University of Memphis

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University of Memphis
The University of Memphis
Motto: Imaginari. Cogitare. Facere. (Dreamers. Thinkers. Doers.) [1]
Established September 10, 1912
Type: Public
Endowment: $183 million
President: Dr. Shirley C. Raines
Faculty: 900
Undergraduates: 15,000
Postgraduates: 5,000
Location Memphis, Tenn., USA
Campus: Urban, 1,160 acres/4.7 km²
Athletics: 18 varsity teams
Colors: Blue and Gray            
Nickname: Tigers
Mascot: TOM II (live tiger) and Pouncer (costumed mascot)
Website: www.memphis.edu

The University of Memphis is a public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, United States, and is a flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system.

The University was founded under the auspices of the General Education Bill, enacted by the Tennessee Legislature in 1909.

Known originally as West Tennessee State Normal School, the institution opened its doors September 10, 1912, with Dr. Seymour A. Mynders as president. A number of minor name changes occurred between 1912 and 1941, with the "West Tennessee State" name remaining at the forefront of each.

In 1941, the name of the university changed, becoming Memphis State College. In 1950, graduate studies were initiated, and in 1954, the school switched from a quarter to a semester system. In 1957, Memphis State College became Memphis State University. In 1959, the university admitted its first black students, and the first doctoral programs began in 1966.

The 1990s were characterized by another name change and another building boom. In 1994, MSU became the University of Memphis, and the Ned R. McWherter Library was completed. Moving into the 21st century, the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management and the FedEx Institute of Technology have made their mark on the University landscape.

Today, the University of Memphis is one of Tennessee's three comprehensive doctoral-extensive institutions of higher learning. Situated in a park-like setting in east Memphis, it is considered to be the flagship of the Tennessee Board of Regents system. The university awards more than 3,000 degrees annually.

With an enrollment of approximately 21,000 students, the University of Memphis has 25 Chairs of Excellence and five state-approved Centers of Excellence.

The university maintains the Journalism and Public Relations department, Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI), Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Loewenberg School of Nursing, FedEx Institute of Technology and the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology. Its mathematics department has more Erdos number 1 mathematicians than any other research institution in the world. [1] [2]

Contents

A faculty of approximately 900 professors serves about 15,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students. Students in the first classes selected blue and gray as the school colors and the tiger as the mascot. Tradition holds that the colors, those of the opposing armies during the American Civil War, were chosen in commemoration of the reuniting of the country after that divisive conflict.

The Daily Helmsman, the university's independent daily newspaper, in operation since 1925, remains a prominent student organization on campus. In addition, many other student organizations, such as the University of Memphis Institute for Egyptian Art and Architecture, the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Moot Court Board, the University of Memphis Advertising Federation and the University of Memphis chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, play an active and involved role in the community, both nationally and internationally.

The University of Memphis attracts most of its undergraduate students from Memphis and West Tennessee, though many current undergraduate and graduate students have come from public and private schools across the southeastern United States as well as from other nations.

Over its history, the University of Memphis has graduated many famous alumni, including Fred D. Thompson, actor and former United States senator, Benjamin Hooks, civil rights leader and former executive director of the NAACP, the historian of the American South Joe Gray Taylor, Anfernee Hardaway, NBA and former University of Memphis basketball player, and DeAngelo Williams, former All-American college football running back.

Among its most famous faculty members are Shelby Foote (dec.), visiting professor of History, Dr. Lorelei Corcoran, Professor of Egyptology, Dr. Otto Schaden, Professor of Egyptology, Rick Bragg, Pulitzer Prize winner and professor of Journalism, Bill Brody, nationally-published author and professor of Journalism and Public Relations, Béla Bollobás, Jabie Hardin Chair Professor of Mathematics, and Donald Franceschetti, Professor of Physics.

The Division of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Memphis (http://umce.memphis.edu) provides non-credit instruction to people from all walks of life. Originally established in the 1970s, the non-credit programs include face-to-face short courses, customized training for businesses, and online courses.

The University of Memphis is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system, consisting of 18 Board Members. The Board sets Policies and Guidelines that govern all TBR institutions. The Standing Committees of the Board, and some Ad Hoc Committees, meet prior to each Board meeting and include faculty and student representatives. Within this framework, the President of the University of Memphis is the day-to-day administrator of the university.

The University of Memphis today comprises ten different colleges and schools:

The University of Memphis is host to several centers of advanced research:

In 1909, the Tennessee Legislature enacted the General Education Bill. This bill stated that three colleges be established within each grand division of the state and one additional school for African-American students. After much bidding and campaigning, the state had to choose between two sites to build the new college for West Tennessee: Jackson, Tennessee and Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis was chosen, one of the main reasons being the proximity of the rail line to the site proposed to build the new college for West Tennessee. This would allow professors and students to go home and visit their relatives. The other three schools established through the General Education Act are modern-day East Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University.

