William ‘Bear’ Stephenson inducted into 4-H Hall of Fame
Bear Stephenson was inducted into the Tennessee 4-H Foundation Hall of Fame during the 70th State 4-H Congress.
The induction ceremony took place in Nashville, during Tennessee 4-H Congress. State Congress is the premier citizenship event 4-H program.
Every year more than 400 youth and volunteers from across the state attend the event to learn more about state government and civic engagement.
Bear will be joining the Tennessee 4-H Foundation Hall of Fame Benefactors Society; this society recognizes 4-H supporters who have contributed $10,000 or more.
Stephenson is a 4-H alumnus from Anderson County, Tennessee. Bear was a very active 4-H member; he served as 4-H State Council president and was selected as the national winner of the poultry project in 1966. After graduating Tennessee Tech University, Stephenson was commissioned into the Army and was a first lieutenant in the Vietnam War.
Since 1982, Bear has owned and operated the very successful Stephenson Realty and Auction. Bear is an active philanthropist in the Knoxville area, acting as the auctioneer at many charity auctions. In 2016, Bear was elected to the Tennessee 4-H Foundation Board of Directors and has since established the Stephenson Family Endowment, which will benefit youth in Anderson County.