Hiwassee College was a private
liberal arts college in
Madisonville, Tennessee
Madisonville is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,577 at the 2010 census and 5,132 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Madisonville is located at (35.520691, -84.362905). It is situated alon ...
. Founded in 1849, the college offered
associate degrees
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree.
The f ...
as well as
bachelor's degrees
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
. The majority of its associate degree graduates went on to complete bachelor's degrees elsewhere. The college closed on May 10, 2019 due to financial issues.
History
Hiwassee College's predecessor, an all-boys school, Tullagalla Academy, was founded in 1826.
Its original home was 5 miles away from the present campus. In 1845, after enrollment had grown too large for its location, the school moved to the Methodist Bat Creek Campground. After the departure of the academy's director in 1848, five Methodists came together to reorganize the school as a college in the same location. Hiwassee College was officially organized in 1849, making it the oldest private two-year college in Tennessee until its closure in 2019.
Despite its Methodist roots, the college's first president was Presbyterian Robert E. Doak. The college's first valedictorian was
David M. Key, the future
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency.
The PMG is selected and appointed by ...
and U.S. Senator from Tennessee.
In 1854, John Hamilton Brunner became the second president of Hiwassee College.
Brunner made the decision to close the college from 1861 to 1865 during the Civil War. In 1870, Francis Grace became president of the college; however, Brunner returned in 1872 and remained president until 1883.
During most of the 1880s, Hiwassee was associated with Victoria College for women in nearby
Sweetwater, Tennessee
Sweetwater is a city in Monroe and McMinn counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the most populous city in Monroe County. The population was 5764 at the 2010 census and 6,312 at the 2020 census. Sweetwater is the home of the Craighead C ...
.
In 1891, Sidney Gilbreath would become president. Under his tenure, the college would be opened to women in 1894. In 1899, he was succeeded by Joseph E. Lowry. Under his tenure, Lawrence Hall dormitory was added and the college officially affiliated with the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...
. Electricity was first available on campus in 1917 and which Massey home, the New Administration building, and Key Chapel were all built. In 1924, Martin Reedy took over as president and oversaw the construction of the Gymnasium. Under the tenure of President Rudy Youell, the dining hall, Rawlings home, and Rymer Hall were built.
In 1955, Dr. Horace N. Barker became president of the college. Under his leadership, most of the current buildings on campus were constructed including the Lundy Science Hall (1961), the Rudy Youell Physical Education Facility (1965), Allison Hall dormitory (1965), Tom Black Hall dormitory (1965), the Barker Learning Center (1969), and Buckner Memorial Chapel (1969).
The Barker Learning Center is named for him He retired in 1980. During Barker's tenure, Dr. James H. Amburgey served as the academic dean at the college. Upon Barker's retirement, Amburgey became the college president and served until 1984. Following Amburgey was Dr. Stephen Fritz.
In 2003, Dr. James A. Noseworthy became the college's 21st president.
Hiwassee College was
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
with the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, but in 2008 their accreditation was withdrawn. Noseworthy sought to save the school, despite its troubles. During this time, it went from 400 students to only 100. On November 3, 2009 it attained candidacy status for accreditation as a Category II institution by the
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). Noseworthy reitred in April 2010.
In 2011, Dr. Robin Tricoli was named the 22nd President of Hiwassee College. Under her tenure, the college attained full accreditation through TRACS in October 2013 and reaffirmed in 2018.
Affiliation with the Methodist Church
]
Although closely tied to the
Methodism, Methodist Church since its founding, it was not until 1908 that the Trustees of Hiwassee College and the Holston Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South entered into an agreement for joint operation of the institution. Hiwassee College came under the complete control and ownership of the Methodist Church-South in 1937, shortly before its reunion with its northern counterpart in 1939. Prior to 1980, the three United Methodist-related colleges in the Holston Conference (a geographic region that includes
East Tennessee and small parts of southwest
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and north
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
) were governed by a unified Board of Trustees. In 1980, the Board of Trustees established a separate Board of Governors for each institution, and by 1990, each of the three colleges operated under a separate, independent Board of Trustees.
Closure and aftermath
The college closed on May 10, 2019 due to financial issues.
Students and alumni protested the announcement of the closure and many parents of enrolled students raised concerns about the lack of communication from the board of trustees. Neighboring colleges, including
Maryville College
Maryville College is a private liberal arts college in Maryville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment into the West. The college is one of the ...
