Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Middle Tennessee State University history
Middle Tennessee State University company history timeline
Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university is composed of eight undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies, together offering more than 80 majors/degree programs through over 35 departments.
Since 1911, MTSU has graduated more than 100,000 students.
Tennessee State University is a comprehensive urban coeducational land-grant university founded in 1912 in Nashville, Tenn.
Responding to legislative attacks and student needs, President Jones began changing the Normal School curriculum by 1917.
The challenge for President Pritchett Alfred Lyon, whom the State Board of Education selected in 1922, was to find the resources to fulfill the growing needs of a college.
In 1922, the institution was raised to the status of a four-year teachers' college and was empowered to grant the bachelor's degree.
The first degrees were granted in June 1924.
Sidelines, founded in 1925, is the editorially independent, student-run newspaper of MTSU. Sidelines is published weekly in print and online.
In 1965, the institution was advanced to university status, changing its name to Middle Tennessee State University. It evolved into a four-year teachers' college by 1925 with the power of granting the Bachelor of Science degree, and the institution's name was changed for the first time to Middle Tennessee State Teachers College.
The Murfree Building, erected in 1935, was the first library building on campus.
Doctor James McGill Buchanan (BA 1940) received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science for his development of the theory of Public Choice, which deals with techniques of public sector resource allocation.
The General Assembly of 1941 authorized the State Board of Education to upgrade substantially the educational program of the college, which included the establishment of graduate studies leading to the master's degree.
The first master's degree was awarded by the college in June 1944.
Accreditation of the institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools was first obtained in 1946.
The first degree in business was awarded in 1947.
Responding to the expressed needs of the institution's service area, the Graduate School was established in 1951.
Raider football made its first bowl appearance in 1956, the same year that military science became compulsory for freshmen and sophomores.
The Andrew L. Todd Library, built in 1958.
When the college celebrated its Golden Anniversary in 1961, Cope identified five images that he thought the college should strive to reflect: a beautiful campus, excellent instructional program, loyal alumni, friendly student body and faculty, and a peoples' college meeting diverse area needs.
Pittard, H. (1961). The First Fifty Years.
To effect better communications and improve administrative supervision, the schools concept was introduced in 1962.
In 1968, the state legislature formally dropped "Agricultural & Industrial" from the university's name, which became Tennessee State University.
In 1969, the first MBA degree was awarded.
Murphy Center opened in 1970 and turned into a mecca for concerts.
Marshall’s tenure, an addition was added to the Todd Library in 1970.
In the Spring of 1971, after a reorganization study by a special university committee, all the industry departments were placed in a separate school and the School of Business and Economics was formed from the remaining departments.
The School of Allied Health Professions and the School of Business were created in 1974.
In the fall of 1975, the Business Administration Department was renamed the Department of Management and Marketing.
The litigation resulted in the merger of both institutions (ordered by Judge Frank Gray in February 1977), resulting in an expansion of the present-day Tennessee State University as a Tennessee Board of Regents institution.
The present-day Tennessee State University exists as a result of the merger on July 1, 1979 of Tennessee State University and the former University of Tennessee at Nashville.
In addition, the School of Nursing was established in 1979.
Established in 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation was part of a comprehensive statewide education reform program in higher education where the state legislature created specialized research centers to involve and support leading academic programs.
In 1986, James McGill Buchanan ('40) became the first MT alumnus to be awarded the Nobel Prize.
In April of 1987 a celebration was held to commemorate the half-millionth volume added to the library collection, an identical reprint of the Gutenberg Bible.
Also in 1987, a proposal was submitted for the implementation of a computerized library system for the Todd Library, which was “long overdue” according to Sidelines, the student newspaper (October 23, 1987).
The university hosts MT Lambda, an LGBTQ organization founded in 1988.
Although federal court rulings regarding integration affected programs and facilities, enrollment grew during the eighties, first hovering around 11,000, then increasing to 14,136 in 1989.
February 1, 1991, was Doctor James E. Walker's first day in the President's Office.
Suma worked at MTSU for more than 30 years, serving as director of the University's Publications and Graphics Department and editor of the alumni publication The Mid-Stater, which changed in 1993 to the MTSU Magazine.
In addition to service as dean, Doctor Haskew held a joint appointment as Interim Vice President for Development and University Relations during the 1993-94 academic year.
