Hussian College No Longer Enrolling Students

Hussian College with locations in Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and California has announced that it will no longer enroll students.

Hussian College was founded by John Hussian as the Hussian School of Art in 1946 in Philadelphia.

In September 2014, Hussian first offered the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art. Also in the same year, a branch campus was opened a Los Angeles, California as the Studio School with programs in art, acting, contemporary musical theatre, digital content, commercial dance, and entrepreneurship.

In January 2015, the institutional name was changed from Hussian School of Art to Hussian College.

Then in November 2018, Hussian added the five campuses of Daymar College. With the acquisition of Daymar College, Hussian College became the successor institution for Draughons Business Colleges and for Southwestern Business College/Samuel Stephen College.

Daymar College was founded in 1963 as Owensboro Business College, offering courses in general business at its original campus location at 1126 Triplett Street in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1973, Owensboro Business College was authorized to award associate degrees and in 1980, it earned accreditation as a junior college and changed its name to Owensboro Junior College of Business.

In 1995, Owensboro Junior College of Business was acquired by Daymar Learning, Inc. In July 1999, the college moved to a new campus located at 3361 Buckland Square. Then in 2001 the institutional name was changed to Daymar College. 

The Owensboro campus closed in June 2018 leaving Daymar College with 5 campuses located in Columbus, OH; Bowling Green, KY; and Clarksville, Nashville and Murfreesboro, TN. 

In November 2018, the Daymar campuses became branch campuses of Hussian College. In March 2022 the Bowling Green, KY campus ceased operations.

Historical Roots of Various Campuses

Draughons Junior College with campuses located in Clarksville, Nashville and Murfreesboro, TN had originally been founded around 1879 by John F. Draughon as Draughon’s Traveling Business College. After opening a permanent location in Nashville, the institution operated widely for many years as Draughons Practical Business College with 38 business schools bearing his name at the time of his death in 1921. After his death, many of the schools bearing his name merged with other schools or closed. 

The Draughons Business College in Nashville survived and was located on 8th Avenue North for more than 100 years. In August 1981, the college moved 6 miles southeast of downtown Nashville to Plus Park Blvd. It remained on Plus Park Blvd until September 2015 when it moved to the 560 Royal Parkway. In October 2020, the campus relocated to 750 Envious Lane.

In September 1987, Draughons Junior College established a branch campus in Clarksville, Tennessee located at 1860 Guthrie Highway. In 1994, Guthrie Highway was renamed Wilma Rudolph Boulevard. April 2013, the college moved to 2691 Trenton Rd.

In 1988, Draughons Junior College established a branch campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky located at 2424 Airway Ct. January 2004, the college moved to its current location at 2421 Fitzgerald Industrial Dr.

In September 2003, Draughons Junior College established a branch campus in Murfreesboro, Tennessee located at 1237 Commerce Park Drive. In January 2005, the college moved to 415 Golden Bear Court and in 2022 it relocated to 855 W. College Street.

January 1, 2010, Daymar College purchased Draughons Junior College. The Bowling Green campus changed its name to Daymar College and the Draughons Junior Colleges located in Tennessee changed their name to Daymar Institute. Along with the name change, the campuses expanded their educational offerings to include bachelor degree programs. On January 1, 2015, the Daymar Institute colleges changed their name to Daymar College.

On July 19, 2021, Daymar College in Clarksville, TN changed its name to Hussian College. On October 3, 2022 Daymar College in Murfreesboro, TN and Nashville, TN changed its name to Hussian College.

Southeastern Business College campus in Columbus, OH opened as a branch campus of the Southeastern Business College Chillicothe campus in 1994. The original Columbus campus location was 1522 Sheridan Dr., Lancaster, OH 43130.

In 2006, Southeastern Business College changed its name to Samuel Stephen College. 

On May 12, 2008, Daymar College purchased Samuel Stephen College and changed its name to Daymar College. The campus moved to 1579 Victor Road, Lancaster, OH 43130 in 2009. September 1, 2015, the campus moved to 2745 Winchester Pike, Columbus, OH 43232. On October 3, 2022 the college changed its name to Hussian College.

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers, and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Tennessee's Defunct Colleges

 

Bill Carey authored, "Tennessee's list of defunct colleges keeps growing." It was published December 12, 2022 by the Elizabethton (TN) Star.

Carey cites both recent and past closures in the state. He closes by urging readers to "...appreciate the small private colleges and universities that remain...it’s not inevitable they have made it this far, and it’s not inevitable that they will continue to exist."

