The Peter Howard Wine and Ag Tourism Scholarship Program offers opportunities to University of Tennessee, Knoxville students (preferably Herbert College of Agriculture students) interested in pursuing studies in wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism.
Through this program, undergraduate students receive financial support to pursue industry internships in the areas of grape production, winemaking and marketing, agricultural farm recreational activities such as bed and breakfast, and general farm recreation for profit.
The Peter Howard Endowment was provided by the Herbert family to honor their life-long friend, Peter Howard.
Who is this scholarship for?
UT Knoxville students who intern in the wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism industries are eligible. Preference is given to students enrolled in the Herbert College of Agriculture.
How to Locate an Internship
Prior to applying for the scholarship, students must first locate a paid internship in the wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism industry. Internships in Tennessee are preferable, but out-of-state and international internships are also supported. For assistance, students can contact Dr. DeLong, the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration, or Herbert’s employer engagement and career development coordinator.
Steps for Accessing this Scholarship:
- Locate a paid internship opportunity in the wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism industry.
- Contact Dr. DeLong to coordinate an action plan and develop an educational component of the internship.
- Secure employment at respective company.
- Confirm eligibility for scholarship with Dr. DeLong.
How the Scholarship Works
The scholarship amount is tied to the action plan developed with Dr. DeLong. Scholarships average $3,000 – $5,000. They are awarded in the semester in which the internships are completed, with the exception of summer internships, which will be awarded in the following fall semester. Special arrangements to pay for travel and lodging are allowed if the student’s internship is out of state or out of the continental United States.
Can you get credit for this?
Students have the option of receiving credit hours for their internship if they enroll in an approved internship course. For example, students can enroll in AREC 492 (Off-Campus Internship) so long as they complete the requirements of this course.
For questions, please contact Karen DeLong at kdelong39@utk.edu.
The Peter Howard Endowment at the Herbert College of Agriculture honors Peter Howard, who finished his fruitful career as founder, builder, and entrepreneurial marketer of Crown Winery and HRH Vineyards in Humboldt, Tennessee. Howard, originally from England, gained notoriety in the development of instrumentation to measure important gases. After marrying the former Miss Tennessee, Rita Wilson, he migrated to the U.S. where he continued pursuing highly technical instruments used by the automotive, medical, and human fitness fields. This included several patents and instruments used by U.S. astronauts in space.
Peter’s introduction to the wine industry came through his involvement with longtime friend Jim Herbert at Neogen Corporation where he helped develop a disease prediction system that could be located in a vineyard and predict the onset of known grape diseases. The system allowed producers to, in advance of outbreaks, use chemicals or change environmental conditions to improve yields as well as environment.
Jim (left) and Judi Herbert (right) pictured with Peter Howard (middle).
With Rita, they moved back to her hometown of Humboldt, Tennessee, and set out to build what was the largest grape vineyard in the state, along with a noted winery under the Crown Winery and HRH Vineyards label. Always seeking inventive methods of success, Peter saw to it that the winery was the first solar powered winery in Tennessee. He used sophisticated production and fermentation equipment to produce their products, including a minimum number of sulfites in their wines. Dedicated to showcasing agriculture, Peter hosted numerous tours of the winery and vineyard each week, and Crown became a venue for sizable concerts at its amphitheater in the vineyards, numerous weddings, and various social events that showcased agriculture and the winery business. The Howards’ philanthropic efforts were widespread as they often permitted non-profits to use the venue for events. It’s only fitting that Peter’s creativity, warm personality, and a passion for expansion of scientific development has led to this endowment for students in the years ahead to honor his legacy.
If you’re an employer in the wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism industry and would like to hire our students for internships using this program, contact Maci Heffelfinger, our employer relations coordinator, or Dr. Karen DeLong for more information.
You can post any available jobs or internships using the Handshake platform.
Inquire today about this scholarship opportunity.
Herbert students currently utilizing this program as interns at Rocky Top Wine Trail—Tennessee’s most visited collection of wineries!
