Tennessee Wesleyan University facts for kids
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Former names
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List
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| Motto | Lux et Veritas |
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Motto in English
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Light and Truth |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1857 |
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Religious affiliation
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United Methodist Church |
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Academic affiliations
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NAICU IAMSCU |
| President | Dr. Tyler Forrest |
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Academic staff
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184 |
| Students | 1,052 |
| Location |
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U.S.
35°26′43″N 84°35′40″W / 35.4453°N 84.5944°W |
| Campus | Small city |
| Colors | Blue & White |
| Nickname | Bulldogs |
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Sporting affiliations
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NAIA – Appalachian |
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Tennessee Wesleyan University (TWU) is a private university in Athens, Tennessee. It was started in 1857 and is connected to the United Methodist Church. This means it shares values with the Methodist faith, but students of all backgrounds are welcome.
The university also has a campus in Knoxville, Tennessee, where it offers business classes in the evening. Nursing students also take their classes in Knoxville.
Contents
A Long and Changing History
Tennessee Wesleyan University has a very long history and has changed its name many times. It first opened in 1857 as the "Athens Female College." Back then, it was a school just for women and had only one building, which is now called Old College.
In 1866, the school's name changed to "East Tennessee Wesleyan College." A year later, it became "East Tennessee Wesleyan University" and started allowing men to attend. This was unusual at the time, making it one of the few coeducational schools (for both men and women) in the southern United States.
Over the years, the school's name changed several more times. It was once named after Ulysses S. Grant, a famous general and U.S. president. For a while, it was part of the University of Chattanooga.
In 1925, it became a separate school again with the name "Tennessee Wesleyan College." For many years, it was a junior college, which means students attended for two years. In 1957, it began offering four-year bachelor's degrees. Finally, in 2016, it became Tennessee Wesleyan University, the name it has today.
What You Can Study
TWU offers many subjects for students to study and earn a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree is the four-year degree you get after graduating from a university.
Some of the subjects you can study include:
- Biology and Chemistry
- Business and Math
- Art, Music, and Theatre
- History and English
- Nursing and Psychology
- Education and Social Work
The university also has agreements with nearby community colleges. This makes it easier for students from those colleges to transfer to TWU to finish their four-year degree.
How Hard Is It to Get In?
| USNWR National University | 16 (Regional colleges South) |
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Tennessee Wesleyan University is considered "selective." This means it accepts many of the students who apply, but not everyone. In fact, about 62 out of every 100 students who apply get in.
Go, Bulldogs! A Look at TWU Sports
The sports teams at Tennessee Wesleyan are called the Bulldogs. The university competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). This is an organization for smaller colleges and universities. The Bulldogs play against other schools in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).
TWU has 21 different sports teams. There are teams for men, teams for women, and even co-ed teams where men and women compete together.
- Men's sports include baseball, basketball, soccer, and lacrosse.
- Women's sports include softball, volleyball, tennis, and golf.
- Co-ed sports include cheerleading and eSports (competitive video gaming).
A Winning Baseball Team
The Bulldogs baseball team is very successful. They have won the NAIA World Series two times, in 2012 and 2019. This is the national championship for NAIA baseball. The team has also won many conference championships.
Famous Former Students
Many interesting people have graduated from Tennessee Wesleyan University. Here are a few of them:
- Carol Aebersold – She is one of the writers of the popular Christmas book The Elf on the Shelf.
- Tom Browning – He was a famous pitcher in Major League Baseball and is in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
- James Alexander Fowler – He was an important lawyer for the U.S. government and also served as the mayor of Knoxville.
- Leonard Lomell – He was a brave soldier in World War II, and later became a lawyer and businessman.
- John T. Raulston – He was the judge in the famous Scopes trial in 1925, which was about teaching evolution in schools.