You can visit the College History Garden blog for an Index to Institutions by State that have closed, merged, or changed their names or for the specific list for Tennessee.

You can also visit College History Garden boards on Pinterest by state for historical images including 115 or more from Tennessee.

Union University Bicentennial

Union University in Jackson, TN is beginning a bicentennial celebration. Union is an heir of three antebellum Tennessee schools, West Tennessee College and its predecessor, Jackson Male Academy, both located at Jackson, and of Union University, located at Murfreesboro.

Visit the institution's 200th anniversary web pages for a calendar of bicentennial events and other resources including a short YouTube video, "Union University: 200 Years."

The History page on Union's website includes more detailed information on predecessor institutions along with links to list of institutional presidents and other historical resources.

Lincoln Memorial University Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its founding with events scheduled through the remainder of the calendar year. 

Preserving Institutional Heritage at Lane College

The National Trust for Historic Preservation posted "Preserving Lane College: Q&A with Dr. Logan Hampton and Sherill B. Scott," by Tiffany Tolbert, associate director, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust.

Last year, eight HBCUs were awarded funding to develop cultural heritage stewardship plans for their campuses and historic sites. "The sole goal of this initiative is to partner with HBCUs to empower and preserve the legacies of the campuses and ensure that the stories of their foundations are upheld to educate and inspire future generations of students to pay it forward." 

Dr. Logan Hampton and Sherill B. Scott provide a summary of efforts on the Lane College campus to preserve key aspects of institutional heritage.

It is noted that the "...history of Lane College first dates to 1878 when the Colored Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E) Church conceived of establishing a school in Tennessee. In 1882, Isaac Lane— who was formerly enslaved and now a bishop of the C.M.E. Church—purchased 4-acres of land in Jackson, Tennessee and established Lane College. Lane opened with the mission to educate formerly enslaved people and prepare new teachers and preachers."

Volunteer State Community College Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Volunteer State Community College is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1971. The institution's main campus is located in Gallatin, TN and enrollment tops 9,100 students with programs also offered in Cookeville, Livingston, and Springfield.

The 50th anniversary web pages include historical photographs, historical information, and a timeline of key milestones.

You can also read more in an article published by the Tennessean on March 16, 2021, "Vol State kicks off 50th anniversary celebration."

Walters State Community College Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1970. It is named for former U.S. Senator Herbert S. Walters who played a key role in the establishment of the institution.

Visit the 50th anniversary web page for upcoming events, a timeline, and several videos include one offering congratulatory comments from Dolly Parton.

You can read more about Walters State and the important role it plays in community in an article posted by the Citizen Tribune, "Walters State Community College: Celebrating 50 years of educating the Lakeway Area."

Martin Methodist College May Join University of Tennessee System

 Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, TN announced possible acquisition by the University of Tennessee System.

Martin Methodist was founded in 1870. It initially provided education for young women and was known as Martin Female College. The name changed to Martin College in 1908 and to Martin Methodist College in 1986.

You can also read more in an Inside Higher Ed post by Emma Whitford posted September 14, 2020, "University of Tennessee System to Acquire Martin Methodist College."

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Nashville State Community College Begins Preparations for 50th Anniversary

Clarksville Now reports that Nashville State Community College created a 50th anniversary logo in preparation for a celebration of its founding in 1970.

Nashville State Community College was initially founded as Nashville State Technical Institute. It joined the Tennessee Board of Regents system of state universities and community colleges in 1984. In 2002, the Tennessee General Assembly approved an expanded mission to serve as a comprehensive community college and the name changed to Nashville State Community College in 2009. The institution now serves students through multiple campuses.

You can visit the Nashville State Community College website for updates on anniversary activities and learn more about the institution's history.

Watkins College of Art and Belmont University announce intent to Merge

Belmont University and Watkins College of Art, both located in Nashville, TN, announced their intent to merge with Watkins’s students starting classes at Belmont in August 2020.

Watkins College of Art will begin a transition to Belmont’s campus following the completion of the current academic year. 







Founded as Watkins Institute in 1885, it became Watkins College of Art after 1977 when the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) approved associate degrees in fine art and interior design. Watkins Film School was established in the mid-1990s, and THEC approved bachelor of fine arts degrees in film and interior design in 1997 and 1998. Bachelor of fine arts degrees in photography, graphic design, and fine art followed, and a bachelor of arts in art was added in 2007.

Belmont University traces its roots to 1889 with the founding of Belmont College for Young Women. It merged with Ward Seminary for Young Ladies in 1913 to become Ward-Belmont College. The Tennessee Baptist Convention assumed control in 1951 and operated Belmont College as a co-ed institution. The name changed to Belmont University in 1991.

