Kramer Memorial Fund
Maryville College mourns the passing – while celebrating the rich life – of one of the institution's most notable alumni, Roy Kramer, '51.
(Roy Kramer as a sophomore in 1949)
Kramer, former Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and 2023 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, passed away Dec. 4 in Maryville. He was 96.
Roy Kramer's extraordinary career and legacy began on the gridiron at Maryville College, where he was a standout lineman on the football team as well as a wrestler. As a freshman, he played for Maryville in the inaugural Tangerine Bowl
(now the Citrus Bowl) on January 1, 1947. During his senior year, he was called to serve in the Korean War, delaying his graduation. Kramer ultimately completed his degree in 1953, before embarking on a highly successful football coaching career, and later serving as Athletic Director at Vanderbilt University. Wife Sara Jo Emert Kramer '51, who passed away in 2013, was also a graduate of Maryville College.
(Kramer with wife Sara Jo
Emert Kramer '51)
The College is now inviting Roy and Sara Jo's friends, family members, and other fans to honor and celebrate the couple's remarkable legacy by supporting the Kramer Memorial Fund.
"We are working with the Kramer family to steer contributions to this memorial fund, and later, we will collaborate with members to determine how donations can best support those projects and initiatives that would align with Roy's and Sara Jo's values, interests, and wishes for the College," said Maryville College President Dr. Bryan F. Coker. "We are so appreciative of the family's support and cooperation during this time."
(Kramer enjoys a Maryville College football
game with nephew Wayne Kramer '74)
Coker said that in recent years, Roy Kramer enjoyed a few Saturday afternoon fall football games on Honker Field, which was also the location of a 2023 interview conducted by producers for the Raycom Sports/SEC Network documentary "Roy Kramer: A Vision for the SEC."
(During a break in interviews for the 2023 documentary
"Roy Kramer: A Vision for the SEC,"
Kramer enjoys time with MC Head Football Coach Ben Fox)
Coker added that Kramer was pleased with the program's direction under Coach Ben Fox: A record of 24–7 over the past three years, including a 12-game home winning streak between 2023 and 2025 -
seasons and reaching second-round play in the NCAA Division III tournament in Fall 2024. This fall (2025), the team posted a 7–3 record, as it began competition in the elite Southern Athletic Association, one of Division III's premier conferences, joining traditional rivals such as Centre, Rhodes, and Sewanee.
