been soblessed that I've had so many
doors opened that I could beinvolved.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes.
Well then, your mom taught youwell because, viewers, you're
about to hear a story that'sunbelievable.
The next question is who andwhat inspired you to start
playing golf at nine years old?
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Well, I grew up in a neighborhood of boys Okay, and I
think this is really important,people know this but I played
with boys all the time.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I did too.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Everything, Everything.
Tennis, basketball, ping pong,croquet, Anything you could
compete in.
We competed from early morningto late at night.
They gave me no advantage.
Most of the boys were a littlebit older than I was and I
really would get offended.
There were a couple of boys ayear younger than I was.
They gave them an advantage,but they would not give me any
(05:58):
advantage.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
I think I told you I grew up in Harriman, tennessee,
and there was a park the park isnamed after my grandfather now,
but back then it wasn't.
And we would go up to the parkevery day, oh yeah, and my mom
and dad would say don't let thestreetlight catch you, you
better be home before dark.
And so we were like you.
We played.
You know basketball every sportyou can think of softball
(06:23):
everything in the park.
And the boys basketball everysport you can think of softball
everything in the park.
And the boys yes, I playedbasketball with boys.
I think that's what reallyconditioned my body Because, if
you think about it, you knowyou're playing, you're trying to
beat these boys because youdon't want it to say, oh, that's
just a girl playing.
You know that type thing.
But when you were nine yearsold you decided to be a golfer.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Well, what happened was the boys went off to play
Little League, and guess what?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
You didn't have anything to do.
I couldn't play Little League,I was a girl.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yes, and if you've talked to Joan Krohn and she
said that's when she really gotinto sports, I mean knowing I'm
going to make a difference inwomen's athletics.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yes, most definitely.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, and so my dad was a weekend golfer not very
good.
I pulled his golf cart a fewtimes and then he bought me a
sawed-off driver and I startedplaying and by 10, I'd won the
nine-hole women's tournament andby 11, I was playing the Knox
area and the state and women's.
(07:22):
I played no junior thingsexcept the national junior and
the western junior.
Other than that, everything.
So, you just fell in love withgolf.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, I was good at it, okay, and I love competition
and it gave me something to doand I hear people say you know
not to teach your kidscompetition, and I don't agree
with that because there'scompetition in the world In
everything, in everything you do.
You know not to teach your kidscompetition, and I don't agree
with that because there'scompetition in the world In
everything, in everything you do.
You know.
And yes, I do get when peoplesay you know it shouldn't be all
(07:54):
about competition, but you haveto teach your kids how to
compete, because in jobs, ineverything we do, there is
competition.
And so at nine years old youdecided okay, you wanted to play
golf, you wanted to compete,you wanted to achieve.
And you kept achieving yearafter year.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Yeah, I don't know that I wanted to achieve, I just
wanted to do well.
My goal has always been to dothe very best I can do, and so
it was never oh gosh, I'm goingto go win this or that or
whatever.
It really wasn't until, let methink, if there were some
tournaments.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
I wanted to no there was.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
I could tell you that story later.
Go ahead, no, no, it's later on.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yes, I'll tell you that I was always taught in
school and out of school,especially with my grandfather
being an educator and, and youknow, he was the very first
black principal in Harriman, andso he taught a lot of people
and the stakes was high becauseme being his grandkid, a
granddaughter, it was likeeverybody was looking at me and
(08:58):
my brother and sister, you know,and every flaw they pointed out
.
But the biggest thing mygrandfather taught me was do
everything in excellence.
He said do not worry aboutaccomplishments, do not worry
about accolades, don't worryabout anything.
Those things come, he said.
Those things will come, he said, but you should never do
anything.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Less than your best.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Less than your best, and everything that I do.
I teach my kids that is.
Know that you did your best andyou know what, and let the
rocks fall you know, that typething.
Can you walk us through thejourney of playing local to
earning a full scholarship?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
golf scholarship.
Well, again, I told you, godhas blessed my life.
It's unbelievable.
I had won at 16,.
I won the women's state.
I won the national WesternJunior at 16.
At 16?
Yeah, at 17,.
I was expected to.