Belmont recently also acquired another school of the arts in 2018 and you can read more in "Belmont University Acquires O'More College of Design."

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Freed-Hardeman University Celebrates 150th Anniversary

Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding as Henderson Male and Female Institute in 1869.

You can visit the institution's 150th anniversary page for activities scheduled during the remainder of the academic year and other resources. There are links to several Historically Speaking posts focusing on different aspects of the Freed-Hardeman's history

The institution became Henderson Masonic Male and Female Institute in 1877 and West Tennessee Christian College in 1885. The name changed several more times, to Georgia Robertson Christian College in 1897, National Teachers Normal and Business College in 1907, and after 1919, to Freed-Hardeman College. The final name change came in 1990 when Freed-Hardeman University was adopted.

The university archives offers digital access to catalogs, yearbooks, and student newspapers.

WBBJ-TV posted a short news segment, "FHU celebrates 150th birthday during homecoming," this past week.

Milligan College will become Milligan University in 2020

Milligan College in northeast Tennessee announced this past week that it will change its name to Milligan University in 2020. "Milligan’s Board of Trustees approved the decision regarding the name change after two years of study and after considering the input from a number of stakeholders including alumni, faculty, staff, the college’s strategic planning committee and others."

Milligan celebrated the sesquicentennial of its 1866 founding in 2016. The institution was founded as Buffalo Male & Female College at Cave Spring, TN. The name was changed to Milligan College in 1881.

An Early History of Eastern Tennessee State

The Johnson City Press posted an interesting brief historical sketch, "East Tennessee Normal School: an early history of ETSU," by Tanner Cook on October 5, 2019. Cook provides information on the founding of the institution and the selection of Johnson City as the site.  He notes that there were 29 students when classes began in 1911.

After the founding as East Tennessee State Normal, the name changed to East Tennessee State Teachers College in 1925. It became East Tennessee State Teachers College, Johnson City in 1930 and reverted to East Tennessee State College in 1943. Then in 1963 it became East Tennessee State University in 1963.

University of Tennessee at Knoxville Begins 225th Anniversary Celebration

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville is beginning a yearlong celebration of its founding in 1794 as Blount College.  Blount College received a grant of public lands from the state in 1807 and the name was changed to East Tennessee College. It closed in 1809 for a decade, reopening in 1820. ETC was designated in 1869 as the land-grant institution in the state and in 1879 the name was changed to the University of Tennessee.

The 225th anniversary web pages offer many stories of students and faculty that shaped the institution. You can find an extensive timeline and information on planned 225th anniversary activities.

The University Archives offers an entry point for accessing institutional records and fascinating digital collections.

YouTube offers a short video by Katherine Woods, "The History of the University of Tennessee's Campus."

The university published Blount College and the University of Tennessee written by Edward T. Sanford in 1894. Digital versions are available through the Internet Archive in a variety of formats.

Motlow State Community College will be Celebrating 50th Anniversary

Motlow State Community College in Lynchburg, TN will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1969 during the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year. The News of Tullahoma, TN published a brief historical sketch and an outline of planned activities in "Motlow State begins 50th Anniversary celebration with Founders Day Weekend" earlier this month.

You can visit the anniversary web pages or The History of Motlow State Community College page for more information on the institution's growth over the years.

Tusculum Class Project Receives Award of Excellence

A traveling exhibit honoring Tusculum's 225th anniversary recently received an award of excellence from the Tennessee Association of Museums. 

The exhibit was developed as a class project with students using photos and artifacts to explore three themes - the changes in student experiences on campus, the university's engagement with the broader community and Tusculum's connection with national and international events.

Tusculum celebrated its 225th anniversary in 2018 and traces its history to the founding of Martin's Academy in 1784, later renamed as Washington College. It was known as Tusculum College after 1844. Tusculum merged with Greeneville College in 1868 to become Greeneville & Tusculum College. The name was shortened to Tusculum College in 1912 and then changed to Tusculum University in July 2018.

You can read more about the exhibit in an article, "Tusculum 225 Exhibit created by students earns Award of Excellence from Tennessee Museum Group," published in the Johnson City Press on April 11, 2019.

Tusculum also posted an interesting "Treasuring our History" segment on YouTube where three museum studies students, Jonathon Nicholson, Josh Renner, and Lilli Wallace, describe the development of the exhibit. Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum president, and Dr. Peter Noll, associate professor of public history and museum studies, also provide context for the project.

