GREENEVILLE – Three Tusculum University alumni recently advanced their love for Tennessee’s first higher education institution by showcasing its beauty and history during a family reunion on campus.
Ryan and Erika Barker, who met as Tusculum students and were married under the iconic Old Oak Tree on campus in 2017, and her brother, Ian Allison, returned to their alma mater for the three-day event and brought about 40 other family members with them. Organized by Erika, the reunion was held for her and her brother’s paternal side of the family and continued a tradition that dates to 1988.
“We chose Tusculum for a few reasons, some sentimental and some practical,” Erika said. “Ryan and I love living in East Tennessee. Tusculum is only a little more than an hour away from our residence, and we come back regularly. For the family members who came to our wedding, it also provided a chance to show how the campus had changed in the last seven years. Tusculum was incredibly flexible, kind and helpful as we put together the reunion.”
Ryan earned bachelor’s degrees in history and English, with a concentration in creative writing, from Tusculum in 2015. That same year, Erika earned bachelor’s degrees in history and museum studies, and Ian earned his bachelor’s in biology, with minors in mathematics and chemistry. Ian returned to Tusculum as a student and received a Master of Arts in Teaching in 2019. He now teaches in Ocala, Florida.
While Ryan and Erika started dating as Tusculum students and shared a common love for history, he and Ian had another connection besides her. The two men shared an apartment on campus during their undergraduate studies.
During the June 21-23 reunion, everyone connected with the Allison family utilized multiple facilities on campus. They dined in the cafeteria and had cards, photo albums, puzzles and other games in Chalmers Conference Center. Virtually all of the guests stayed in the apartments on campus.
About half of the attendees walked the Tusculum Nature Trail, which connects the Doak House Museum and the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland. Dr. Peter Noll, professor of public history and museum studies at Tusculum, gave the family a tour of the Doak House, and the family held a campfire behind the academy building on the grounds.
The group played a lot of cornhole. That brought back memories for Erika and her father, Jim Allison, who were the Family Weekend cornhole tournament champions all four years she was a Tusculum student.
Family members also enjoyed activities off campus. They traveled to Bristol to visit the Birthplace of Country Music, where Erika serves as the curatorial manager, and other spots in that city. They also visited Brights Zoo in Limestone and Margarette Falls in nearby Cherokee National Forest.
“The reunion was a smashing success,” Ryan said. “Erika’s family tends to be outdoorsy, and the reunions typically involve many family members wanting to catch up more than anything. Tusculum was perfect for both of those needs. Because the apartments offered individual privacy and communal spaces, everyone was happy on campus. We also had many spaces – the Doak House, Chalmers, the hiking trails – where family members could break into smaller groups and spend time together.”
Erika agreed that the setting was great for the family.
“I am very pleased with how the weekend went,” she said. “Several family members have told me, during and after the reunion, that this reunion has been their favorite in many years. They really liked how friendly the staff was, how beautiful the campus and mountains are and that they had the opportunity to gather and visit with each other here better than they have at some of our other reunions.”
The event also served as another reminder of the special place that brought the Barkers together. As a part of their unity ceremony, Ryan and Erika planted a tree using soil from each of their hometowns – Alpharetta, Georgia, for her and Laurens, South Carolina, for him. The tree they used was a sapling of the Old Oak and was planted near the Doak House.
The Barkers will continue to have a presence at Tusculum. The couple serve on Tusculum’s Alumni Executive Board, and one or both of them are usually on campus during Homecoming and the Old Oak Festival, two popular events for former students. Ryan has taught history courses as an adjunct professor since 2019 as he completes his doctorate in history from Purdue University.
More information about Tusculum is available at www.tusculum.edu.