I was one of the top juniors inthe country, one of the top two
(09:58):
or three or something like thatExpected to win the national
junior and my mother died inJuly.
The tournament in August andit's the first time my dad had
ever gone with me to tournaments.
I've always had the women inKnoxville were fabulous and
Maryville were just fabulous tome and they, you know,
(10:18):
shepherded me and took me in andwere nice to me.
That wasn't always the the case.
All my junior friends said, oh,those women are really ugly to
me.
No, the women were just reallynice to me.
So my dad and I went up toBuffalo, new York, for the
National Junior.
I was expected to win.
I lost in the first round.
I was disappointed.
(10:41):
Yeah, I bet you were.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Was you in shock?
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Well, you know, I don't remember that.
I just know I was so mad and soangry that I had let Maryville
down.
I'd let my friends, I'd letpeople down, and the next week
was the national amateur.
Where it was, it was the topwoman's amateur tournament in
the world.
They came from all over.
Well, by darn, I said, nobody'sgoing to beat me.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
And after you had that loss you said nobody's
going to beat me.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
I did and I had this seat that I had with me, that I
can still feel it.
It was very slow play, and so Iwould walk down the fairway
with that seat that you know youcould stick in the ground, that
you'd open up and rest when youwere having to wait, and I'd
walk down that fairway and saynobody's going to beat me,
nobody's going to beat me.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
So you talked yourself through, you spoke
affirmations in yourself, nobodywas going to beat you.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Well it kept me focused.
And then I was runner-up in theNational Amateur to Joanne
Karner, big Mama, big Mama, bigMama Won the National Amateur to
Joanne Karner, big Mama, bigMama, big Mama won the National
Amateur five times in a row,turned pro, was a Hall of Famer,
fabulous, fabulous golfer andbecause of that I was the number
(11:56):
one junior in the country andthe tenth woman in the country.
And the SEC had just passed arule saying women.
In 1962 they passed a rulesaying women could play varsity
men's sports no contact, butvarsity tennis, basketball,
tennis, golf, maybe swimming, Idon't know, but no contact.
(12:18):
Well, I'm from Maryville.
The newspapers had been so goodto me, I mean they had promoted
the heck out of it.
They don't promote individualsnow much unless you play
football or basketball, maybe alittle softball, but oh they,
you know I was promoted big,well, number one junior golfer
in the country, living righthere, and UT offered me a full
(12:39):
athletic men's scholarship.
Four, years.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Let's talk about that .
That was going to be.
My next thing is tell me whatthat was like when you got your
letter saying you got a fullscholarship.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Well, I, what happened was Bowden Wyatt, who
was from Kingston, tennessee.
Actually, it was my neck of thewoods.
Yeah, yeah, uh, was the actingathletic director.
He'd been the head footballcoach and he's the one that
called me up and said Ann, we'dlike to meet you at Dean Hill
Country Club, and I don't knowthat.
They told me they were going togive me a full scholarship.
Maybe they did, but we theywe'd like to talk to you.
(13:15):
Okay, and because my mother hadjust died, that gave me a
wonderful opportunity to stayhome near my father.
Okay, and you did not havebeing the number one junior in
the country.
You had no opportunity.
Girls, I know I say this allthe time.
Girls now have no idea what itwas like back in my day.
(13:39):
Yes, I agree, I would have afull ride to every school in the
country now if I was the numberone junior.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And I do agree with you when it comes to a lot of
girls of today do not realizehow hard that was back then.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Well, girls weren't given the opportunity.
I agree, there were no women'sathletics departments, there was
no Title IX, there was nothing.
But you know, I got this littlebone that said, well, I could
play on the men's golf team if Iwanted to, you know, on
scholarship.
Well, anyway, that only lastedtwo years.
The SEC passed a rule sayingwomen could not play varsity
men's sports.
(14:20):
Those of us already onscholarship or already involved
could finish out our eligibility.
So you got to finish it.
I represented UT in otherthings, but not in competition,
after my sophomore year and Imade the freshman team.
I was third person Varsity team, I was like seventh or eighth
(14:42):
person and you know, I don'tknow what I would have been.
But you know what God is so, sogood.
He gave me the opportunity tobe involved in the time, to be
involved in the campus at UT andI was heavily involved in
things at UT and sorority andgovernment, student government
and all.
