Athens of the New South

In 2013, the New York Times identified Nashville as Americas it citya leading hub of music, culture, technology, food, and business. But long before, the Tennessee capital was known as the Athens of the South, as a reflection of the citys reputation for and investment in its institutions of higher education, which especially blossomed after the end of the Civil War and through the New South Era from 1865 to 1930.This wide-ranging book chronicles the founding and growth of Nashvilles institutions of higher education and their impressive impact on the city, region, and nation at large. Local colleges and universities also heavily influenced Nashvilles brand of modernity as evidenced by the construction of a Parthenon replica, the centerpiece of the 1897 Centennial Exposition. By the turn of the twentieth century, Vanderbilt University had become one of the countrys premier private schools, while nearby Peabody College was a leading teacher-training institution. Across the racial divideFisk University joined the ranks of the nations most prestigious black liberal-arts universities, while Meharry Medical College emerged as one of the countrys few training centers for African American medical professionals. Following the agricultural-industrial model, Tennessee A&I became the states first black public college. Meanwhile, various other schools Ward-Belmont, a junior college for women; David Lipscomb College, the instructional arm of the Church of Christ; and Roger Williams University, which trained black men and women as teachers and preachersmade important contributions to the higher educational landscape. In sum, Nashville was distinguished not only by the quantity of its schools but by their quality.Linking these institutions to the progressive and educational reforms of the era, Mary Ellen Pethel also explores their impact in shaping Nashvilles expansion, on changing gender roles, and on leisure activity in the city, which included the rise and popularity of collegiate sports. In her conclusion, she shows that Nashvilles present-day reputation as a dynamic place to live, learn, and work is due in no small part to the role that higher education continues to play in the citys growth and development.