The students who began class on a chilly February day in 1823 could not possibly imagine that they would be merely the first to share in a remarkable lineage that is known today as Union University. Nor could R.C. Green, the first principal of the region’s first school, have ever comprehended that his tiny school would some day be transformed into one of the nation’s premier institutions of Christian higher education, as well as one of the major liberal arts colleges in the South.

The history of Union University is a rich narrative - a story made possible by faithful teachers, committed supporters, and countless young men and women who arrived with a common dream: to learn, to grow, to build better lives. Union University exists today because of them.

Fifty Cents for Firewood

Today’s Union students and parents would be startled to receive a bill like the ones the first Academy students received. Tuition for a class in “spelling reading and writing” was $6 per session. Classes in “geography, English grammar, moral philosophy and rhetoric” were a bit more, at $8 per term. Add Latin and the cost went to $12.50 - payable in advance. By 1828, the cost of “boarding, lodging and washing” was $40 per session (One hopes that washing referred to laundry, not students.). Students who take for granted air conditioned classrooms might be startled to know that their early forebears each paid “fifty cents per session for firewood.”

Though Jackson Male Academy met a vital need in the young community, the people of West Tennessee soon began to grow frustrated that no provision had been made for the establishment of a college there, as had occurred in the east and middle grand divisions of the state. Thus, in January 1844 a handful of citizens were successful in securing a charter from the state for the establishment of West Tennessee College, which would take on the Academy as its preparatory department. Classes were soon underway - led by two professors - and a campus secured, with the main college building constructed in 1847 (It would burn in 1912.). The state even provided a modest endowment from the sale of public lands.

Over the next two decades, the young college grew and attracted more students. Tuition was set at $20 per term, plus an additional dollar for “printing, fuel and other contingent expenses.” Each student signed a solemn pledge to obey the rules of the College, “to pursue with diligence the studies assigned me and to abstain from all indecent and disorderly behavior, all disrespectful conduct to the Faculty, and all combinations to resist their authority” (From the College Catalogue).

While education was taking hold in West Tennessee, another institution was being established in Murfreesboro, in the middle section of the state. In May 1841, Union University was opened as an academy with two faculty. The following year it was chartered by Tennessee Baptists, with Robert B.C. Howell as chairman of the Board and Joseph H. Eaton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, elected as the first president. University classes began in 1847 with sixty students, and two years later - with enrollment up to 144 students - the main college building was under construction.

An Era of Growth and Transition

The Civil War caused the suspension of classes at both West Tennessee College and Union University, much as it affected schools across the South. In 1861, the Jackson campus was used as an army hospital by Confederate troops; following Federal occupation of West Tennessee, the campus became a campground for the northern army, with the buildings serving as a headquarters and hospital.

In 1865, West Tennessee College reopened under the presidency of William Shelton. For some reason - the records are tantalizingly incomplete - the entire faculty resigned in 1869, and a new team was assembled, led by E.L. Patton as president. By 1870 the enrollment had reached 155 students, while in Murfreesboro (which had reopened in 1866) the enrollment reached 154 the same year.

Unfortunately, the latter school was never able to regain the momentum of the pre-war years. The building had been severely damaged while occupied by Federal troops, and the early 1870's brought a period of financial crisis to the nation - an economic downturn the small school was unable to weather. Union finally closed its doors in 1873, when a cholera epidemic created further panic.

That same year, the Baptists of Tennessee were occupied in a movement to create a single state-wide convention out of the three regional associations then in existence. At a March meeting in Humboldt, representatives of the three geographically-based groups found one thing that could unite Tennessee Baptists: education. They passed a resolution calling for the creation of a “first class college in our territorial limits” and convened an educational convention the next year in Murfreesboro. The statement of purpose of the proposed Tennessee Baptist Convention made it clear that the group’s primary purpose was the support of education, though it could also “patronize other objects of benevolence.” Responding to the convention’s plan to establish a college, proposals were quickly offered by the cities of Nashville, Chattanooga, Murfreesboro, Jackson, and McMinnville. The people of Jackson had offered the buildings, grounds and endowment of West Tennessee College to Tennessee Baptists - along with financial pledges of another $150,000 - if the new college would be located there. The offer included a request for Tennessee Baptists to raise an additional $300,000 for the college’s endowment.