So I had it both ways.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Most definitely, you lost your mom at a young age,
but the community, your dad anddifferent people rallied around
you to get you through it.
So let's bring marriage in it.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Marriage marriage, marriage, okay.
So when did you and Sam.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
tell us how Well Y'all met.
Tell us how you got married.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Tell us it all I told you I was very active very
involved.
I was sweetheart of Phi DeltaTheta fraternity at UT.
Okay Sam started Phi DeltaTheta fraternity at UT.
Okay Sam started Phi DeltaTheta fraternity.
He's three and a half yearsolder than I am.
He's bond number one.
He started Phi Delta at UT.
I had class every morning at 8o'clock, advanced calculus, five
(15:49):
days a week with Andy Holt Jr,or Andy Holt.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
And I go in his building a lot.
Well, this is his dad'sbuilding, yes, his dad's
building, yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
And so Andy and I got to know each other well and he,
when I was a sophomore, saidwould you be sweetheart?
He was a Fidel.
Okay, he pledged Fidel.
And he said would you besweetheart of Fidel?
And I said, well, yeah, thatsounds nice.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I'll do that and I loved it.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I had a great time.
I loved it.
Sam was in the service, cameback, was working with his
father in Sweetwater, sweetwater.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Yeah, that's where his father lived.
That's where my dad was from.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Oh, really yes.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Okay, see, I told you we got a lot of connections.
Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Anyway, he was advisor to the fraternity, so on
Monday nights or whatever, hewould come and advise the
fraternity.
One day I had lunch with him atthe house and about a month
later one of the guys said youknow, it was time for me to give
up being sweetheart.
And he said well, who would youlike to take you to the formal?
And I said, well, Sammy JoeFurrow would be nice, and his
(16:54):
legal name was Sammy Joe Furrowwould be nice and his legal name
was Sammy Joe Furrow.
Okay, and it's another storyI'll tell you.
But so he called me up.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
So you got to pick the person that would take you.
That would take me, Did youlike?
What made you pick?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Well, I'd had lunch with him.
I'd only had lunch with him.
I missed that little part.
I'd had lunch with him one day,okay, and so I thought he'd be
good.
And I knew him.
He was very well respected oncampus.
He was cadet colonel, you know,spare being.
He just was a leader on campusand a good guy At a very young
age.
And so he called and said wouldyou go out to dinner?
(17:30):
Before with the former, I said,sure, that'd be great, went out
to dinner and he bought thecouple next to us.
I kind of knew the couple, itwas their anniversary.
He bought their dinner for them.
I thought, well, that's agenerous guy, that's a nice guy.
And I went back in the dormthat night, told my roommate I'd
lived with her for three years,she'd gone through everything
with me, and I said that's whoI'm going to marry Really.
(17:53):
And we went out every nightfrom then until we got married.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
So y'all went on two dates.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Well, we had one quick little lunch and then went
out to dinner With the couple.
No, no, they just had to besitting next to us.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Oh, they were sitting next to us.
We were at Riga's.
He didn't even know them.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
They were my friends Guy Ray Henderson from Maryland
Tennessee.
And you knew that that wasgoing to be your husband, I said
immediately to my roommate.
I said that's who I'm going tomarry.
He must have felt the same waybecause we went out every night
until and I graduated early.
I graduated in March and we gotmarried the next April, so I
got married at 21.
(18:28):
I was 21.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
At 21 years old, you had went through playing golf,
you know, graduating fromUniversity of Tennessee, and now
you're married.
Yeah, what was it like startingout at that young age?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Well, Sam was in law school he is when we met.
Two weeks after we met he saidI'm going to go to law school
and he happened to know the deanof the law school and he got in
the law school.
He got in.
Yeah, he played basketball withthe Dean's son and so he got in
law school.
(19:04):
So he was in law school and Iwas going to go to work, and
when I was a senior I thinkyou'll appreciate this when I
was okay, we'd met and he saidyou know what am I going to do?
I was a math major until my.
Once I met him, I.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
He said you know, what am I going to do?
Speaker 4 (19:17):
I was a math major.
Once I met him, I droppedadvanced something, something I
couldn't.
