I just found out East Tennessee's own Knoxville College could use some help. The best sources of info would be the college and the Presbyterian Church USA. Here is KC's link:
Knoxville College. And this is from their website: "Knoxville College was founded in 1875 as part of the missionary effort of the United Presbyterian Church of North America to promote religious, moral, and educational leadership among the freed men and women." They mean Black Americans who had been enslaved up until just ten years earlier,
so why don't they say it? "Its mission today is a direct outgrowth of the purpose of its founding. Knoxville College opened as a normal school for the training of teachers, but was designated a college in 1877 and Dr. John Schouller McCulloch, who had been a chaplain in the Civil War, was called as the College's first president. The school offered teacher training and full college courses in classics, science, and theology. There were classes in agriculture, industrial arts, and medicine (1895-1900). After the erection of its first building, McKee Hall (the Administration building) in 1876, students helped construct most of the other buildings on campus. Wallace Hall (1891) and McMillan Chapel (1913) were built with student labor. A former student, William Thomas Jones, designed McMillan Chapel.
Most of the bricks for these buildings were made by students at the campus brick yard. In 1904, students made and used or sold one million bricks. The College also owned some timberland (give to the school by a former student) which was used for its lumber needs.
Since there were so few blacks in the early days who were prepared for higher education, Knoxville College initially offered classes from first grade through college level. The elementary department was discontinued during the 1926-27 school year, and the high school, or academy was dropped in 1931. Between 1902 and 1912, the State of Tennessee contributed to the financial support of the College's agricultural, industrial, and mechanical departments. This arrangement lasted until the State established Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial ..."
All of us who are willing have the ability to help Knoxville College survive.
