East Tennessee Female Institute facts for kids
The East Tennessee Female Institute was a school just for girls and young women. It was in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. The school ran from 1827 until 1911. It started as the Knoxville Female Academy. This school taught high school and college-level classes. It helped young women in Knoxville and nearby areas get an education. This was before the University of Tennessee started letting both boys and girls attend. Later, when free public schools became common, this school, which charged money, slowly closed down.
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History of the Institute
Starting the Knoxville Female Academy
Blount College was an early school that later became the University of Tennessee. It started in 1794 and first allowed both boys and girls to attend. But by 1807, it only accepted boys. So, leaders in Knoxville decided to create a school for young women.
The Knoxville Female Academy officially began in 1811. However, it took many years for the school's leaders to gather enough money. They needed funds to hire teachers and find a building for classes.
In 1826, East Tennessee College moved to a new spot on Barbara Hill. This made people excited about the Knoxville Female Academy again. In April 1827, a local newspaper asked leaders to restart the academy. By the end of that month, the school had hired a principal and two teachers. They arranged to hold classes in the home of Joseph Strong, a doctor and school leader. The Reverend John Davis became the first principal. Classes officially started on May 7, 1827.
In 1828, the school's leaders began raising money for their own building. Joseph Strong and Matthew McClung each gave half of a piece of land. This land is now near Henley, Main, and Hill Avenue. Other people, like Charles McClung and John Crozier, gave money for the building. It was finished in 1829.
After Reverend Davis left, Joseph Estabrook became the new leader. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College. Estabrook led the academy until 1834. Then he left to become the president of East Tennessee College. The Knoxville Female Academy had its first graduation on September 30, 1831.
Becoming the East Tennessee Female Institute
In 1841, the Methodist Episcopal Church took over the academy. The Reverend David McAnally became the principal. He helped the school grow a lot.
On January 31, 1846, the Knoxville Female Academy changed its name. It became the East Tennessee Female Institute. This new name meant it could give out college degrees. Around this time, the school's leaders and the church started having disagreements. In 1847, the school decided to stop working with the church.
During the 1850s, two teachers from East Tennessee College led the institute. Their names were George Cooke and R. L. Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick became principal in 1856. He tried to keep the school open during the American Civil War in the early 1860s. However, the Union Army closed the school in late 1863. They used the school building as a hospital.
The school reopened in 1866. It had different leaders until 1877. Then, the building was rented to Knoxville to be used as a public school.
In 1885, Lizzie Crozier French and her sister, Lucy, rented the building. Lizzie was a supporter of women's right to vote. They reopened the East Tennessee Female Institute. Besides regular school subjects, Crozier-French focused on public speaking. She even wrote a book called A Manual of Elocution for her students. The Ossoli Circle, a women's club started by Crozier-French in 1885, held its first meetings at the institute. The Crozier sisters ran the school until 1890. Then, the school's leaders decided to sell the property.
Later Years and Closing
In 1892, the school, now called the East Tennessee Institute and School of Music, started classes in a new building on Main Street. Under Professor Charles Ross and new teachers, the school grew. By 1894, it had over 100 students. A book about Knoxville from 1900 described the school's rooms as "large, well lighted and ventilated." It also said they had "apparatus, books and maps for teaching languages, sciences, art and history."
In the late 1800s, free public schools became more common in Knoxville. This made it hard for the institute to find students willing to pay tuition. In 1911, the school closed. Its building was then rented to the University of Tennessee's Home Economics Department. In 1919, the school's leaders gave the building to the University of Tennessee. For several years, the university used it for its College of Law.
What Students Learned
For most of its history, the East Tennessee Female Institute taught a mix of classic subjects and "ornamental" studies. During Joseph Estabrook's time in the 1830s, first-year students learned spelling, reading, geography, and math. These subjects continued in the second year, with grammar and mythology added. Third-year students studied history, natural philosophy (science), rhetoric (public speaking), and botany (plants). Older students learned astronomy, chemistry, philosophy, and logic.
"Ornamental" subjects included music, especially piano. Students also learned painting, drawing, lace making, and sewing. After the school became the East Tennessee Female Institute in 1846, graduates earned "Mistress of Polite Literature" degrees.
Students had to recite Bible verses every week. They also gave recitations on other subjects every two weeks. Public exams were held twice a year. People from the community often attended these exams. Local newspapers also wrote about them.
