Tusculum College

Last updated
Tusculum College
MottoSit Lux (Latin)
("Let there be light")
Type Private
Established 1794
Endowment US$15.7 million
President Dr. James Hurley
Administrative staff
 272
Undergraduates 2,446
Postgraduates 159
Location Tusculum , Tennessee , United States
Campus Rural, 140 acres (0.57 km2)
Colors Orange and Black
         
Athletics NCAA Division II
South Atlantic Conference
18 sports teams
Affiliations Presbyterian Church (USA)
Mascot Pioneers
Website www.tusculum.edu

Tusculum College is a coeducational private college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), with its main campus in the city of Tusculum, Tennessee, United States, a suburb of the town of Greeneville. It is Tennessee's oldest college and the 28th-oldest operating college in the United States. [1]

Private universities are typically not operated by governments, although many receive tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. This is in contrast to public universities and national universities. Most private universities are non-profit organizations.

College educational institution

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering vocational education or a secondary school.

Presbyterian Church (USA) Mainline Protestant denomination in the USA

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. A part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its relatively progressive stance on doctrine. The PC (USA) was established by the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were located in the Southern and border states, with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose congregations could be found in every state. The similarly named Presbyterian Church in America is a separate denomination whose congregations can also trace their history to the various schisms and mergers of Presbyterian churches in the United States.

Contents

In addition to its main campus, the institution maintains a regional center for Graduate and Professional Studies in Knoxville, and additional satellite campuses across East Tennessee.

Knoxville, Tennessee City in Tennessee, United States

Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Knox County. The city had an estimated population of 186,239 in 2016 and a population of 178,874 as of the 2010 census, making it the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, in 2016, was 868,546, up 0.9 percent, or 7,377 people, from to 2015. The KMSA is, in turn, the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2013, had a population of 1,096,961.

A satellite campus or branch campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically at a distance from the original university or college area. This branch campus may be located in a different city, state, or country, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution. The separate campuses may or may not be under the same accreditation and share resources or they share administrations but maintain separate budgets, resources, and other governing bodies.

East Tennessee comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely Bledsoe, Cumberland, and Marion. East Tennessee is entirely located within the Appalachian Mountains, although the landforms range from densely forested 6,000-foot (1,800 m) mountains to broad river valleys. The region contains the major cities of Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Johnson City, Tennessee's third, fourth, and ninth largest cities, respectively.

History

Before Tennessee became a state in 1796, the east Tennessee area was the southwestern frontier of the United States. [2] Presbyterian ministers Hezekiah Balch and Samuel Doak, both educated at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), were there, ministering to early Scots-Irish settlers.

Tennessee State of the United States of America

Tennessee is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States. Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the west, and Missouri to the northwest. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the Mississippi River forms the state's western border. Nashville is the state's capital and largest city, with a 2017 population of 667,560. Tennessee's second largest city is Memphis, which had a population of 652,236 in 2017.

Southwest Territory territory of the USA between 1790-1796

The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States as the State of Tennessee. The Southwest Territory was created by the Southwest Ordinance from lands of the Washington District that had been ceded to the U.S. federal government by North Carolina. The territory's lone governor was William Blount.

United States federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Striving to meet the settlers' educational needs, Doak founded St. Martins Academy in 1783 and it expanded to become Washington College in 1795. Washington College was later renamed "Tusculum College." Balch helped found Greeneville College in 1795.

In 1806, emancipated slave John Gloucester became the first African-American student to attend Greeneville College. He was the first African-American to graduate from college in Tennessee and later helped found the First African Presbyterian Church in 1807, in Philadelphia. [3] [4] [5]

John Gloucester American minister

John Gloucester was the first African American to become an ordained Presbyterian minister in the United States.

Samuel Doak and Hezekiah Balch sought the same goals through their separate colleges. They wanted to educate settlers of the American frontier so that they would become better Presbyterians, and therefore, in their thinking, better citizens. [6] To better accomplish their common goals, Greeneville College and Tusculum College merged in 1868 to become Greeneville & Tusculum College.

Settler person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there

A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally from a sedentary culture, as opposed to nomads who share and rotate their settlements with little or no concept of individual land ownership. Settlements are often built on land already claimed or owned by another group. Many times settlers are backed by governments or large countries. They also sometimes leave in search of religious freedom.

