University of Tennessee Knoxville - Volunteer Yearbook (Knoxville, TN)

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MASSEY DEAN OF MEN FELIX M.

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J DEAN J. D. HOSKINS '

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Brief History of the University of Tennessee One hundred and thirty-two years ago, just two years after the sixty-four lots comprising the original town of Knoxville were laid off by C01. James White, and two years before T ennessee was admitted to the union as a state, the University of Tennessee, under its maiden name of Blount College, was chartered by the legislature of the Territory South of the River Ohio. This institution was the first strictly non-denominational college in the United States, and also has the distinction of having been the first to award an academic degree to a woman. This was to Barbara Blount, the daughter of the governor of the territory, for whom the college was named. Women, however, were barred in 1807, and were not again admitted until 1893, but even then Tennessee stood fourth as a pioneer in co-education. The percentage of women graduates in 1923 was 31 percentwin 1924, 4-0 percent. Blount College, without an endowment or an income other than its tuition Charges and voluntary gifts, struggled along until 1807 when it was changed by act of the legislature to East Tennessee Col- lege. The purpose of this act was to make the college the recipient of one-half the proceeds Of the sale of lands appropriated by Congress for the support of two colleges in Tennessee, the other to be located in the middle of the state. The difficulties attending the sale of lands were so great that the new college was unable to open its doors until 1820. It was in 1826 that the present site was purchased and Old C01- Iege was built to be supplanted by Ayres Hall five years ago. This Page Fourteen