Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt was in his 79th year when he decided to make the gift that founded Vanderbilt University in the spring of 1873. The $1 million that he gave to endow and build the university was the Commodore's only major philanthropy. Methodist Bishop Holland N. McTyeire of Nashville, a cousin of the Commodore's young second wife, went to New York for medical treatment early in 1873 and spent time recovering in the Vanderbilt mansion. He won the Commodore's admiration and support for the project of building a university in the South that would "contribute to strengthening the ties which should exist between all sections of our common country."
McTyeire chose the site for the campus, supervised the construction of buildings and personally planted many of the trees that today make Vanderbilt a National Arboretum. At the outset, the university consisted of one Main Building (now Kirkland Hall), an astronomical observatory and houses for professors. Landon C. Garland was Vanderbilt's first chancellor, serving from 1875 to 1893. He advised McTyeire in selecting the faculty, arranged the curriculum and set the policies of the university.
For the first 40 years of its existence, Vanderbilt was under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The Vanderbilt Board of Trust severed its ties with the church in June 1914 as a result of a dispute with the bishops over who would appoint university trustees.
From the outset, Vanderbilt met two definitions of a university: It offered work in the liberal arts and sciences beyond the baccalaureate degree and it embraced several professional schools in addition to its college. James H. Kirkland, the longest serving chancellor in university history (1893-1937), followed Chancellor Garland. He guided Vanderbilt to rebuild after a fire in 1905 that consumed the main building, which was renamed in Kirkland's honor, and all its contents. He also navigated the university through the separation from the Methodist Church. Notable advances in graduate studies were made under the third chancellor, Oliver Cromwell Carmichael (1937-46). He also created the Joint University Library, brought about by a coalition of Vanderbilt, Peabody College and Scarritt College.
Remarkable continuity has characterized the government of Vanderbilt. The original charter, issued in 1872, was amended in 1873 to make the legal name of the corporation "The Vanderbilt University." The charter has not been altered since.
The university is self-governing under a Board of Trust that, since the beginning, has elected its own members and officers. The university's general government is vested in the Board of Trust. The immediate government of the university is committed to the chancellor, who is elected by the Board of Trust.
The original Vanderbilt campus consisted of 75 acres. By 1960, the campus had spread to about 260 acres of land. When George Peabody College for Teachers merged with Vanderbilt in 1979, about 53 acres were added.
Vanderbilt's student enrollment tended to double itself each 25 years during the first century of the university's history: 307 in the fall of 1875; 754 in 1900; 1,377 in 1925; 3,529 in 1950; 7,034 in 1975. In the fall of 1999 the enrollment was 10,127.
In the planning of Vanderbilt, the assumption seemed to be that it would be an all-male institution. Yet the board never enacted rules prohibiting women. At least one woman attended Vanderbilt classes every year from 1875 on. Most came to classes by courtesy of professors or as special or irregular (non-degree) students. From 1892 to 1901 women at Vanderbilt gained full legal equality except in one respect -- access to dorms. In 1894 the faculty and board allowed women to compete for academic prizes. By 1897, four or five women entered with each freshman class. By 1913 the student body contained 78 women, or just more than 20 percent of the academic enrollment.
National recognition of the university's status came in 1949 with election of Vanderbilt to membership in the select Association of American Universities. In the 1950s Vanderbilt began to outgrow its provincial roots and to measure its achievements by national standards under the leadership of Chancellor Harvie Branscomb. By its 90th anniversary in 1963, Vanderbilt for the first time ranked in the top 20 private universities in the United States.
Vanderbilt continued to excel in research, and the number of university buildings more than doubled under the leadership of Chancellors Alexander Heard (1963-1982) and Joe B. Wyatt (1982-2000), only the fifth and sixth chancellors in Vanderbilt's long and distinguished history. Heard added three schools (Blair, the Owen Graduate School of Management and Peabody College) to the seven already existing and constructed three dozen buildings. During Wyatt's tenure, Vanderbilt acquired or built one-third of the campus buildings and made great strides in diversity, volunteerism and technology.
The university grew and changed significantly the leadership of its seventh Chancellor Gordon Gee, who served from 2000-2007. Vanderbilt led the country in the rate of growth for academic research funding, which increased to more than $450 million. Applications for admission rose from 8,000 in 2000 to more than 13,000 in 2007, and the university became one of the most selective institutions in the country. Gee flaunted conventional wisdom in 2003 with a radical restructuring of the athletics program, which resulted in improved student athlete academic achievement and a jump in the university's athletic performance, with seven teams being ranked in the top 25 nationally in 2006-2007. During this time the university saw a 50 percent increase in the number of minority students, completed or began construction of more than $700 million in new facilities, including one of the nation's best children's hospitals, and became the most-preferred provider of health care services in middle Tennessee.