Presbyterianism Branch of Protestant Christianity in which the church is governed by presbyters (elders)

Presbyterianism is a part of the reformed tradition within Protestantism, which traces its origins to Britain, particularly Scotland.

Citizenship is the status of a person recognized under the custom or law as being a legal member of a sovereign state or belonging to a nation.

Origin of name

Doak rechristened Washington College Tusculum after the home place of Princeton University’s then-president Dr. John Witherspoon, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. The original Tusculum was a city near Rome, Italy and home to Roman scholar and philosopher Cicero. It was he who, along with others, identified the civic virtues that form the basis of civic republican tradition, which emphasizes citizens working together to form good societies that in turn foster individuals of good character. [7]

Historically, an estate comprises the houses, outbuildings, supporting farmland, and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks a manor's now-abolished jurisdictional authority. It is an "estate" because the profits from its produce and rents are sufficient to support the household in the house at its center, formerly known as the manor house. Thus, "the estate" may refer to all other cottages and villages in the same ownership as the mansion itself, covering more than one former manor. Examples of such great estates are Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, England, and Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England, built to replace the former manor house of Woodstock.

Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēreLatin pronunciation: [dɔˈkeːrɛ] 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, when the first Doctorates were awarded at the University of Bologna and the University of Paris. Having become established in European universities, this usage spread around the world. Contracted "Dr" or "Dr.", it is used as a designation for a person who has obtained a Doctorate. In many parts of the world it is also used by medical practitioners, regardless of whether or not they hold a doctoral-level degree.

John Witherspoon Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and a Founding Father of the United States

John Knox Witherspoon was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense realism, and while president of the College of New Jersey, became an influential figure in the development of the United States' national character. Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. Later, he signed the Articles of Confederation and supported ratification of the Constitution. In 1789 he was convening moderator of the First General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.

Presidents

Academics

Accreditation

Tusculum is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate degrees and the Master of Arts in education and the Master of Arts in organizational management.

It also maintains institutional memberships with the American Council on Education, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Council for Opportunity in Education, [8] the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, [9] the Tennessee State Board of Education, the Appalachian College Association, [10] the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, the American Association of University Women, the American Medical Association, and the New York State Board of Regents.

Programs of study

Majors. Tusculum College offers these main fields of specialization to its undergraduate students: Art and Design (with concentrations in Studio Art and Visual Communication), Biology (with concentrations in Environmental Science, Medical Pre-Professional and Pre-Pharmacy), Business Administration (with concentrations in General Management, Management Accounting, and Economics, Entrepreneurship, Information Technology and Nonprofit Management), Chemistry (with concentrations in Medical Pre-Professional and Pre-Pharmacy), Criminal Justice, English (with concentrations in Literature, Creative Writing, Journalism, and Professional Writing ), History, Mathematics (with concentrations in Computer Science, Biology and Chemistry), Museum Studies, Nursing, Political Science, Psychology, Sports Management, and Sports Science.

Teacher licensure programs. Students seeking baccalaureate degrees in education select one of the following subfields to qualify for a state board granted license: Pre-Secondary Education (Early Childhood Education PreK–3, Elementary Education K–6), Secondary Education (Biology 7–12, English 7–12, History 7–12, Mathematics 7–12, Psychology 9–12), K–12 Education (Physical Education K–12, Visual Arts K–12), and Special Education (Special Education Modified and Comprehensive K–12, Special Education Early Childhood).

Minors. In addition to their academic majors, students at Tusculum College can also study these secondary specialties: Biology, Chemistry, Coaching, Computer Information Systems, English, Environmental Science, History, Journalism, Mass Media, Mathematics, Management, Museum Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Visual Arts, and the following minors in Education: English, History, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Special Education, Modified & Comprehensive.

Other disciplines. Tusculum College also offers additional non-degree-conferring courses in Geography, Music, Physics, Sociology, Spanish, and Theater.


Athletics

Tusculum Pioneers Logo Pioneers-PNG.png
Tusculum Pioneers Logo

A member of the South Atlantic Conference, Tusculum fields 14 varsity teams in NCAA Division II competition.

In 2004, Ricardo Colclough, a defensive back and kick returner, became the first Tusculum Pioneers football player to be drafted by the National Football League when he was selected in the second draft round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Colclough, the only Tusculum player to appear in an NFL game, played for the Carolina Panthers. He was dismissed from the team in August 2008. [11]

In 2007, former Tusculum College basketball player, Tyler White, became a member of the Washington Generals, the exhibition team that travels with and plays against the Harlem Globetrotters.

