On this date in 1912, Tennessee State University (TSU) opened its doors to higher learning. TSU is among over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America (HBCUs).
Organized as the Agricultural and Industrial State Normal School in 1909, it began serving students three years later on June 19th. It was elevated to a four-year teachers' college status in 1922 and further advanced to full-fledged land-grant university status by the Tennessee State Board of Education in 1958. TSU is now a comprehensive, urban, coeducational land-grant university. The 450-acre main campus, with over 65 buildings, is situated in a residential setting. The Avon Williams Campus, located downtown near the center of Nashville's business and government district, is separate from the main campus.
Tennessee State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, Specialist in Education, and Doctor's degrees. There are about 8,750 students, including undergraduate and graduate (with a 17-to-1 ratio).
The three-story Martha M. Brown/Lois H. Daniel Library boasts an impressive collection of resources that support the college curriculum and the research needs of those in the surrounding areas. The library houses a collection of over 420,000 books, 1,500 microform titles, 1,775 periodicals, and a diverse range of online database services.
Also included in the 82,000-square-foot building are rooms devoted to collections highlighting the University's rich and colorful history. Notable Alumni include Carl Rowan, Oprah Winfrey, and Wilma Rudolph.
Black American Colleges and Universities:
Profiles of Two-Year, Four-Year, & Professional Schools
by Levirn Hill, Pub., Gale Group, 1994
ISBN: 0-02-864984-2
