In Memoriam: Paul Pinckney
It is with sadness that we learned that Paul J. Pinckney passed away on August 29, 2024. Dr. Pinckney joined the UTK History Department in 1969, retiring in 2006 to enjoy life with his wife Margaret, their children and grandchildren, and their cats. John Bohstedt, a former colleague, wrote us that “Paul personified and deepened the History Department’s core commitment to teaching and nurturing student growth. He was a dear friend to many, and the sweet gatherings he and Margaret held enriched communal networks.”
Dr. Pinckney taught British history and loved taking students on study abroad trips to London. He won several teaching awards, including the University’s prestigious L. R. Hessler Award for Excellence in Teaching and Service. Dr. Pinckney received his BA from Davidson College in 1954 and his PhD from Vanderbilt University in 1969. He taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before moving to Knoxville. Davidson College posted an extended obituary on their In Memoriam site: https://inmemoriam.davidson.edu/2024/08/paul-jan-pinckney-54/.
The Pinckney Scholarship fund was created in his honor by Pinckney’s former students, who remember him as a “devoted teacher and friend,” and as “challenging, enlightening, and inspiring.” Gifts in memory of Dr. Pinckney may be made to the Paul J. Pinckney Scholarship Endowment at UT by check payable to the UT Foundation, memo line: IMO Paul J. Pinckney, ACE # 0000122931. Send c/o UT Foundation, 1525 University Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37921. Phone: 865-974-2115
Secure online gifts may be made here: giving.utk.edu/pinckney
Alumni – Keep in touch: https://history.utk.edu/share-your-news/