On March 1, 2008, Nicholas Zeppos was named Vanderbilt's eighth chancellor.
Today, Vanderbilt University is a private research university of 6,378 undergraduates and 5,229 graduate and professional students. The university comprises 10 schools, a distinguished medical center, a public policy center and The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center. Vanderbilt offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education and human development as well as a full range of graduate and professional degrees. The university is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top 20 universities by publications such as U.S. News & World Report , with several programs and disciplines ranking in the top 10.
The combination of cutting-edge research, liberal arts and a distinguished medical center creates an invigorating atmosphere where students tailor their education to meet their goals and researchers collaborate to solve complex questions affecting our health, culture and society.
An independent, privately supported university employing nearly 2,700 full-time faculty and a staff of over 17,500, Vanderbilt is the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee and the second largest private employer in the state.
Mission, Goals and Values
Vanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the
- quest for new knowledge through scholarship,
- dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach,
- creative experimentation of ideas and concepts.
In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly
- intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry,
- equality, compassion, and excellence in all endeavors.
Vanderbilt is one of only 30 U.S. universities who are both need blind and who will meet the full demonstrated need of admitted Students. Our contributions to your future reach far beyond the classroom.
Academics
Bookstore
Colleges and Schools
Global Education Office
University Registrar
Schedule of Courses
Catalogs
Campus Life
Dining
Housing
Police and Security
Traffic and Parking
Get Involved
Parents and Family Programs
Parents & Grandparents Campaign Office
Lifelong Learning - Educational Opportunities at Vanderbilt
Phone Numbers
Visit Campus
Webcams
About Vanderbilt
Chancellor's Office
Community Creed
Dean of Students Office
Facts about Vanderbilt
History of Vanderbilt
Directions to Campus
Nashville – Vanderbilt's hometown
Vanderbilt News
AlertVU
Campus-Wide News
Student News: InsideVandy
Student Media
Alumni News
Faculty-Staff News
Science News
Medical News
Athletics News
Tennesse State University
Founded in 1912 , Tennessee State University has grown dramatically from a small college to two campuses: the 500-acre main campus and the downtown Avon Williams campus which is located in the heart of Nashville near the State capitol. The diverse student population of more than 9,000 represents 46 states and 45 countries. TSU has been listed for 11 consecutive years in the U.S. News & World Report “Guide to America's Best Colleges.”
Tennessee State University is a comprehensive, urban, coeducational land-grant university offering 45 bachelor's degrees and 24 master degrees. Doctoral programs include biological sciences, psychology, public administration, computer information systems engineering, administration and supervision, and curriculum and instruction.
Tennessee State University, located in Nashville, is a major, comprehensive urban land-grant institution offering 45 bachelor's degrees and 24 master's degrees. Doctoral degrees are offered in seven areas: biological sciences, psychology, public administration, curriculum and instruction, administration and supervision, and computer information systems engineering and physical therapy. Founded in 1912, the university has been listed for the past thirteen years in the U.S. News & World Report “Guide to America's Best Colleges.”
Tennessee State competes in Division I of the NCAA with the exception of men's football (I-AA). Programs are available for men in Basketball, Football, Golf, Tennis, and track and field. Programs are available for women in Basketball, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field, and Volleyball.
Academics
The Walter S. Davis Humanities Building is named for the University's second President. Topped by its landmark cupola, the building houses the Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy and the Thomas E. Poag Auditorium.
Tennessee State University offers over 40 bachelor's and over 20 master's degree programs --as well as the doctorate in six areas (Biology, Computer Information Systems Engineering, Education, Psychology and Public Administration). Each degree program is described in detail under its respective college or school. Tennessee State's high academic standards are evidenced by its various program accreditations.
The College of Business is accredited by AACSB, the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International or AACSB International; the FIRST in Nashville to earn dual accreditation of both the undergraduate and graduate programs in 1994. The Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and the Teacher Education program by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
The University prepares students for the workforce. The College of Engineering has developed corporate partnerships with NASA, Raytheon and General Motors. The School of Nursing boasts an 86% first-time pass-rate for students taking licensure examinations. The College of Health Sciences (formerly the School of Allied Health) has recently added much-in-demand programs such as the Masters in Physical Therapy and the Bachelor's of Health Sciences.
