Tennessee State University

Former names	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)
Motto	Think. Work. Serve
Type	Public,historically blackland-grant university
Established	June 19, 1912; 113 years ago (1912-06-19)
Accreditation	SACS
Academic affiliation	ORAU TMCF
Endowment	$91.1 million (2021)[1]
President	Dwayne Tucker
Provost	Robbie K. Melton (interim)
Academic staff	443 full-time & 169 part-time[2]
Students	8,198 (fall 2023)[3]
Undergraduates	6,765 (fall 2023)
Location	Nashville , Tennessee , United States 36°10′00″N86°49′50″W / 36.16667°N 86.83056°W /36.16667; -86.83056
Campus	Large city, 903 acres (365 ha)
Colors	Blue and white[4]
Nickname	Tigers and Lady Tigers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I –OVC
Website	www.tnstate.edu
Tennessee State University Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
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 (Tennessee State,Tenn State, orTSU) is apublichistorically blackland-grant university inNashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee. It is a member-school of theThurgood Marshall College Fund.^[5] Tennessee State University offers 41bachelor's degrees, 23master's degrees, and eightdoctoral degrees.^[6][7] It isclassified as "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".^[8]

The university was established as theTennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School for Negroes in 1912.^[9][10] Its dedication was held on January 16, 1913.^[9] It changed its name toTennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal College in 1925.^[9] Two years later, in 1927, it became known asTennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College.^[9]

In 1941, the Tennessee General Assembly directed the Board of Education to upgrade the educational program of the college. Three years later the first master's degrees were awarded and by 1946 the college was fully accredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools.^[11]

Significant expansion occurred during the presidency ofWalter S. Davis between 1943 and 1968. The postwar period resulted in the construction of "70 percent of the school's facilities" and the establishment of the graduate school and four other schools.^[12]

In 1968, the college officially changed its name to Tennessee State University. In 1979, theUniversity of Tennessee at Nashville merged into Tennessee State due to a court mandate.^[11]

In 2022, Tennessee State University was awarded $250 million from thestate legislature. The funds were intended to upgrade facilities and academic programs on campus.^[13] At the time of the award, the $250 million investment was the largest single investment into a historically black institution in the history of the country.^[14]

In 2023, Tennessee State's most well known graduate,Oprah Winfrey, served as the official commencement speaker for the first time.^[15]

On March 28, 2024, Tennessee GovernorBill Lee signed legislation that removed all of the school's board of trustees and replaced them with new members, subject to legislative confirmation. Characterizing the school as a “remarkable institution” he said, “I’m pleased to appoint these highly qualified individuals who will work alongside administrators and students to further secure TSU’s place as a leading institution.”

State legislation authorizing the governor to vacate the board of trustees was prompted by the numerous instances of financial and procedural mismanagement uncovered in recent school audits. RepresentativeRyan Williams specifically noted that the $250 million appropriation made by the legislature in 2022 was “completely blown through” and not used for infrastructure improvements as intended.^[16][17]

Tennessee State University is divided into 10 schools and colleges and has seen steady growth since its inception. It remains the only public university in Nashville. Its health science program is the largest in the state and one of the largest in the nation.^[18]

The 500 acres (2.0 km²) maincampus has more than 65 buildings, and is located in a residential setting at 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd inNashville, Tennessee. Tennessee State's main campus has the most acres of any college campus in Nashville. TheAvon Williams campus is located downtown, near the center of the Nashville business and government district. Tennessee State offers on-campus housing to students. There are on-campus dorms and two apartment complexes for upperclassmen. On-campus facilities include dormitories Wilson Hall, Watson Hall, Eppse Hall, Boyd Hall, Rudolph Hall, Hale Hall, as well as the Ford Complex and New Residence Complex, TSU's two on-campus apartment complexes.

The university isaccredited by the Commission on Colleges of theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to awardassociate degrees,baccalaureate degrees,master's degrees, anddoctoral degree.^[23] It isclassified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".^[24]

The university is organized into the following schools and colleges:

• College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Sciences^[25]
• College of Business^[26]
• College of Education^[27]
• College of Engineering^[28]
• College of Health Sciences^[29]
• College of Liberal Arts^[30]
• College of Life and Physical Sciences^[31]
• College of Public Service^[32]
• University Honors College^[33]
• School of Graduate and Professional Studies^[34]

The College of Business is accredited by theAssociation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). It was the first institution in Nashville to earn the accreditation of both its undergraduate and graduate business programs in 1994. The psychology program is accredited by theAmerican Psychological Association. Programs in the College of Engineering are accredited by theAccreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or theNational Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT). The Master of Public Health program was accredited in 2015 by theCouncil on Education for Public Health (CEPH).^[35]

Tennessee State University sponsors seven men's and eight women's teams inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned sports.^[37] The school competes in the NCAA'sDivision IFootball Championship Subdivision and is a member of theOhio Valley Conference (OVC). As a member of the OVC, Tennessee State is one of three Division I HBCU athletic programs that are not members of either theMid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) orSouthwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), whose members are primarilyHBCU institutions. TSU has a rivalry with Tennessee Tech and Kentucky State University.

There are over 60 registered student organizations on campus including theStudent Government Association,Aristocrat of Bands (AOB), and many Greek-lettered organizations.^[38]

• Michael Harris, Public Policy Scholar

• Millicent Lownes-Jackson

• List of Tennessee State University presidents
• Southern Heritage Classic
• From the Rough

• Lovett, Bobby L.A Touch of Greatness: A History of Tennessee State University (Mercer University Press, 2012) 340 pp.

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