,
Pellissippi State Community College
Pellissippi State Community College (Pellissippi State) is a public community college based in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee. It is operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college's main campus is located in west Knox County. T ...
, and
South College
South College is a private for-profit college with its main campus in Knoxville, Tennessee. It offers more than 80 programs and concentrations, including certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, and doctoral programs ...
offered students transfer assistance.
The Hiwassee College Alumni Association Inc. (HCAA) submitted a non-cash offer for the college and its debt in July 2019 with hopes of reopening the college. The campus was put up for sale on January 2, 2020 for $8.6 million dollars. The offering Memorandum states, "''The Trustees of Hiwassee College now intend to divest the real property owned by the college, and as such are offering the property for sale.''"
In January 2020, a former trustee of the college, William Harmon, a
Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville is a city in and the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, and is a suburb of Knoxville. Its population was 31,907 at the 2020 census.
It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area and a short distance from popular tourist de ...
doctor, sued the college for return of his $100,000 donation earmarked for construction of a new library which was to be named in his honor. According to its website, Harmon was the college's board of trustees secretary. Harmon wants the
Monroe County, Tennessee
Monroe County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,250. Its county seat is Madisonville.
History
During the early part of the 18th century, the area around what is now ...
Chancery Court to find that the donation must paid back to him once the college sells.
In light of the suit, the
Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee
The Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee is an office established by Chapter 12 of the Public Acts of 1835-36 of Tennessee's General Assembly. Later, in 1870, the position of Comptroller became mandatory by the state constitution. The office h ...
conducted an investigation of the college. The investigative report found "operating deficiencies related to disbursements, travel reimbursements, and the release of restrictions on monetary gifts."
The land and buildings were listed for sale with an asking price of $6 million.
They were sold to the
Bruderhof in late 2020.
Campus
Hiwassee College's campus grew from the original donated by Reverend Daniel B. Carter to a campus comprising 18 buildings situated on of a tract of land located one mile (1.6 km) north of the town of Madisonville.
Organization and administration
Hiwassee College was listed by the University Senate of the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...
. The Senate is an elected body of professionals in higher education created by the General Conference to determine which schools, colleges, universities, and theological schools meet the criteria for listing as institutions affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Academics
The college offered a variety of university-parallel and career/vocational programs leading to the
Associate of Arts,
Associate of Science,
Associate of Applied Science
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree.
The f ...
,
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
, or
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
degrees.
Athletics
The Hiwassee athletic teams were called the Tigers. The college was a member of the Division I ranks of the
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic ...
(NCCAA) until after the 2018–19 academic year. The school competed as an Independent within in the Mideast Region.
Hiwassee competed in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, shooting and soccer; while women's sports included basketball, cross country, cheerleading, soccer, softball and volleyball.
Promience
The Tigers had made national championship appearances in baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, and competitive shooting.
Notable alumni
![Eric Griffin - Aurora Basket Jesi 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Eric_Griffin_-_Aurora_Basket_Jesi_2012.JPG)
*
Antonio Burks, professional basketball player
*
Alexander Stephens Clay
Alexander Stephens Clay (September 25, 1853November 13, 1910) was a United States senator from Georgia.
Biography
Clay was born in Powder Springs, Georgia, and graduated from Hiwassee College in Tennessee in 1875. He was admitted to the bar ...
, former U.S. Senator
*
Isaac Cline, founder of the US Weather Bureau
*
Eric Griffin
Eric Michael Griffin is an American heavy metal and rock guitarist. He has been the lead guitarist in the industrial metal band Genitorturers since 1999. He is most famous for playing bass in the horror punk band Murderdolls as well as guitar ...
(born 1990), basketball player in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League
*
David M. Key, former U.S. Senator and Postmaster General
*
Orlando Lightfoot, former professional basketball player
*
Albert H. Roberts, former Governor of Tennessee
References
{{authority control
Buildings and structures in Monroe County, Tennessee
Defunct private universities and colleges in Tennessee
Education in Monroe County, Tennessee
Educational institutions established in 1849
Educational institutions disestablished in 2019
Methodism in Tennessee
Two-year colleges in the United States
Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Methodist Church
1849 establishments in Tennessee
2019 disestablishments in Tennessee