In August 2009, Chris Poore, another former Tusculum College basketball player, also became a member of the Washington Generals. [12]

On September 4, 2014, the Tusculum football team hosted the College of Faith, an online institution in Charlotte, North Carolina. In a 71-0 win, the Pioneers set two NCAA all Division records: fewest total yards allowed (minus-100) and fewest rushing yards allowed (minus-124). [13] Tusculum also had three safeties, which tied a Division II record.

Key events in athletic program

Sports facilities

Tusculum’s sports facilities include lighted football, baseball, soccer, and softball fields; an intramural field; and six lighted tennis courts that support a variety of outdoor activities as well as physical education instruction.

A new, modern athletics complex was dedicated in October 2003 in honor of business and community leader Scott M. Niswonger, a member of Tusculum College’s Board of Trustees whose donations made the new facility possible. Its major features include a field house located behind the west end zone of Pioneer Field, with large locker area facilities that can be divided into four locker rooms. An indoor practice and soccer facility with interior space of about 44,400 square feet (4,120 m2) features FieldTurf, an artificial playing surface used by major college and NFL teams.

With improvements made through the athletics complex development project, Pioneer Field's seating capacity is now at 3,500. New parking facilities were added through the project. New and improved pedestrian ways, fencing, and lighting in the athletics complex area were developed in a style to match that already on the campus. A modern press box facility, built to blend with the architectural style of the campus’ most historic facilities, is also part of the athletics complex project.

A baseball stadium, Pioneer Park, was added to the complex in 2004. The stadium, used by both the Tusculum Pioneers baseball team and the Greeneville Astros (the Minor League Baseball team of the Houston Astros) has a seating capacity of 2,500 and features a covered seating area. The volleyball team, also known as the Lady Pioneers, play in Pioneer Arena for their volleyball games.

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. ↑ The Tusculum College board of trustees placed President Dolphus Henry on paid administrative leave on May 22, 2007, following a vote of no confidence by the faculty. (See Tusculum College president on leave, Knoxville News Sentinel , 23 May 2007.) Two trustees with notable experience as university presidents (Drs. Edward J. Kormondy and Angelo Volpe) alternately shared leadership responsibilities until an interim president could take office. (See Trustees Volpe, Kormondy taking on transitional presidential leadership at Tusculum College, Tusculum College press release, May 29, 2007.) Dr. Henry announced his resignation in July 2007. (See Dolphus Henry resigns as president of Tusculum College, Tusculum College press release, 19 July 2007.)
  2. ↑ Dr. Russell L. Nichols, president emeritus of Hanover College, assumed the duties of interim president on 1 August 2007. (See Dr. Russell L. Nichols coming as interim president of Tusculum College, Tusculum College press release, July 19, 2007.)
  3. ↑ On February 28, 2009, the Tusculum College board of trustees elected Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Lincoln Memorial University, to be the institution's 27th president. She was scheduled to assume office on April 27, 2009. (See Tusculum College Names Dr. Nancy Moody President, Greeneville Sun, March 2, 2009.)

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South Atlantic Conference

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Greeneville is a town in, and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 15,062. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. It is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there are numerous U.S. towns named Greenville. The town was the capital of the short-lived State of Franklin in the 18th-century history of the Tennessee region.

Tusculum, Tennessee City in Tennessee, United States

Tusculum is a city in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,663 at the 2010 census and 2,670 in 2016. It is the home of Tusculum University, the oldest university in Tennessee and the 28th oldest in the United States. Tusculum is a suburb of nearby Greeneville. The population of both Greeneville and Tusculum combined is approximately 17,725 at the 2010 census.

State of Franklin Former unrecognized US territory

The State of Franklin was an unrecognized and autonomous territory located in what is today Eastern Tennessee, United States. Franklin was created in 1784 from part of the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains that had been offered by North Carolina as a cession to Congress to help pay off debts related to the American War for Independence. It was founded with the intent of becoming the fourteenth state of the new United States.

