N. B. Hardeman
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Nicholas Brodie Hardeman (1874-1965} was an educator, debator and gospel preacher within the Church of Christ. Hardeman, along with Arvy G. Freed, co-founded the National Teachers Normal and Business College (NTN&BC) in Henderson, Tennessee in 1907. The college would later be renamed Freed-Hardeman College in 1919 and then Freed-Hardeman University in 1990. He was also an avid horse enthusist, participating in the Tennessee Walking Horse competitions as an owner, rider and a judge.
Hardeman was born Born May 18, 1874, Milledgeville, Tennessee, the son of Dr. James B. Hardeman, Sr., a local physician and his wife, Nancy. He had a normal childhood and education for that period of the 19th century. He attended West Tennessee Christian College (WTCC), in Henderson, where he graduated in 1895 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and later he received a Master of Science degree from the same college. The college would later change it's name to Georgie Robertson Christian College.
Hardeman married Joanna Tabler on April 21, 1901 which was officiated by A.G. Freed in Henderson. "Miss Jo", a life-long resident of Henderson, attended Georgie Robertson and excelled in music. Mrs. Hardeman would serve as head of the Instermental Music & Voice department until her death in 1944.
Hardeman was baptized by R.P. Meeks while a student at WTCC in 1890. He would later become an instructor at Georgie Robertson and later served as it's Vice President. He would also become a very chrismatic gospel preacher, serving as the minister or assistant minister of the Henderson Church of Christ. He would later serve as a deacon and elder of that congregation. Hardeman also served as Superintendent of the Chester County Public Schools even while he served at as an instructor and president at Freed-Hardeman.
In the late 1890s and early 1900s a split of the local Christian Church/Church of Christ happened when the issue of musical insterments in thew worship. In January 1903, after much discussion and prayer, a majority of the members left the church and formed what is now the Henderson Church of Christ. Hardeman and his family, including his father and his family, bother and sisters went with the new congregation. Because of the stance of Georgie Robertson's administration was pro-musical insterments, Hardeman resigned as Vice President of Georgie Robertson.
It was announced that because to the lack of funding from private sources (mostly due to the withdrawal of members and supports against musical insterment in the worship), Georgie Robinson would cease operations after the 1904-1905 school year. Upon hearing this, Hardeman and A.G. Freed, after being approached by local businessmen about opening a new institute of high learning, offered to purchase the land and buildings in order to continue or xreate a new college but it was refused by the owners due to the split. However Hardeman and Freed purchased land across the street from Georgie Robertson and construction of what is now known as Old Main Building was started. Because of this for the first time since 1869 there was no institute of Higher Education in session in Henderson. In the fall of 1906 NTN&BC was open for their first semester. It wasn't until years after Hardeman's death that the buildings formerly part of Georgie Robinson was sold to Freed-Hardeman by the school district after years as a high school and renamed Milan-Sitka Building, used by the business and mathematics departments. Freed became the first president of NTN&BC and Hardeman became Vice-President.
Hardeman was kept busy not only with his duties with NTN&BC and the Chester County Schools, but he also was a widely regarded preacher and debator in defense of the church. His first debate occurred when he was 25 years old, having preached the gospel for only two years. His last debate was with Baptist Ben Bogard and was considered his finest debate.
But the highlight of Hardeman's career as a gospel preacher was the Tabernacle Sermons which was held at the Ryman Auditorium, a series of five lectures held in Nashville, Tennessee in 1922, 1923, 1928, 1938, and 1945.
