TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY DAM CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY
CASE STUDY
TVA’s Norris Dam 80th birthday celebration allowed the agency to connect directly with the local community and tell the story of its past and present through multiple activities.TVA was created in 1933 to improve the quality of life of the people of the Tennessee Valley through flood control, improved navigation, and affordable electricity.TVA’s system of locks and dams is the tangible symbol of the agency’s mission of service to improve life in the region.As part of the “Built for the People” campaign,TVA highlighted a major milestone for the first dam TVA built, Norris Dam, located on the Clinch River in east Tennessee.Agency staff hosted a family friendly celebration highlighting the anniversary of 80 continuous years of operation of this magnificent structure.The two-day public celebration featured a rare opportunity for the public to tour the Norris Dam Powerhouse, viewing the generators and the control room.They were allowed on the wing wall to view the massive spillway of Norris. Also as part of this event,TVA set up more than 20 tents of activities for the public to learn more about the agency.TVA partnered with the Knoxville Track Club to host “The Big Dam Race” which was an 8 km race across the top of Norris Dam.The target audiences were members of the general public served by TVA,TVA customers including local power distributors, and TVA employees and retirees.The event targeted a cross section of the public from baby boomers whose parents or grandparents helped build the dam to younger people and children not as familiar with TVA’s history.The extensive media coverage generated a huge turnout—more than 30,000 people visited Norris Dam that weekend and learned about TVA’s history.
Norris Dam 80th birthday public celebration (photos courtesy TVA)
left: Students from Vassar College in 1946 beginning a 10-day study of TVA and inspection of its projects. The field trip to Norris Dam was part of a new 10-week course,“The TVA— A Study in Regionalism” offered by the college. (photo courtesy TVA)
48 | IN A SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP: A REPORT ON FEDERAL HISTORIC PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 2018
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