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The Greeneville Astros were a Minor League Baseball team of the Rookie League Appalachian League. They were located in Tusculum, Tennessee, and played their home games at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum College. They were an affiliate of the Houston Astros from 2004 to 2017 when the Astros decided to eliminate their Greeneville team and reduce their farm system from nine teams to eight. The Greeneville Astros were replaced by the Cincinnati Reds affiliated Greeneville Reds who assumed the Greeneville Astros spot in the Appalachian League; the Greeneville Reds are not a continuation of the Greeneville Astros and are instead a separate franchise.

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Samuel Doak American clergyman and abolitionist

Samuel Doak (1749–1830) was an American Presbyterian clergyman, Calvinist educator, and a former slave owner in the early movement in the United States for the abolition of slavery.

Limestone, Tennessee human settlement in United States of America

Limestone is an unincorporated community on the western border of Washington County and the eastern border of Greene County in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its zip code is 37681. Limestone is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.

Washington College Academy

Washington College Academy is a private Presbyterian-affiliated educational institution located in Washington College, Limestone, Tennessee. Founded in 1780 by Doctor of Divinity Samuel Doak, the Academy for many years offered accredited college, junior college and college preparatory instruction to day and boarding students, but financial difficulties in the 2000s forced the school to restructure its offerings and focus instead on continuing education courses for adults. In addition to general interest courses such as "Stained Glass" and "Personal Financial Planning", the Academy hosts a General Educational Development (GED) program to assist area residents in meeting the high school-level academic skills necessary for GED certification. The Academy also offers baseball and softball facilities.

First Presbyterian Church (Greeneville, Tennessee) Church in Tennessee, United States

The First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, Tennessee is a historic congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) located in downtown Greeneville, TN. It was the first church established in Greeneville and is one of the oldest churches in the State of Tennessee. First Presbyterian Church was first gathered in 1780 at the Big Spring in downtown Greeneville, with the first services preached by traveling frontier minister Samuel Doak. In 1783, regular services began, and Rev. Hezekiah Balch was the first settled minister.

Hezekiah Balch, D.D. (1741–1810) was a Presbyterian minister and one of the co-founders of Tusculum College, originally called Greeneville College. The Rev Balch was also the author of, and one of the signatories of "The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence"

Greeneville High School (GHS) is a high school in Greeneville, Tennessee, a town most known as the place in which President Andrew Johnson began his political career as the city mayor. It is part of the Town of Greeneville City School System. In 2008, it was named as a Blue Ribbon School, the only high school in Tennessee to receive such honor that year.

Nancy B. Moody was the President of Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee from until October 2009 through September 2017. Previously, from 2002 to 2009, Moody served as the president at Lincoln Memorial University.

The Greeneville Reds are a Minor League Baseball team of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. They are located in Tusculum, Tennessee, a city adjacent to Greeneville, and play their home games at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum University. They are an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The Greeneville Reds replaced the Greeneville Astros (2004–2017) as the city's entry in the league; the Greeneville Reds are not a continuation of the Greeneville Astros and are instead a separate franchise. Paul Kleinhans-Schulz was the first GM of the Greeneville Reds and will always be known for bringing baseball back to Greeneville.

References

  1. ↑ Rudolph, Frederick (1990). The American College and University: A history. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press. (ISBN   0820312843)
  2. ↑ Ramsey, J. G. M. (1853). Annals of Tennessee to the end of the eighteenth century (p. 627). Charleston, SC: Walker & James Press.
  3. ↑ http://www.blackpast.org/aah/gloucester-john-1776-1822
  4. ↑ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMBGTG_John_Gloucester_1776_1822_1C_84_Tusculum_TN
  5. ↑ http://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HM1BI2_john-gloucester_Tusculum-TN.html
  6. ↑ Patrick, James (2007). The beginning of collegiate education west of the Appalachians, 1795-1833: The achievement of Dr. Charles Coffin of Greeneville College and East Tennessee College. Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press. (ISBN   0773454470)
  7. ↑ Sexton, Jr., Donal J., & Smith, Jr., Myron J. (1994). Glimpses of Tusculum: A pictorial history of Tusculum College. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing.
  8. ↑ "Council for Opportunity in Education" . Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "Home" . Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  10. ↑ http://www.acaweb.org/
  11. ↑ Colclough Cut From Panthers Following Drunk Driving Arrest, The Greeneville Sun, 1 September 2008.
  12. ↑ http://www.greenevillesun.com/story/303919.
  13. ↑ "The worst game in college football history" . Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  14. ↑ John Gloucester
  15. ↑ http://planphilly.com/articles/2009/02/05/7277

Further reading

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