CIM develops graduates that are broadly educated with technical knowledge in addition to a solid business background. It was started in 1994 by concrete professionals and industry consultants.
The Center was among the first preservation organizations in the south to document Rosenwald Schools, sponsoring a regional conference in 1995.
State officials finally approved $33 million in funding, and ground was broken for the new library on September 11, 1996, during the celebration for the University’s 85th birthday.
The Foundation launched a successful $30 million campaign in 1997.
In 1997, Doctor E. James Burton became the Executive Director of the Jones Chairs of Excellence, and the coordination functions were moved from the College of Business to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
In 1997, the Center established a second major statewide rural preservation project, the Rural African American Church Survey, which has engaged congregations large and small in the preservation and heritage development of these extraordinary properties.
In 1998, MTSU's Honors Program became the Honors College, the first in the state.
Dean Elam announced at the beginning of the 1998-99 academic year that he would step down as Dean at the end of the year.
Tozer, T. (1999). Public Invited to Library Open House April 18: Formal Grand Opening will be Monday, April 19, 2 p.m.
Dean Burton added an Assistant to the Dean and a Director of Leadership Middle Tennessee to the administrative staff during the 1999 fall semester.
Doctor Burton became the Dean of the College of Business at the beginning of the fall 1999 semester.
In 1999 responsibility for the Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise returned to the College of Business.
3. The James E. Walker Library, built in 1999.
Track coach Dean Hayes has won eight different Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year awards since 2000, and three other coaches at Middle Tennessee State have also been honored with that award.
Selected in August 2001, Doctor Sidney A. McPhee is MTSU's tenth president.
The James E. Walker Library was formally dedicated in November, 2001.
The Center administers the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, operating as a partnership unit of the National Park Service since 2001.
In 2002, approval was granted to redesignate three D.A. programs to Doctor of Philosophy programs, expanding the progressive institution's offerings.
MTSU's first Ph.D. was awarded in May 2003, though the university had awarded many Doctor of Arts (D.A.) degrees in the past.
The coliseum was opened in 2003 and hosts horse shows.
In 2009, Middle Tennessee State University was ranked among the nation's top 100 public universities by magazine.
In October 2010, the Student Government Association at MTSU proposed that the university be renamed to the University of Middle Tennessee, though, at the time, approval from both the university administration and the Tennessee Board of Regents was required.
In 2010, the Department of Aerospace purchased ten radar simulators as well as a one-of-a-kind 360 degree control tower simulator to enhance training for its air traffic control students.
The Sidelines office is located in the College of Mass Communication's Center for Innovation in Media, a US$700,000 facility opened in 2012 which also hosts other university media outlets.
Phi Kappa Tau began the process of colonization on the MTSU campus in Fall 2013.
Dean Urban spearheaded transformation of the part-time MBA program to a new “Flex MBA” program with 12-month accelerated and 100 percent online options, launched in Fall 2015.
In addition to the new advising center, other key improvements to the college physical plant included the design and construction of the Jones College Executive Education Center that opened in 2016.
Dean Urban also accepted the Dale Carnegie® Global Leadership Award on behalf of the Jones College in 2017.
Rate how well Middle Tennessee State University lives up to its initial vision.
Middle Tennessee State University jobs
Do you work at Middle Tennessee State University?
Is Middle Tennessee State University's vision a big part of strategic planning?
Middle Tennessee State University competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Memphis | 1912 | $31.0M | 2,591 | 57 |
| Tennessee Technological University | 1915 | $167.2M | 44 | 144 |
| Appalachian State University | 1899 | $3.8M | 2 | 433 |
| University of Tennessee | 1794 | $3.1B | 7,767 | 677 |
| University of South Carolina | 1801 | $1.0B | 5,000 | 591 |
| Florida A&M University | 1887 | $124.5M | 2,429 | 33 |
| Jacksonville State University | 1883 | $73.9M | 1,624 | 83 |
| Prairie View A&M University | 1876 | $50.0M | 2,357 | 179 |
| Clemson University | 1889 | $50.0M | 2,000 | 148 |
| The University of Southern Mississippi | 1910 | $200.0M | 12 | 122 |
Middle Tennessee State University history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Middle Tennessee State University, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Middle Tennessee State University. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Middle Tennessee State University. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Middle Tennessee State University. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Middle Tennessee State University and its employees or that of Zippia.
Middle Tennessee State University may also be known as or be related to CIM PATRONS, Middle Tennessee State University and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).