UT Letter Winners Center named after Lauricella

The University of Tennessee announced Friday that the new Letter Winners Center at Neyland Stadium will be named in honor of former All-America tailback Hank Lauricella and his wife, Betty.

The center, which will be called “The Lauricella Center for Letter Winners,” will be completed in August. It is located at field level in the northwest corner of Neyland Stadium and features a large banquet space where former Tennessee student-athletes can reunite and meet on football game days.

“It is our pleasure to name the new Lettermen’s Room in recognition of Hank and Betty Lauricella,” said UT athletic director Mike Hamilton. “They both had prominent roles on campus during their time here in the early 1950s and have remained extremely supportive and generous since graduation in 1953.”

Betty Lauricella, formerly Betty Valker, has a bachelor’s degree in education from UT. While at UT, Betty Lauricella was in the Kappa Delta sorority and, among many honors, was elected Miss Tennessee, a Torchbearer and Homecoming Queen. They have five children - Hank Jr., Louis, Elizabeth, Marc and Christopher - all with undergraduate and graduate degrees from various institutions.

Hank Lauricella was one of Tennessee’s greatest triple-threat tailbacks. He gained more than 2,500 yards in total offense rushing and passing while also serving as punter during his career. He played for the 1951 national champion Vols and was named All-SEC, All-America and runner-up for the 1951 Heisman Trophy. After leaving Tennessee, he played professional football for the Dallas Texans and served two years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. He served eight years in the Louisiana House of Representatives and was elected to the Louisiana Senate in 1971, serving until 1995. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and the National College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

He graduated from Holy Cross High School in New Orleans before earning his bachelor’s degree in finance from UT. He is the general partner of Lauricella Land Company in New Orleans.

“The University of Tennessee holds a very special place in our hearts,” Betty Lauricella said. “On this campus, we met each other, made our best friends, and experienced some of the greatest times of our lives.”

Hank Lauricella added, “We are truly touched that the University of Tennessee is naming the lettermen’s room at Neyland Stadium in our honor. It is my goal that this room will create additional opportunities for other former lettermen to stay involved and supportive of the University of Tennessee and its athletics program.”