The Sammie Lynn Puett Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America was organized by students, faculty, and area public relations practitioners to provide public relations students with professional involvement outside of the classroom. The chapter was chartered in a ceremony at Deane Hill Country Club in Knoxville.
In the months before the chapter was officially chartered, students were busy planning activities for the group, which included participating in the first national case study competition. The team traveled to Honolulu and placed second in the competition. The idea for the use of APR after names of accredited practitioners was proposed by this UT team as part of the solution to the case problem. The idea was later adopted by PRSA National.
During the first year as a chartered organization, the chapter instituted field trips to visit practitioners in nearby cities including Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Memphis, Louisville, and Cincinnati. These trips gave the students a first-hand look at various areas of public relations work. This is a tradition that continues today.