Students and Community React to Announced Closure of Hiwassee College

The Citizen Tribune of Madisonville, TN reports on impact of the announced closure of Hiwassee College on April 6, 2019, "Hiwassee closure is major economic blow; By-laws state property will go to the Holston Conference."

WVLT-TV in Knoxville, TN also reported on student and staff reactions to the announcement.

Hiwassee College was organized in 1849 and received its charter from the state the following year.  The college is affiliated with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church and enrolls 302 students.

The United Methodist News Service published "Hiwassee College closing in May, " with reporting by Vicki Brown and Annette Spence.

The statement of the college trustees is currently available on the institution's website.

Maryville College Bicentennial Year

Maryville College in Tennessee is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its founding in 1819 as Southern and Western Theological Seminary.  It was later chartered as Maryville College in 1842 and moved to its current location in 1867.

The bicentennial web pages offer an historical sketch and founding story, timeline, photographs, and a video gallery. There is also a calendar of events and much more, including information for ordering a new history of the college, Maryville College: Noble, Grand, and True for Two Centuries.

An earlier history of the college, Maryville College: A History of 150 years, 1819-1969, written by Ralph Waldo Lloyd is available for purchase or you can find it at the Internet Archive in a variety of formats.

Vatterott College Closes

Celeste Bott of the St. Louis Post Dispatch in "Vatterott immediately closes all campuses" and Wes Johnson of the Springfield (MO) News-Leader in "All Vatterott College campuses - including Springfield's - suddenly close Monday," are reporting on the immediate closure of Vatterott Educational Centers, Inc. Vatterott was a for-profit institution and with academic programs in culinary arts, automotive trades, and allied health fields. The company with roughly 950 employees, is headquartered in Olivett, MO.  Letters to students and employees are posted on the Vatterott College web site.

Vatterott campuses were located in seven states and enrolled just over 3,500 students. Vatterott College was initially founded in 1969 in St. Louis, MO as Urban Technical Centers, Inc.  It later operated as Vatterott & Sullivan Educational Center and Vatterott Educational Centers before adopting the name of Vatterott College in 1989.

Campus	City	State	Enrollment
Vatterott College-Appling Farms	Memphis	Tennessee	255
Vatterott College-Berkeley	Berkeley	Missouri	545
Vatterott College-Cleveland	Broadview Heights	Ohio	117
Vatterott College-Des Moines	Des Moines	Iowa	34
Vatterott College-Dividend	Memphis	Tennessee	689
Vatterott College-ex'treme Institute by Nelly	St. Louis	Missouri	245
Vatterott College-Fairview Heights	Fairview Heights	Illinois	238
Vatterott College-Joplin	Joplin	Missouri	140
Vatterott College-Kansas City	Kansas City	Missouri	260
Vatterott College-Oklahoma City	Warr Acres	Oklahoma	108
Vatterott College-Quincy	Quincy	Illinois	94
Vatterott College-Springfield	Springfield	Missouri	162
Vatterott College-St Charles	St Charles	Missouri	220
Vatterott College-Sunset Hills	Sunset Hills	Missouri	316
Vatterott College-Tulsa	Tulsa	Oklahoma	88
Vatterott College-Wichita	Wichita	Kansas	46
		Total	3,557

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Education Corporation of America Closes over 75 Campuses

The Education Corporation of America headquarter in Birmingham, AL announced today that it will close more than 75 sites that enroll roughly 20,000 students.  The company began the process of notifying students and employees.  The sites include those operating as Brightwood College, Brightwood Career Institute, Ecotech Institute, Golf Academy of America and Virginia College.

You can read more at Inside Higher Ed in an article that was posted earlier today, "Large For-Profit Chain to Close."  WSFA-TV in Montgomery, AL posted a short video with an article, "Virginia College closing in Montgomery, nationwide."

KCRA-TV in Sacramento, CA posted "Brightwood College closing Modesto, Sacramento campuses" on its website.

Thirty-two sites are listed for Brightwood College in eight states on the IPEDS College Navigator site and twenty-seven sites in eleven states are listed for Virginia Colleges.

	Brightwood College Sites	Virginia College Sites
Alabama		4
California	10
Florida		3
Georgia		4
Indiana	2
Louisiana		2
Maryland	3
Mississippi		2
Nevada	1
North Carolina	1	1
Ohio	1
Oklahoma		1
South Carolina		5
Tennessee	1	2
Texas	13	2
Virginia		1
Totals	32	27
# states	8	11

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.