1982 World's Fair
1982 Knoxville | |
---|---|
Overview | |
BIE-class | Specialized exposition |
Category | International specialized exposition |
Name |
|
Motto | Energy Turns the World |
Building(s) | Sunsphere, Tennessee Amphitheater |
Area | 28 hectares (69 acres) |
Invention(s) | |
Visitors | 11,127,786 |
Organized by |
|
Participant(s) | |
Countries | 22 |
Business | More than 50 |
Location | |
Country | United States |
City | Knoxville |
Venue | World's Fair Park |
Coordinates | 35°57′43″N 83°55′26″W / 35.962°N 83.924°W |
Timeline | |
Bidding | 1975 |
Awarded | 1980 |
Opening | May 1, 1982 |
Closure | October 31, 1982 |
Specialized expositions | |
Previous | Expo 81 in Plovdiv |
Next | 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans |
Universal expositions | |
Previous | Expo '70 in Osaka |
Next | Seville Expo '92 in Seville |
Horticultural expositions | |
Previous | Floralies Internationales de Montréal in Montreal |
Next | Internationale Gartenbauaustellung 83 in Munich |
Simultaneous | |
Horticultural (AIPH) | Floriade 1982 |
The 1982 World's Fair, officially known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition (KIEE) and simply as Energy Expo '82 and Expo '82, was an
The KIEE opened on May 1, 1982, and closed on October 31, 1982, after receiving over 11 million visitors. Participating nations included Australia, Belgium, Canada, The People's Republic of China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany. It was the second World's Fair to be held in the state of Tennessee, with the first being the
The fair was constructed on a 70-acre (280,000 m2) site between Downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee campus. The core of the site primarily consisted of a deteriorating Louisville and Nashville Railroad yard and depot. The railroad yard was demolished, with the exception of a single rail line, and the depot was renovated for use as a restaurant during the fair. The Sunsphere, a 266-foot (81 m) steel tower topped with a five-story gold globe, was built as the main structure and symbol for the exposition. Today, the Sunsphere stands as a symbol for the city of Knoxville.
Background and construction
The
Knoxville developers cultivated the idea for aKnoxville mayor Kyle Testerman appointed local banker Jake Butcher to lead an exploratory KIEE committee. Butcher served as one of the main driving forces behind the fair. Within the city, Knoxvillians referred to the fair as "Jake's Fair".[3] An administrative body known as the Knoxville Foundation Inc. was established to organize and operate the event.[6] There was skepticism, both locally and nationally, about the ability of Knoxville, described as a "scruffy little city" by The Wall Street Journal in a 1980 news article, to successfully host a World's Fair.[7] This controversy contributed to the development of the term "Scruffy City", as a nickname synonymous with Knoxville.[8]
Major politicians representing Tennessee
Public opinion of Knoxvillians leading up to the fair changed drastically, with a 1979 poll showing a majority of residents disapproved of the fair but later polls showing massive approval.[9]
The fair would prompt investment into minority-owned businesses. Civil rights activist Avon Rollins, who served as an executive for the TVA, would ask for a significant portion of the fair proceeds go to Knoxville's
Most of the KIEE's financial support came from the United States federal government which provided an estimated $44 million in funding. The Tennessee state government provided $3 million, and the Knoxville municipal government approved a nearly $12 million bond. Jake Butcher, through his companies, gave approximately $25 million.[9] An additional $224 million in federal and state funding was utilized by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to improve the transportation infrastructure system surrounding Knoxville in preparation for the fair. These improvements included completion of the Interstate 640 semi-beltway and improvements to the infamous "Malfunction Junction" of then I-75 (now I-275) and I-40 north of the fair site.[9] The firm of Bruce McCarty designed the master plan for Fair. [11]
Located along the Second Creek watershed between downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee campus, the roughly 70-acre disused
Regarding recruitment for country sponsors, the KIEE received confirmation for participation from western European countries including the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Italy, and the 10-nation
Fair operations
Opening day
On May 1, 1982, the 1982 World's Fair opened to a crowd of 87,000 with the theme "Energy Turns the World".