The new state convention accepted Jackson’s offer, and Southwestern Baptist University was born. The school opened its doors on September 14, 1874, with language professor George W. Jarman as president. The charter was secured the following June, and the trustees formally organized the University in July. The school received the remaining property and records of Union in Murfreesboro. Those first trustees understood their institution to be state-wide in nature, and projected subordinate schools to be created in east and middle Tennessee which could feed students to SBU. Baptists in east Tennessee welcomed such a relationship, and encouraged a connection between their Mossy Creek Baptist College (now Carson-Newman) and the new Baptist University.

William Shelton was elected as the new president; Professor Jarman returned to the classroom, and two years later became chairman of the faculty; in that role he would serve for many years as chief administrative officer of the university when Shelton left the presidency in a largely unsuccessful effort to raise financial support. In the still war-torn state of Tennessee, there was simply not much money to be given. The University was modeled after the structure of the University of Virginia, with a Department of Literature and Science composed of seven schools: Latin, Greek, Mathematics, Natural Science, Moral Science, English, German and French. Four degrees were offered: Master of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Philosophy, and Bachelor of Laws (for graduates of the Law Department).

Adams Residence Hall, old campus, approx. 1900

During those years the University continued to grow and develop, although one transition resulted in a loss of students: with the advent of free public schools in Jackson, Southwestern Baptist University closed its grade school in 1879. The next year, however, it began a medical department, which operated in Memphis. A commercial department to offer business education was initiated in 1888. And a momentous change took place in 1889: the Board of Trustees voted to admit female students for the first time. West Tennessee College had never built a dormitory - relying instead on homes and boarding houses - but a gift from W.T. Adams of Corinth, MS, enabled SBU to construct a men’s dormitory in 1885. Adams Hall would house 100 men when built, and in 1896 it was enlarged further to house 140. It was a significant step, since that year (1885) the college’s entire enrollment was 177 students. A decade later the school would enroll 266 students.

The addition of dorm life necessitated new rules. Some of those which appeared in the 1901 catalog (and which required the student’s signature) included:

• Night study hours from 6:30 to 10:30, during which time all students are strictly required to be in their rooms at work.
• All lights out at 10:30 and no lights before 5 AM.
• All rooms must be swept twice a day — in the morning before 8 o’clock and in the afternoon before 5 o’clock.
• No slop must be thrown out of windows.

After several years of a vacant presidential office, the trustees in 1890 elected professor George M. Savage to the position. Under Savage’s leadership the institution continued to advance with addition of a “teacher’s course” in 1897. That same year the first woman’s dormitory, Lovelace Hall, was erected to house 50 students. In 1899 the Powell Chapel was constructed, though it would be destroyed by fire in 1912, along with the administration building.

The Union Century

The turn of the century saw a period of abbreviated presidential terms: Philip Thomas Hale served 1904 to 1906; John William Conger served 1907 to 1909; Robert A. Kimbrough served 1911-1913; Richard M. Inlow served only in 1913; and G.M. Savage served again from 1916 to 1918. Between Conger and Kimbrough, banker I.B. Tigrett served as acting president; he would later become president of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad for more than three decades.

Student Union Building, old campus, 1960s

One of the significant moments in the institution’s life took place on September 9, 1907, when the name of Southwestern Baptist University was officially changed to Union University. The name was changed for several reasons: one was as a tribute to the predecessor Baptist institution, which had contributed several faculty and library resources. Another reason for the name change was to honor Dr. T.T. Eaton, one of SBU’s original trustees, a graduate and later a mathematics professor of Union in Murfreesboro, and the son of Joseph H. Eaton, first president of the Murfreesboro school.