On September 10, 1912, West Tennessee Normal School opened in Memphis; its first president was Seymour A. Mynders. After Mynders' death in 1913, John Willard Brister was chosen to take his place. After Brister's resignation in 1918, Andrew A. Kincannon became president. In 1924, Brister returned to his post as president of the school.

The name changed in 1925 to West Tennessee State Teachers College. In 1931, the campus' first newspaper, The Tiger Rag, was established. In 1939, Richard C. Jones became president of WTSTC. In 1941, the school was changed to Memphis State College, when the college expanded its liberal arts curriculum. In 1943, Dr. Jennings B. Sanders succeeded Jones as president. Three years later, the first alumnus to become president, J. Millard (Jack) Smith, was appointed. In 1951 MSC awarded its first B.A. degrees. In 1957 the school received full University status, and changed its name accordingly.

1959 marked the university's admitting its first group of black students, five years after Brown v. Board of Education. Among the restrictions faced by black students at the time were that they had to leave campus by noon each day and that they were not allowed to eat in the cafeteria. Dr. Cecil C. Humphreys became president of MSU, succeeding Smith, in 1960. In 1966, the school began awarding doctoral degrees. Humphreys resigned as MSU president to become the first chancellor of the newly formed State University and Community College System, later renamed the Tennessee Board of Regents. John Richardson was appointed interim president.

In 1973, Dr. Billy Mac Jones became president. Also that year, the Memphis State Tiger men's basketball team reached the finals of the NCAA tournament, only to fall at the hands of a UCLA team led by future NBA star Bill Walton in the championship game in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1980, Dr. Thomas Carpenter became president of MSU; he was succeeded by Dr. V. Lane Rawlins in 1991. On July 1, 1994, after years of research and surveys, Memphis State University changed its name again, to the University of Memphis - a name change inspired by Ms. Christina Trinh, wife of former president Carpenter.

Dr. Rawlins served for slightly over a decade; Dr. Ralph Faudree filled in as interim president for one year after Rawlins' retirement. In 2002, U of M installed its first female president, Dr. Shirley C. Raines, who serves to this day.

The new Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, a former United States federal courthouse, is scheduled to open in 2009.
The new Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, a former United States federal courthouse, is scheduled to open in 2009.

The University of Memphis campus is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east of downtown in the University District neighborhood of midtown Memphis. It has an area of 1,160 acres, although this figure does not include the law school due to be relocated in the former United States federal courthouse in downtown Memphis in 2009. The historical core of campus encompasses approximately 30 acres. The University of Memphis is located geographically at 35°46′27″N 89°33′42″W / 35.7742, -89.561681Coordinates: 35°46′27″N 89°33′42″W / 35.7742, -89.561681. (Click here to see a campus map.)

Proponents of a more pedestrian-friendly campus have significantly increased the amount of green space and the number of walkways over the past several years, while maintaining a focus on the original and historic architecture of the campus.

Surrounding the University's main campus are several historic Southern neighborhoods to the north and east, as well as the University District neighborhood and the Highland Strip to the west. Many University of Memphis college students also reside in homes to the south of the main campus.

The University of Memphis campus is set out in a rectilinear format, planned as a geometric design similar to the Jeffersonian style of the University of Virginia.

Despite gradual expansion of the campus to the west and south, the campus is fairly compact and retains a park-like, tree-lined setting. The farthest distance on campus takes about 25 minutes to walk. According to the most recent master plan, the University is projecting to expand and redevelop additional areas one block west of the main campus' current western boundary of Patterson Road, making Highland Avenue as the "defacto" entrance to the University.

Students walking in front of Manning Hall
Students walking in front of Manning Hall

The center of the main campus comprises buildings that made up the original campus. The first college buildings, including Scates Hall, Manning Hall, and the Administration Building, were erected in the early 1900s. This section stretches from Deloach Avenue south to the end of the main campus at Walker Avenue, with most buildings surrounding the Alumni Mall and Student Plaza. The majority of the buildings of the arts and humanities departments, as well as those of the Physics and Astronomy departments of the College of Arts and Science, are located in the original areas of campus.

The Administration Building at the University of Memphis
The Administration Building at the University of Memphis
Scates Hall, the oldest building on campus
Scates Hall, the oldest building on campus

Flanking the original area of campus to the east are the areas of major research for the life sciences and Engineering departments, including J.R. Smith Hall, the Life Sciences building and the Herff College of Engineering complex, as well as the Education department, residing in E.C. Ball Hall. The Ned R. McWherter Library, a state-of-the art library facility and one of the premier research libraries of the Mid-South United States, takes up the eastern part of the campus adjacent to Dunavant Plaza and Emeriti Grove.

