Middle Tennessee State Teachers College
1925 - 1942
| Middle Tennessee State Teachers College 1925 - 1942 |
|
The following history of Middle Tennessee State Teachers College is an excerpt from a news article written by Avis Moore for a News Journal supplement dated June 5, 1936.
In 1925, after fourteen years as a normal school, in accordance with the authorization of the General Assembly, the Middle Tennessee State Normal School became known as the Middle Tennessee State Teachers College. The institution was given the power to grant the degree of Bachelor of Science to its graduates.
| It is inspiring now to think upon the improvements which have been made and the evidence of them displayed upon our campus: the beautiful new dormitory, Lyon Hall, for girls, named for our present president; the boys' dormitory, comfortable and convenient to school, a thing to be proud of; and our wonderful library with its thousands of books, which makes us smile at the comparison of it with the old library of one room and its poor supply of books; and above all |
|
|
|
a magnificent science building, with all modern conveniences, which is truly a thing of beauty as well as of unlimited value; also the training school, a complete organization in itself with value for the youngster as much as for the teacher who gets his or her training there; and the beautiful campus with grass, shrubbery, flowers and trees bordered with paved streets and adjoining sidewalks. Indeed, the entire picture of it upon our eye represents years of hard work cheerfully given, by people who have thus manifested their interest in our present and also our future generations. We should appreciate it enough that we should be willing to do our part.
Since it has been a college there have been 709 graduates. In addition to various pamphlets for terms, there have been eight volumes of the bulletin published.
Also as a matter of interest there are scattered around our campus many trees worthy of notice because of the sentiment they embody. Especially the magnolias near the dining hall, one of which was in memory of Mrs. Maude Matthews, at one time a member of the faculty - and a second and third in honor of Mrs. Rutledge's father and mother. There is also a marker near Lyon Hall which was dedicated to Pauline Alsup, who was, during her stay here president of the Y.W.C.A.
Of the original faculty only eight are still with us, devoting their time and energy to the betterment of our school which they have watched in its growth from the beginning. They are: Mr. Lyon, then professor of math and in 1921 president following R.L. Jones, our first president; Mr. Woodward of the manual arts department; Miss Saunders of the music department; Miss Reynolds of the physical education department; Miss Monohan of the history department; Mrs. Murfree as librarian; Mr. Jones as the bookkeeper; and Mr. Holmes, who was the first person to write for information concerning the school, who first came as a student and later obtained the position of bursar which has has retained to the present day. Though there are only these eight who have been with the school from the first, there are many who have been here a long time, and still others who are rather new. However lately some of them may have arrived, they are doing their part in helping the original ones to carry on this worthwhile organization.
Thus, the school has grown from a small normal organized in 1911 with the enrollment of about 200 to the college with present enrollment around 900, and is today a source of inspiration. We can trace its progress and this growth in size and influence has ever been a reason for greatest gratification.