Following the tragic fire of 1912, funds were raised for a new administration building. Barton Hall, named for a major donor, was opened in early 1913. By 1915 the enrollment had declined to 154, and in 1918 the trustees elected Henry Eugene Watters as the ninth president of Union. He would break the pattern of brief presidencies by serving until 1931. During Watters’ tenure, the Tennessee Baptist Convention would secure a new charter vesting all rights, authority and property of the University to the Convention, including the election on trustees. That move came in response to the bitter battle that ensued when Vanderbilt University broke away from its relationship with the Methodist church in Tennessee; Baptists hoped to avoid such a conflict by reconfirming their relationship to their own University.

A sister college, Hall-Moody Institute, had been established in Martin in 1900 to serve students in that area of West Tennessee. Two Baptist schools in such close proximity resulted in competition for students and financial resources, challenging the health of both institutions. Attempts were made to coordinate the academic offerings of the two schools in order to lessen the conflict, but eventually Baptist leaders decided that they had one institution too many. In 1927 Hall-Moody was consolidated into Union University, and the property (with a market value less than the bonded indebtedness on it) was transferred to the city of Martin. The city, in turn, gave the campus to the state of Tennessee, which used it to create what is today the University of Tennessee-Martin.

For a number of years, the issue of “standardization” (or accreditation) was a pressing concern for Union. The new Southern Association of Colleges and Schools required standards of endowment, class size, and faculty training that Union was not in a financial position to meet during the Great Depression. Many attempts were made to rise to the standards, including some inventive techniques. For example, since Union did not pay the required $3,000 annual salary for department chairs, President Watters increased the salaries on paper but convinced them to return the difference in the form of a contribution to Christian education. (Union would eventually receive SACS accreditation in 1948.)

In 1932, John Jeter Hurt was elected president, and during his era enrollment rose above the 700 level. During World War II, more than 1,200 military aviators were sent to Union to receive a portion of their training. As was the case with many small colleges, the income the from military helped Union keep the doors open during those wartime years. As the war came to an end, Warren F. Jones became the eleventh president of Union; he would serve from 1945 until 1963. His presidency was marked by the achievement of accreditation as well as construction of a new Student Union Building (1953) and gymnasium (1955). In 1958, the University’s academic program was organized into four divisions: Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. Two new dormitories were opened, one for women (Jones Hall in 1956) and one for men (Ellis Hall in 1962). 1962 also brought admission of the first nursing students with the creation of an associate degree program, the first in Tennessee.

Lovelace Residence Hall, old campus, 1960s

During the tenure of President F.E. Wright (1963-67), a significant step came in 1965 when the trustees voted to admit minority students.

A Place to Grow

Another decision that began to take shape during Wright’s tenure was discussion of a plan to construct a new campus - one of the most important decisions in the school’s history.

As early as 1946 there had been discussion of a move, or expansion, to Memphis from Jackson. By the mid-60's, supporters were concerned about Jackson’s projected new state junior college (to which Wright himself would go as the first president in 1967). Some feared Jackson State would become a senior college and threaten Union’s existence in Jackson; that prompted renewed calls to consider a move to Memphis. Other trustees felt a move was needed but that Union should stay in Jackson. The recurring questions were: where would a new campus be located? And what do we do with the existing campus?

Following Wright’s resignation, Robert E. Craig was elected president, with the campus issue on his front burner. During the interim between presidents, Union had received word that it was the beneficiary of the $600,000 estate of New York attorney John Penick, son of J.N. Penick who taught Bible at Union from 1920 to 1937. It was the largest bequest in Union’s history, and provided a source of funds to assist with a campus move. In 1968, trustees adopted the recommendation of a study committee to purchase options on land on both sides of U.S. Highway 45 Bypass in the northern part of the city: 95 acres at $3,500 an acre, with an additional 30 acres at $3,000 an acre. Over time a total of more than 280 acres would be purchased. The Tennessee Baptist Convention approved a plan to dispose of the present campus, purchase land and develop a new campus, at a cost of about $10 million. An ensuing capital campaign raised some $3.5 million toward the total. Efforts to sell the old campus, however, proved futile; the property was eventually turned over to the city.