I was going to fail it.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
He said let me drop it real quick.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Yeah, drop it real quick so I don't fail it.
Anyway, just one day Sam said,well, have you thought about
real estate, would you?
And I thought, well, that'd besomething I could do using my
contacts, people I knew in thearea.
Gives me freedom to do what Iwant to do.
I don't have to sit behind adesk and all like that, right.
So I got my license before Igraduated from high school, I
(19:44):
mean from college, before Igraduated.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
So you got your real estate license coming out of
college, yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Okay, I already had it and went with the firm
Wallace.
Wallace Great, I already had itand went with the firm Wallace.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Wallace, great firm Still is, still is.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
But they dealt locally in kind of Squaw Hills,
westmoreland that area.
Until about two years later andSam was in law school.
But Sam was still working, hewas still doing lots of auctions
everywhere.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Okay, that's where Farrell auctioned later on, but
he was doing auctions before,even in college.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Oh yeah, wow, in college he was doing auctions In
law school.
He was doing auctions Really alot of the country over the
country.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
That was smart for you to go into real estate
knowing that you're alreadydoing auctions.
Yeah, and I thought I couldhelp too.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
It just gave me freedom to do what I wanted to
do.
It just gave me freedom to dowhat I wanted to do, and so we
started our lives doing that.
And then one day I knew ChesterMassey and he called me up and
said I want to develop aresidential area around a new
golf course out in WestKnoxville out in West Knoxville.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Before you tell that story everybody, this is a big
throwback to what truly happenedin this subdivision, because a
lot of people don't know.
Oh, a lot of people have noidea how it was done, so I want
people to know listen closely,go ahead.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Well, we went around, Chester said would you be the
broker?
And I got my broker's licenseand I said yeah, that would be
good.
And we went around, traveledaround with his daughter and all
, and maybe his wife didn't come, but looking at, like Quail
Hollow in Charlotte, I think, orjust places where you have a
(21:32):
residential area around a golfcourse, hired a guy named
Willard Bird.
I walked to the Fox Den when itwas a farm.
Did y'all hear it?
Speaker 3 (21:41):
It was Fox Den.
He called her to help developit and be the broker of this
development.
So Fox Den, for the viewersthat don't know, is one of the
most established subdivision inKnoxville's history.
Fox Den is so well loved tothis day and what I love about
(22:07):
Fox Den is that none of thehouses look the same.
No, none of the houses look thesame and there's character in
those houses and there's so manydifferent amazing stories that
come out of those houses.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Now keep going.
Well, so I did.
I think I told you driving,because I was driving down here
today I thought God, foxden wasa long way down there, because
nobody went to Foxden.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
And so we developed it, sold lots, sold memberships
Anyway, and I stayed thereprobably for three years until I
had children and three or fouryears.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
So she was brokering and developing Fox Den and
everything else, and thenchildren came.
Children came.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
How many children do you have?
We just have two.
We have a daughter, LeanneTolsman, who runs the car
dealerships.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
They've been great kids, both of them, and she's
amazing.
Yeah, great kids.
Well, they're not kids now gosh.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
I think our kids will always be kids, because I still
call my kids Adrienne's 31, andshe's still my kid.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I think it's just that way with moms Leanne is 54,
and Jay's 52, so I don't thinkthey're kids anymore, but both
of them were wonderful.
Growing up.
I really never had any issues,problems or whatever Heavily
involved in everything they did,as you I'm sure were.
They were athletes, they playedsports and government,
Something that you don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
my husband and Jay played against each other.
Yes, way back when Really yes.
So David was like.
You've got to make sure youtell her that I used to play
against her son.
Yeah, he was a bearded man andhe always because David was at
Farragut.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Oh yeah, but they definitely played each other.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
So he was like be sure to tell her that.
So being a mom and finding yourway, as I mean, when you're a
broker, you're an entrepreneur.
You are self-employed, You'rean entrepreneur.
What was that like back then?
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Well, when I got my license, there were very few
women.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Very few.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
It was Laverne Pryor, bea Corbett.
Yes, and maybebett yes.
And I may be about it.
Yes, laverne had her own office.
Bea worked for, I think,volunteer Realty.
