John Williams details the development of the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC) as a 501(c)(3) in 1973. Those involved considered a couple different precedented models for doing so, but the organization ultimately achieved its goal with help from Vanderbilt University’s chancellor, Alexander Heard, and funding from the Ford Foundation. Neil McBride was their first hire.
Full footage of the 2017 ETRC panel featuring John Williams, John McArthur, Lark Hayes, and Neil McBride.