Tennessee State University facts for kids
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Former names
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Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School for Negroes (1912–1925) Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal College (1925–1927) Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College (1927–1968) |
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| Motto | Think. Work. Serve |
| Type | Public, historically black land-grant university |
| Established | June 19, 1912 |
| Accreditation | SACS |
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Academic affiliation
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| Endowment | $91.1 million (2021) |
| President | Glenda Glover |
| Provost | Michael Harris (interim) |
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Academic staff
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377 full-time & 114 part-time |
| Students | 9,218 (Fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 7,678 (Fall 2022) |
| Postgraduates | 1,540 (Fall 2022) |
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United States
36°10′00″N 86°49′50″W / 36.16667°N 86.83056°W |
| Campus | Large city, 903 acres (365 ha) |
| Colors | Blue and white |
| Nickname | Tigers and Lady Tigers |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I – OVC |
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Tennessee State University Historic District
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| Location | 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Architect | Marr & Holman, et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000677 |
| Added to NRHP | June 14, 1996 |
Tennessee State University (also called Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a special type of school called a historically black land-grant university. This means it was founded to educate African American students and it also receives federal funding to teach agriculture and other practical subjects.
TSU started in 1912. It is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee. TSU offers many different degrees, including 41 bachelor's degrees, 23 master's degrees, and eight doctoral degrees. It is known for its high level of research.
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University History and Growth
TSU began as the Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School for Negroes in 1912. It officially opened on January 16, 1913. Over the years, its name changed a few times. In 1925, it became the Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal College. Then, in 1927, it was named Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College.
In 1941, the state government asked the school to improve its education programs. By 1944, TSU started giving out master's degrees. By 1946, it was fully approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which checks if schools meet high standards.
The university grew a lot between 1943 and 1968, when Walter S. Davis was president. During this time, about 70% of the school's buildings were built. Also, the graduate school and four other schools were started.
In 1968, the college officially changed its name to Tennessee State University. Later, in 1979, another school, the University of Tennessee at Nashville, joined with Tennessee State because a court ordered it.
In 2022, the state government gave Tennessee State University $250 million. This money was meant to improve buildings and school programs. This was the largest amount of money ever given to a historically black school in the United States at that time.
In 2023, Oprah Winfrey, a very famous graduate of Tennessee State, gave the speech at the graduation ceremony for the first time.
Tennessee State University has eight main schools and colleges. It has grown steadily since it began. It is the only public university in Nashville. Its health science program is the biggest in Tennessee and one of the largest in the country.
In March 2024, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a new law. This law changed all the members of the school's board of trustees. New members were chosen to help lead the university. The governor said TSU is a "remarkable institution" and that the new board members would help it continue to be a leading school. This change happened after some audits found issues with how money was managed. For example, the $250 million given in 2022 was not used for building improvements as planned.
Campus Life and Location
TSU's main campus is about 500 acres (2.0 km2) big. It has more than 65 buildings. The campus is located in a neighborhood at 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU's main campus has the most land of any college campus in Nashville.
There is also another campus, the Avon Williams campus. It is located downtown, close to the business and government area of Nashville.
Students can live on campus in dorms or apartment buildings. Some of the dorms are Wilson Hall, Watson Hall, Eppse Hall, Boyd Hall, Rudolph Hall, and Hale Hall. There are also two apartment complexes called the Ford Complex and New Residence Complex.
Academics and Learning
| USNWR National University | 34 (tie) in Historically Black Colleges and Universities; 293-381 in National Universities |
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| Washington Monthly National University | 100 |
Tennessee State University is approved by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This means it meets high standards for education. TSU offers many different degrees:
- 38 bachelor's degrees (first college degree)
- 24 master's degrees (advanced degree after a bachelor's)
- Doctoral degrees in seven areas (highest degree)
- Two Associate of Science degrees (two-year degrees) in nursing and dental hygiene.
TSU is known as an "R2: Doctoral University – High research activity" school. This means it does a lot of important research.
The university is organized into these main colleges:
- College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Sciences
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Health Sciences
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Life and Physical Sciences
- College of Public Service
The University Honors College (UHC) is a special program for students who are very talented and motivated. It started in 1964.
The College of Business is approved by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). It was the first school in Nashville to have both its undergraduate and graduate business programs approved in 1994. The Psychology program is approved by the American Psychological Association. The Teacher Education program is approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
The College of Engineering works with big companies like NASA, Raytheon, and General Motors. Its programs are approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT).
The College of Health Sciences offers programs like the Masters in Physical Therapy and the Bachelor of Health Sciences. The Master of Public Health program was approved in 2015 by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Student Life and Sports
Athletics
Tennessee State University has many sports teams for both men and women. They compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports. The school is part of the NCAA's Division I and plays in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). TSU's teams are called the Tigers and Lady Tigers. TSU has rivalries with Tennessee Tech and Kentucky State University.
Student Organizations
There are over 60 student groups on campus. These include the Student Government Association, the famous Aristocrat of Bands (AOB) marching band, and many fraternities and sororities.
Famous People Who Attended TSU
Many well-known people have attended Tennessee State University. Here are a few:
- Oprah Winfrey – A very famous talk show host, actress, and businesswoman.
- Richard Dent – A professional football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Ed "Too Tall" Jones – A professional football player.
- Wilma Rudolph – An Olympic runner who was the first woman of color to win three gold medals in one Olympics.
- Ralph Boston – An Olympic athlete and long jumper who won three medals.
- Chandra Cheeseborough – An Olympic runner who won gold and silver medals.
- Edith McGuire – An Olympic runner who won gold and two silver medals.
- Wyomia Tyus – An Olympic runner who was the first person to win the 100-meter race twice in the Olympics.
- Madeline Manning – An Olympic runner who won a gold medal.
- Dick Barnett – A professional basketball player in the NBA.
- Robert Covington – A professional basketball player in the NBA.
- Anthony Mason – A professional basketball player in the NBA.
- Lloyd Neal – A professional basketball player in the NBA.
- Leonard "Truck" Robinson – A professional basketball player in the NBA.
- Moses Gunn – A well-known actor.
- Carla Thomas – A famous singer.
- Jesse Russell – An electrical engineer who helped create wireless communication technology.
See also
- List of Tennessee State University presidents
- Southern Heritage Classic
- From the Rough
