NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An East Tennessee Representative would like to add to the list of official state symbols this legislative session and make pumpkin pie a symbol of the State of Tennessee.
Rep. Lowell Russell (R—Vonore) introduced the legislation this month. It would officially designate pumpkin pie as a symbol of the Volunteer State due to its history in the state and the nation.
Russell’s bill cites the dessert as “an iconic American delicacy” and “a true American classic.”
“It is most appropriate that we select the delicious and wholesome pumpkin pie as a symbol of the Volunteer State,” Russell’s bill states in part.
Tennessee has several different official symbols, including state flowers, state birds, state trees and a state wild animal, among others.
The most recent additions to the list of state symbols came in 2012, when the state designated the Eastern Red Cedar as the state evergreen tree and the Tennessee Coneflower designated a state wildflower.
