Celebrate the Kash Legacy: Donate to TTU Scholarship

A scholarship endowment for Drs. Graham and Bettye Kash is being established by sisters Heather Kash Batchelor and Holly Kash Schauer, as well as Dr. Kevin Bryant, a former student and friend, to commemorate and honor the lifetime accomplishments of their parents and mentor, respectively, and their commitments to education and to Tennessee Technological University.

Passionate about speech, theater, folklore, English, and Communication, the Kashes served both TTU and the Upper Cumberland community with their talents and their giving hearts. Their impacts on Tech’s campus span generations. Tech had transformative impacts on both Dr. Kashes, with Bettye receiving her MA in English from Tech, and Graham teaching at TTU for 60+ years!! Bettye was also active in TTU theater, and Graham passionately and creatively shared his knowledge of folklore, English, literature, communication, speech, and debate. They both took pride in molding and mentoring students and helping them to become informed, bold, generous, and creative leaders through the arts of speech, debate, theater, and communication.

A former student says, “I would not be where I am today without the kindness, generosity, and abiding love of Drs. Graham and Bettye Kash. Between them, TTU has received over 100 years of service, and we can think of no better way to honor them than through this continuation of educational opportunities for students for the next 100 years and beyond. With their combined service, they have likely had a direct connection to over 50,000 students' matriculations at Tennessee Tech. The world is indeed a better place because of these two individuals. “

A native Tennessean, Graham Kash grew up in Lebanon and attended Castle Heights Military Academy. After graduating in 1955, he attended Vanderbilt University, where he received both a BA degree and an MA degree in English. He joined the TTU faculty in 1963, teaching in the English department. He received his PhD in Folklore from Indiana University, becoming one of the first PhD recipients at IU in this discipline. Graham taught a myriad of courses at Tech, including English, American Lit, Folklore, Speech, and Parliamentary Procedure. Graham started working with the speech and debate team at Tennessee Tech under the tutelage of Robert Woodland and became the official Director of Forensics and Debate in 1980. He served in this role from 1980 - 2024. A lifelong learner, he received numerous opportunities to study a wide variety of subjects, including a study on dialects at the University of Chicago and a study on Native American history at Indiana University. He was also awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, which allowed his family to accompany him to Bordeaux, France, where he taught at the University of Bordeaux in 1983-1984. He attended a Fulbright Scholar conference in Berlin, Germany during his time abroad and is also a founding member of the Cookeville chapter of Toastmasters International. Many students have fond memories of him singing folk songs and bringing homemade “fry bread” to his folklore classes. Graham taught diligently as long as his health allowed, retired in July 2024, and passed away in January 2025.

Bettye Kash hailed from Greenbrier, TN and received a BA in Music Education from Belmont College. After working with Army Special Services in Kitzingen, Germany for 2 years in the early 1960s, she returned to the US and spent some time acting in California. She returned to Tennessee and obtained her MA degree in English from Tennessee Tech in 1973 -- in 1981, Bettye received a full-time faculty appointment. In addition to her time in the classroom, she directed and produced performances of the Tech Players and served Tech students on the Speech and Debate team. After spending several years teaching English and directing drama productions at Tech, Bettye received her PhD in Theater from Indiana University. Her focus was on Outdoor Historical Dramas, and she and her daughters and niece spent one summer traveling around the eastern US, watching outdoor productions while she gathered her research. Beyond her service as a distinguished full-time faculty member at Tech, she was a music educator in the Putnam County School System. She was passionate about bringing the arts to area schools and nurturing a love of music among children of the Upper Cumberland. After her retirement, she spent much of her time mentoring students on Tech’s Speech and Debate Teams and helping with Children’s Music at First UMC in Cookeville. Bettye passed away in March 2024. In her eighty-eight years, she showed how music and drama were central to her personhood and are two things she is remembered for most. She truly was a fun-loving, creative, sweet, and funny person. A former debate team member says, “In a word, she was simply lovable.”

The Kashes loved singing and playing folk music – Graham played the harmonica and ukelele and Bettye played the autoharp. They dubbed themselves “The Caney Forkers,” named after the nearby Caney Fork River, and traveled around the southeastern US to participate in folk festivals. They continued to travel and perform well into their 80s, continuing to win awards at area events. Graham and Bettye attended National Folklore Society conferences regularly and loved blending folklore, storytelling, and music.

The Kashes have coached over 50 National Championship competitors across Individual Speech Events, NDT (Policy), Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA), Lincoln-Douglas (LD), National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA), British Parliamentary Debate (BP), and International Public Debate Association (IPDA). Their teams have traveled from San Diego, CA to Vermont University to Minneapolis MN to the University of Miami and have hosted and judged high school, local, regional, and national forensic tournaments, continually mentoring and investing in students. Drs. Graham and Bettye Kash left indelible impressions on most everyone they came into contact with. Their cheery dispositions were only eclipsed by their inclusiveness. They were often heard saying, “the more the merrier” or “don’t be deprived, be supplied,” as they worked to ensure the successes of those both inside and out of their classrooms.

Family and friends decided to create a more permanent memorial in honor of their dedication, duty, and diligence -- one that is representative of both of them as individuals and that can exist to benefit future generations of students. A scholarship fund with Tennessee Technological University’s foundation, at the University where they both taught, will remain a lasting tribute to the Kashes and their commitments to Tennessee Tech University, along with the remembrance of their generosity and unwavering support of the university and its students.

Please consider donating to this endowment -- your support will help to provide educational opportunities for future generations of students. We also encourage you to share this information so we are able to reach a wider audience. Thank you :-)