She did, yeah, and there justweren't many women at all.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
No, and now they're.
You know it's a majority.
There's a lot of women in realestate now, but I'll tell you,
even when I came in at 25 yearsago, it was a man's industry.
It really was, and it wasn'tthe easiest to come into.
I'll never forget one of thefirst deals because I'm a hard
negotiator and so I'll neverforget trying to negotiate a
(24:53):
deal with a guy and thegentleman literally said to me
you really think that you'regoing to beat me at negotiations
?
He laughs to this day Becauseevery time we sit he goes you
beat me at negotiations.
Yeah so, but what was it liketrying to build a family and
find your?
I mean, you already had anidentity in golf and in all the
(25:15):
different sports, and then nowyou're in real estate there's an
identity.
What was it like trying tobring all that together and
balance?
Speaker 4 (25:21):
it.
I've always said if you're agood athlete and if you play
golf well, men really treat youquite well.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
That's true, they think that you're their equal,
almost yes.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Well, maybe don't, but at least they make me think
that.
But you know I never had anyissues with that.
And then at one point Sam saidhe really wanted me to stay home
and not work.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
So what was that like when he said okay, I want you
to stay home and just be a mom?
Speaker 4 (25:53):
Well, I didn't resent it, which is amazing.
And see, Sam, I quit golf afterwe got married.
I won the state a couple oftimes.
I wanted to win for him andthen I quit golf.
So I was not playing golf.
That's so sweet to say.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I wanted to win for him and then I quit golf, so I
was not playing golf.
That's so sweet to say.
I wanted to win for him.
I did.
I know that feeling becausethere's things that I have
accomplished.
It was more to make my husbandproud, yeah, and I don't think
people would admit that, butit's okay.
You want your husband to beproud of you.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Go ahead Anyway.
So I had been appointed to theBoard of Trustees when I was 26.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
26.
University of.
Tennessee, 26 years old.
How did that?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
happen.
That's an unbelievable story.
Okay, we've always been.
I was always well, we both wereinvolved in politics, and Lamar
Alexander is one of our verybest friends.
He was in our wedding.
His mother was my kindergartenteacher and nursery school
teacher.
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
And as I'd already told you mom taught him.
I was about to say your momreally liked him.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Yeah, and our families were close and we just
were always kind of involved inpolitics.
When Winfield Dunn ran forgovernor first, anyway, lamar
had already gone to WashingtonWashington I think he was with
Bryce Harlow, he in the Nixonadministration, okay, and he
(27:16):
then said I'm going to come backand run Winfield Dunn's
campaign.
And he asked Sam had justgraduated from law school and he
said would you come over andwork for me?
Well, you've got some time now.
Would you come over and workfor me?
You've got some time now.
Would you come over and helprun the campaign?
So Sam did that.
Winfield won, first Republicanto win, since in 100 years, 150
(27:37):
years, democrats always ran thecampaign.
So y'all was in shock, probably,Well sort of but anyway,
Winfield won, and maybe a yearwent by I don't know exactly
what and one day Sam came inwith a newspaper.
I was still in bed, thismorning newspaper, when you had
morning papers on Anyway he camein and he says look, you're not
(27:59):
going to believe this.
And there on the front page itsaid Ann Becker-Furrow to be
appointed to the UT board.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
What so you didn't?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
know.
No, I didn't Never asked.
Never A lot of people lobbiedfor that job.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
So it ran in the paper and that's how you found
out, mm-hmm oh wow.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
And that afternoon Winfield called and said would I
like to be a University ofTennessee trustee?
And I said I would be honored.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
That's amazing.
Yeah, that's a big deal.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Well, I'll tell you that you won't win anyway.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Well, I found out a few years, oh, five years ago, I
guess.
Winfield just died, I think inthe last year or two.
But great guy, great guy.
And there was somebody elsethat wanted the position.
That was a very prominentperson and he drove across the
state to see this person and sayI'm not going to appoint you,
(28:54):
I'm going to appoint Ann.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
And that's why he didn't call me until that
afternoon, until he had died andit already ran because he
wanted to tell the other personthat he was going to pick you.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
I guess I don't know, but it was in the paper They'd
let it go to the paper so.