Fair participation and exhibits
From its commencement on May 1, to its closing on October 31, the fair attracted 11,127,780[21] visitors from all over the United States and the world, making among the best attended World's Fair in U.S. history among those sanctioned by the BIE. It had the highest attendance among the four Specialized Expos held in the United States. It made a profit of $57, far short of the $5 million surplus projected by organizers and boosters.[6] The city of Knoxville was left with a $46 million debt. This debt would be paid in full in May 2007.[6]
In total, 22 nations, 7 states, and more than 50 corporations presented exhibitions at the fair revolving around energy, innovation, technology, and sustainability.
The Peruvian exhibit featured a mummy that was unwrapped and studied at the fair. The Egyptian exhibit featured ancient artifacts valued at over US$30 million.[27] Hungary, the home country of the Rubik's Cube, sent the world's largest Rubik's Cube with rotating squares for the entrance display to its pavilion. The Rubik's Cube remains in World's Fair Park, where it is on display at the Knoxville Convention Center.[28][29] Every night of the fair, at 10 pm, a 10-minute fireworks display was presented that could be seen over much of Knoxville.[4]
Entertainment
Performances by famous artists, actors, and musicians occurred at the Tennessee Amphitheater and across other areas of the fairgrounds and Knoxville, including Bob Hope, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Hal Holbrook, Glen Campbell, and Ricky Skaggs.[15]
Innovations showcased
The 1982 World's Fair brought the debut of several inventions and concepts, primarily focused on energy, technology, and sustainability.
Geodesic dome housing exhibits were showcased to promote sustainable development to confront the then-ongoing energy crisis.[35] Housing powered entirely by solar power was constructed by the United American Solar Group to promote solar energy.[35] The TVA would support an exhibit promoting energy conservation and private greenhouse usage.[35]
Knoxville-based fast-food chain, Petro's Chili & Chips made their debut at the fair. As of 2023, the chain consists of several locations in the state with most primarily located in East Tennessee.[36]
Events
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots played a preseason football game at Neyland Stadium on August 14, 1982.[37] The Steelers won the game 24–20 to a crowd of 93,251, making it the fourth-best-attended NFL game in history.[4][38]
The University of Tennessee would utilize its residence halls and dormitories for housing nearly 60,000 visitors during the exposition's six-month tenure.[39]
An
Difficulties
Hotels and other accommodations in Knoxville were not permitted to take reservations directly. Room reservations for everything from hotels to houseboats were sold in a package with fair admission tickets through the first eleven days and were handled by a central bureau, Knoxvisit. Its financial and administrative troubles resulted in reservations being taken over by Property Leasing & Management, Inc. (PLM).[41][42] It also struggled with the operation and filed for bankruptcy.[43][41]
Jake Butcher's financial services corporation, United American Bank (UAB), failed shortly after the exposition in 1983. UAB had been raided by federal banking regulators the day after the fair's closure.[44] On February 14, 1983, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation seized control of the bank due to irregularities in its financial records. This action caused public speculation that the bank's failure was due in part to Butcher's financing of the World's Fair.[45]
Legacy
Given the success of the fair, Knoxville residents speculated that the fair would put the city on track to become a major hub city in the
The U.S. Pavilion would operate as a soccer arena, but in 1991, the city of Knoxville demolished the U.S. Pavilion in a controlled demolition. It had developed structural problems that could not be safely resolved after years of neglect. The site of the pavilion was cleared and developed for a parking lot along Cumberland Avenue, adjacent to the site of the Knoxville Convention Center in World's Fair Park.[33]
The site of the Korean and Saudi Arabian pavilions and the Tennessee Gas Industries exhibit was redeveloped into a performance lawn and hosted the Hot Summer Nights rock music festival from 1991 to 1999, when the Knoxville municipal government indefinitely suspended concerts on the lawn.