Barton Hall, old campus, 1960s

A master plan for the new campus was developed and plans were underway until a new proposal interrupted things. Recognizing that funds for the new campus were not coming in as hoped, in 1973 a group of Memphis business leaders offered $6 million and a 191-acre tract in eastern Shelby County if Union would move to the Memphis area. Amidst enormous controversy, the trustees voted 23-17 to accept the offer. The Tennessee Baptist Convention would still have to approve the move, but before the Convention could even meet, the offer was withdrawn because of the firestorm of opposition it had generated. Union’s move to north Jackson would continue.

Construction began in 1974 on a 154,000-square foot academic complex which would cost just over $5 million. The original plan had projected 233,000 square feet and an $8 million cost; later additions to the Penick Academic Complex (as it was named) would bring the facility back to approximately its original size estimate. The final graduation on the old campus was held in May 1975; that fall students began classes in a new building on a new campus. Enrollment that year was 973; the following fall it would exceed 1,000, and by 1984 it would reach 1,458.

In 1987, trustees elected Hyran E. Barefoot as the school’s 14th president. During his tenure Union continued to advance on a variety of fronts: continued construction of the previously-planned Blasingame Academic Complex (1987); established a nursing program in Memphis (1987); began the School of Business Administration (1988); established Master of Education degree (1990), Union’s first venture into graduate studies since 1921; affiliated with the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (1993); began Master of Business Administration degree (1994); and constructed the Barefoot Student Union Building (1994).

Building a Future

When David S. Dockery was elected as the fifteenth president of Union University in 1996, he was given a mandate to build on a great tradition while taking Union to the next level of regional and national prominence in Christian higher education. That task took a more complete form in December 1997 as trustees adopted a Campus Master Plan which projects construction of a new Collegiate Georgian campus that will serve Union through the 21st century. The plan gained momentum when Union received gift pledges of $3.1 million, $2 million, and $1.65 million in the first six months of 1998 - the three largest gifts in the institution’s history. Ground breaking for the first new building - a 23,000 square foot facility that will house a new Lifeway Christian Store as well as classrooms and academic and administrative offices - took place September 25.

A variety of actions have been taken in the past two years to move Union into the top tier of the nation’s Christian universities: creation of several academic program centers, like the Center for Christian Leadership; funding of the first endowed faculty chair at Union, the O.P. and Evalyn Hammons Chair of Pre-Medical Studies; creation of a Germantown extension campus, which in its second year is enrolling more than 200 students. And the past year has been a season of recognition and achievement. Among several national recognitions, Union was cited by Time/Princeton Review as one of four highly selective private universities in the state (along with Vanderbilt, University of the South and Rhodes). For the third year, Union was listed by U.S. News among the top tier of Southern liberal arts colleges. The spring of 1998 brought Union’s first national championship, as the Lady Bulldogs reached the pinnacle in the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament. And fall 1998 brought a record-breaking freshman class (473 compared to 373 the prior year) and a 15 percent increase in total enrollment, approaching 2,400 students. The fall was highlighted by the October 20 address of Lady Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, as part of the second annual Union Scholarship Banquet.

Building a future for Union will not be an easy task, and it will take a significant investment. That's why Union has launched a five-year, $35 million campaign to help build the first phase of the master plan and to strengthen the University's endowment through additional faculty chairs and scholarships.

As the University celebrates its 175th anniversary, it is clear that Union is building on a rich tradition and reaching for a new level of excellence and achievement.