I went on the board at 26.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
And I bet you, sam, was so proud.
Well, I don't know.
I don't know Because itprobably took you out of the
house.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
No, it really wasn't.
So how long did you serve?
I served for 18 years.
18 years.
Then, lamar, when he becamegovernor, he reappointed me, but
I was the first woman and theyoungest person ever appointed.
So everybody laughed and saidyou're going to be in there with
all those cigars smoking oldmen.
(29:37):
Well, guess what?
You're right.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I sat next to cigars smoking old men.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Yes, but again, they were very nice to me and I never
felt again.
I think it goes back to that Icould beat them in golf.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Yeah.
So what was it like?
You know, because nowadays youhear people talk about, you know
a seat at the table.
I want to be at the table andthis is me I had.
I heard a gentleman say I wantto own the table and I was like,
own the table.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I never heard anyone say that.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
And I said I just feel like if you have a seat at
the table, it's a duty to bringsubstance to a table that can
help, you know, make whateversuccessful, and it's not about
what seat you have or whatever,it's just doing your part.
What do you think about that?
Speaker 4 (30:32):
well, I think you just do what.
I think I got appointed when Iwas a woman, when I was young,
when I was an athlete, so Irepresented those areas.
I did chair the academic andacademic affairs committee for
nine years, so that all camethrough my committee so being a
woman.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
She's saying she knew that certain things, that her
being a woman, that is a plus.
So to women out there I wouldsay you know it's okay, it
doesn't matter.
You know I'll say in myposition that I'm like, okay if
(31:09):
the whole room is men.
Okay, that doesn't mean I can'tbe in that room.
And you showed that you canhang with that same crew with
the cigars and still getsomething done.
So what was that?
Like you know, being on thatboard and making decisions.
Did they ever give you a hardtime on your opinion?
(31:33):
No, they didn't.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
No, never, you know, I'm not a, I don't stir the pot
a whole lot.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Right, right, I go through the correct, correct
channels, channels, and you pickyour battles Right.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
And now the women's athletics.
Title IX came in in 72.
Ut had the Board of Trusteeshad a committee to study women's
athletics.
Where did we want that to behoused?
That was a big decision, a hugedecision.
Should we be separate from themen or should we be part of the
(32:07):
men decision?
Should we be separate from themen or should we be part of the
men?
And Dr Bowling did not want thewomen to take any money away
from the men, so we ended upbeing separate.
Well, that was a blessing,Unbelievable.
We were one of five Division Ischools that ran their own show.
We had our own athleticdirector, as you know, Ms Cronin
(32:28):
and Gloria Ray Fabulous, yes.
And we had Pat Summitt, whichhelped a whole lot.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
And Terry.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
Hull, who also won a national track title.
But there was so much pride inthe Lady Vols, so much, and I
will say this, and I always saythis Dr Bowling became one of
the biggest supporters of thewomen's athletics department.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
So they wanted it separated because they didn't
want money to be taken away fromthe men.
But they didn't realize theybasically started women's
athletics and starting it on abigger platform.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Giving us control of our own destiny.
Now the men still reported tothe president of the system, we
reported to the chancellor ofthe system, the women reported
to the chancellor of the system.
Howard Allman was our go-to andI can't remember who the
chancellor was.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
But anyway, just so much support for the women, so
viewers do you hear how, overtime working and sweat equity
too, sweat equity and just beingin the room and trying to build
up, and opportunities came,opportunities came, even when it
was meaning for the bad to notlet women have a portion of the
(33:44):
money, but it really opened upso many bigger things.
So that's why I always say Iwill always say God always has a
plan and no matter what manthinks it's supposed to be, god
will always rise up.
So tune in to part two ofTalking Tennessee with Yvonca,
(34:04):
next Friday with Ms Ann Farrow,my friend.
Bye, guys.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Thanks for listening to Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonca
.
Watch out for our weeklyepisodes from the First Family
of Real Estate and check us outon the web
wwwyvoncasalesrealestatecom.
See our videos on Yvonca'sYouTube channel or find us on
Facebook under Yavonca Landisand Twitter at Yavonca Landis,
(34:34):
and don't forget to tell afriend about us.
Until next time.
Yavonca signing off.
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