The FedEx Institute of Technology is a major research contributor in the areas of Supply Chain Management, robotics, and intelligent systems
The FedEx Institute of Technology is a major research contributor in the areas of Supply Chain Management, robotics, and intelligent systems

The nothwestern area of the main campus includes the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, the Fogelman Executive Center (a major conference center for regional executives visiting the University, and the FedEx Institute of Technology, a major research contributor in the areas of Supply Chain Management, nanotechnology, robotics and intelligent systems.

The western edge and southwest corner include Johnson Hall (comprising the Geography and Geology departments), Patterson Hall (housing the English department), Wilder Tower, Greek Row and the bulk of the University of Memphis residence halls. As the University presses ahead with its planned expansion, many more facilities, pedestrian access and green space will also be created with the renovation and development of the currently-residential block east of Patterson Road in the University District neighborhood.

Directly south of the main campus along the corner of Park Avenue and Getwell Road sits the Park Avenue Campus. The Park Avenue Campus is home not only to various intramural athletics programs and facilities, but also to various research facilities, classrooms and the Speech and Audiology Pathology Center. The Defense Contract Audit Agency also operates its main training facility on the Park Avenue Campus.

Future plans include a regulation indoor soccer stadium and track facility, capable of hosting large-scale NCAA Division I track-and-field meets.

Memphis Tigers logo
Memphis Tigers logo

The University of Memphis is a Division I member of the NCAA, and a member of Conference USA. Memphis currently features nine women's sports and nine men's sports.

Recent professional athletes from the University of Memphis include: DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers), Stephen Gostkowski (kicker, New England Patriots), Rodney Carney (forward, Philadelphia 76ers), Shawne Williams (forward, Indiana Pacers), Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway (Miami Heat), Lorenzen Wright (forward/center, Atlanta Hawks), Sean Banks, former NBA players Keith Lee, Dajuan Wagner, Elliot Perry and Cedric Henderson, Danny Wimprine (quarterback, Calgary Stampeders), Larry Finch (former Memphis Tams player), Antonio Burks (guard, KK Crvena Zvezda), Darius Washington Jr. (guard, San Antonio Spurs) and Earl Barron, (center, Miami Heat).

Main article: Memphis Tigers basketball

The school is most well known for having the most consistently highest-ranked college basketball team in Conference USA. The Tigers reached the Elite Eight two years in a row (2006 and 2007) and those same years won the conference championship, going undefeated in conference play in 2007. Their record for those two seasons is 66-8. In 2007, the team has been ranked number 1 in ESPN's and CBSsportsline.com's Summer Polls. The Tigers return all five starters and add heralded freshman recruits Derrick Rose and Jeff Robinson to the mix for the 2007-08 season. As of pre-season 2007, the Tigers are favored by many to win the NCAA Division I Championship.

The program gained national prominence when it reached the 1973 NCAA Division I basketball championship game, led by Tiger stars Larry Finch, Larry Kenon, Ronnie Robinson, Bill Cook and others, eventually losing to John Wooden's UCLA Bruins.

The Tigers continued an era of excellence throughout the 1980s and went to the Final Four in 1985 losing to Villanova, the ultimate winner of the tournament. Success continued in the 1990s, and into the present under current head coach John Calipari. Perennial rivals include Gonzaga University, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Louisville (both now in the Big East Conference, which Memphis once bid to join in 2003) and their cross-state rivals, the University of Tennessee. The world record holder for the highest slam dunk (12 feet from floor to rim) is a former University of Memphis basketball forward, and current Harlem Globetrotter Michael Wilson. At home, the Tigers play on Beale Street in the state-of-the-art FedExForum. The Tigers currently own the longest active home court winning streak behind BYU in NCAA basketball at 37 games and are tied nationally for the most consecutive weeks ranked in the AP and Coaches top 25.

The Memphis football program has emerged as a strong contender among its Conference USA rivals under the guidance of head coach Tommy West. The U of M went to three consecutive bowl games between 2004 and 2006. In 2005, the Tigers football team was led in the Motor City Bowl by DeAngelo Williams, a then-senior All-American running back, Heisman candidate, and eventual first-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers of the NFL.

  • Seymour A. Mynders (1912-1913)
  • John Willard Brister (1913-1918)
  • Andrew A. Kincannon (1918-1924)
  • John Willard Brister (1924-1939)
  • Richard C. Jones (1939-1943)
  • Jennings B. Sanders (1943-1946)
  • J. Millard (Jack) Smith (1946-1960)
  • Cecil C(larence) Humphreys (1960-1972)
  • John Richardson (1972-1973) interim
  • Billy Mac Jones (1973-1980)
  • Thomas G. Carpenter (1980-1991)
  • V. Lane Rawlins (1991-2000)
  • Ralph Faudree (2000-2001) interim
  • Shirley C. Raines (2001-present)

Fred Thompson - Actor and former U.S. Senator

  1. ^ The English translation given is the official one. A more literal translation would be To imagine, to think, to do.

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