Forty Years Later – An Employee Looks Back at the 1982 World’s Fair

I’ve dipped my toes into many different waters in my professional life. Most of those dips were both challenging and rewarding; a couple could be classified simply as a bridge to something better, and I can think of only one that was miserable. Let me tell you about one dip that was as close to pure fun as a person can have.

In 1981, I was completing a short-term project and looking for another opportunity. Around that same time, the pieces of a puzzle that had been under construction in the city of Knoxville for several years were coming together at a rapid pace.  Within about a year, a project that began as a simple idea shared with a few of the right people was about to explode into an experience that ultimately would entertain millions. The project was the 1982 World’s Fair, and I had the good fortune to be a tiny part of it.

A family friend served on the Management Committee and referred me to Fair President Bo Roberts. I was granted an interview with the World’s Fair General Manager and the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Entertainment. Within a few days, I was offered the position of Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Entertainment.

The city of Knoxville faced some challenges in the 1970s.  Many businesses were moving away from the downtown area, leaving vacant storefronts. In the lower Second Creek Valley, a deteriorating railroad yard stood as an ugly eyesore on the edge of downtown. A recession had hit the area hard, and jobs were hard to come by. Knoxville needed a lift.

Similar conditions had existed in Spokane, Washington, before the 1974 World’s Fair held in that city. The success of that Exposition did much to renovate a blighted urban area while pumping $150 million into the local economy. Knoxville officials felt that the same could be done here.  Many others doubted that a scruffy little city (as depicted in the Wall Street Journal) on the banks of the Tennessee River could pull it off, but that only added fuel to the fire. The challenge was on, and by 1981, the Knoxville World’s Fair was well on its way to transforming an idea into an actual happening.

As an employee, my duties were primarily to help coordinate and facilitate the requests from the hundreds of individuals and businesses outside the gates who wanted or accepted a role on the inside. An example would be fielding requests from print publications and other media for World’s Fair advertising. I heard from individuals and groups who wanted to entertain at the Fair.  A representative of talk-show host Larry King called and wanted to bring his show in for a week, although we couldn’t work out the dates. I worked with a television production company who came and filmed a television special soon after the Fair opened. We had an on-site television station designed to inform guests of daily happenings on the Fair site. I was the point person for that project. Glen Campbell taped his television show at the World’s Fair, and I worked with his people, including meeting Glen at the gates and escorting him to the stage.

Helen worked at the Fair also.  Our children were young, and she could only work part-time, but never wanting to be left out, she spent a few hours every day in the ticket booth. 

The gates to the 1982 World’s Fair opened on May 1^st. President Ronald Reagan came to cut the ribbon and welcome the first-day crowd of over 87,000 people. Tennessee native Dinah Shore served as the MC.  Governor (later Senator) Lamar Alexander joined the dignitaries along with Bank President Jake Butcher, the primary supporter of the Exposition.

It was a glorious day in East Tennessee, and the weather was perfect for a successful opening. The crowds continued to come for six months—May 1 to October 31, bringing in over 11 million people, making it one of the most successful World Fairs of all time in terms of attendance.

Fair organizers helped ensure success by securing participation from 22 countries that erected elaborate displays and Pavilions and brought in magnificent exhibits depicting their people and their culture. Among my favorites were China, Canada, Peru, and Egypt (my grandmother’s favorite).

Fair entertainment was non-stop, emanating from the many venues on the site. I had the pleasure of meeting many of the stars.  In addition to Glen Campbell, I rode in an elevator with the great Red Skelton, who was as funny in person as he was on stage.  Jerry Lee Lewis greeted me between acts with a wink and a smile, and countless others have long since faded from memory.

In addition to the excitement from all of the sights and sounds around us was the fascinating collection of people we worked with. The Fair staff was filled with professionals with expertise in almost every endeavor thinkable from the top-down.  People with skills in engineering, finance, marketing, health and safety, transportation, entertainment, food, and retail, came to Knoxville to put their skills to use. The benefits of those skills are still felt in our city today.

Last week, some staff gathered for a 40^th reunion of the 1982 World’s Fair, and Helen and I attended.  It was so good to see everyone who came.  I didn’t recognize a few at first, but I am sure many of the attendees said the same about me. Fair President Bo Roberts addressed the gathering and did a great job summarizing the events leading up to the Fair and listing all that was accomplished. Several in attendance spoke, and all agreed that we had participated in a once-in-a-lifetime event. In the end, everyone came to the same conclusion–We’re so glad we were there!

May the memories live on…