Posted: Wednesday, December 9, 2009 11:06 am

The Messenger 12.09.09
Ford Little, Knoxville attorney and past president of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association, will deliver the fall commencement address at the University of Tennessee at Martin at 11 a.m. Dec. 19 in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.
About 635 degrees are expected to be awarded.
Little (UT Knoxville 1986) earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University. He is a partner with the law firm of Woolf, McClane, Bright, Allen and Carpenter and devotes the majority of his practice to representing construction companies.
Before becoming president of UTAA, Little’s involvement began as an undergraduate when he was president of the Student Alumni Associates. He held all offices in the Knox County UT alumni chapter and also served on the Alumni Association Board of Governors and its executive committee. He currently serves as UTAA national chair of Annual Giving. Little’s history with the UTAA goes back to his grandfather, Joe Little (Knoxville 1939), who was UTAA president in 1960. Little’s mother, Becky (Knoxville 1962), is a former UTAA treasurer and also served on the alumni staff. His father, Joe Little Jr., has two engineering degrees from UT Knoxville (1963 and 1965). His brother, Dr. John Little, is a 1992 graduate of the Health Science Center, and his sister, Mary Helen Little Story, graduated from UT School of Law in 1996.
Little was named to U.S.News and World Report’s “The Best Lawyers in America” (2009) and Knoxville’s Cityview magazine’s “Top Attorney” (2007 and 2009).
He is a board member of the East Tennessee chapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of Tennessee, and is active in the Construction Financial Management Association and the Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel. He is also a member of the Inn of Court, Knoxville Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association and American Bar Association, for which he is a member of the Forum on the Construction Industry.
He and his wife, Malinda, have two children: a son, James, and a daughter, Carlen.
UT Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes will preside over the commencement exercises and confer degrees on Dec. 19. Dr. Robert Hartshorn, University of Tennessee Alumni Association Alumni Distinguished Service Professor, will be the mace bearer and the processional marshals will be Jenna Wright, Faculty Senate president; Dr. Janet Wilbert, Faculty Senate vice president; Al Hooten, vice chancellor for finance and administration; and Len Solomons, vice chancellor for university advancement.
A reception will be hosted in Skyhawk Fieldhouse immediately following the commencement ceremony.