The site of the Japanese Pavilion became the new location for the Knoxville Museum of Art in 1990.[33] The Elm Tree Theater located adjacent to the former pavilion was added as part of the Knoxville Museum of Art's courtyard. The elm tree was later struck by lightning and was cut down. The courtyard of the theater has since remained empty. Many of the pavilion sites and the fair's midway located south of the main park were given to the University of Tennessee for future campus extensions and student parking.[33]
By 1996, World's Fair Park was subject to 14 plans to
In 2000, the park was closed for two years for the construction of the Knoxville Convention Center in the space formerly occupied by Rich's/Millers Garage, the site of the KUB Substation exhibit, and the site of America's Electric Energy Exhibit.[33]
The Tennessee Amphitheater, the only structure other than the Sunsphere that currently remains from the World's Fair, was condemned to demolition in 2002.[50] Popular sentiment from Knoxville residents and officials supported restoring it, and the theater was renovated between 2005 and 2007, reopening in 2007.[51] In 2007, the amphitheater was voted one of the top fifteen architectural works of East Tennessee by the East Tennessee chapter of the American Institute of Architects.[52]
In the summer of 2002, the World's Fair Park was reopened to general events and concerts, such as Earth Fest and Greek Fest. An Independence Day celebration is held on the park lawns every year, with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra playing a free concert with a massive fireworks display. In May 2007, the East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) opened a temporary exhibit in its museum located in Downtown Knoxville, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the World's Fair. On July 4, 2007, one of the annual celebrations was held in conjunction with festivities commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair. The following day, July 5, 2007, the Sunsphere's observation deck reopened to the public after renovations.[53] In 2020, rock band The Dirty Guv'nahs curated the Southern Skies Music Festival at the performance lawn of World's Fair Park. Postponed from its original start in May 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival debuted on May 14, 2022.[54]
In 2022, the ETHS and the University of Tennessee's Hodges Library would open temporary exhibits regarding the KIEE commemorating its 40th anniversary.
Collectibles
Many collectible items were made specifically for the World's Fair, ranging from cups, trays, plates, belt buckles, and several other objects. Some of the more notable items include:
- With the focus of the World's Fair on technology and energy, video games of the era were also featured at the Fair. In the arcade area, attendees could find seven Donkey Kong.[59]
- World's Fair Beer was also released at the beginning of the fair. 250,000 cases of the beer was sold during the fair's duration, totaling nearly six million cans sold over the six months. Rick Kuhlman, who was a marketing director for a beer wholesaler at the time, had come up with the idea for the beer. He had to pre-sell 10,000 cases of the beer to pay for the initial batch. The beer would go on to be released in nine different colored cans, beginning with red, then blue, and eventually, green, brown, gold, black, purple, yellow, and orange. Each color represented its own production batch and when a color was sold out, that color was finished. The beer was often purchased and never drunk, as many fair-goers speculated that the beer cans would one day be a rare collectible.[60] To observe the 35th anniversary of the fair, World's Fair Beer was brought back into production in May 2017 for a limited time at several Knoxville breweries and pubs.[61]
Gallery
-
Australian Pavilion
-
Baptist Pavilion and Waters of the World
-
Sunsphere
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Tennessee River, Australian and Canadian Pavilions and Midway
-
U.S. Pavilion
-
Tennessee Amphitheater
-
KUB Substation Exhibit and U.S. Pavilion
See also
References
Bibliography
- World Class Politics: Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair, Redevelopment and the Political Process Joe Dodd.[2]
- Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair Martha R. Woodward.[38]
- 1982 World's Fair Official Guidebook Knoxville International Energy Exposition, Inc.[62]
- 1982 World's Fair Transportation System Evaluation U.S. Department of Transportation.[63]
- Exhibiting the Future: The 1982 World's Fair and Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center Cristin J. Grant.[1]
- The Expo Book Gordon Linden.[64]
- Federal Supervision and Failure of United American Bank U.S. Government Printing Office.[65]
- (Re)imagining an urban identity: Knoxville and its 1982 International Energy Exposition Jennifer Bradley.[66]
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External links
- 1982 World's Fair Research Site, by Bruce Schulman
- Official website of the BIE
- European Patent Office
- 1982 World's Fair 25th Anniversary site (archived)
- ExpoMuseum's 1982 World's Fair Section Archived February 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine