Carson–Newman College

Carson-Newman College
Motto Truth, Beauty, Goodness
Established 1851
Type Private
Religious affiliation Tennessee Baptist Convention
Admin. staff 199
Undergraduates 2,147
Postgraduates 173
Location Jefferson City, Tennessee, USA
Campus Suburban, 100 acres
Colors Orange & Blue
Nickname Eagles
Website www.cn.edu

Carson–Newman College is a historically Baptist liberal arts college located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, United States. Enrollment as of 2006-2007 was about 2,050. The college's students come from 44 U.S. states and 30 other countries. Studies are offered in approximately 90 different academic programs. Currently, the five most popular majors are: Nursing, Education, Business, Pre-Medicine/Biology, and Psychology. In addition to the overall institutional accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Carson-Newman was ranked #110 on the Forbes "America's Best Colleges List" for 2009.[1]

Contents

Administration

On July 8, 2008, the trustees appointed Baylor University Provost Dr. J. Randall O'Brien as the 22nd president of the college.[2]

History

Established as Mossy Creek Missionary Baptist Seminary in 1851, the school began by holding classes in a local Baptist church. Within a few years the institution became Mossy Creek Baptist College and occupied its own buildings on the site of the present campus.

In 1880, the college was named Carson College for James Harvey Carson(1801–1880), who left $15,000 of his estate to the school,.[3][4] For several years it existed alongside Newman College, a separate facility for the education of women named for William Cate Newman, who had donated money to the women's college. In 1889, the two colleges united as one of the first coeducational institutions in the South.

In 1919, Carson-Newman became officially affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention. The College was admitted to membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1927 and the Association of American Colleges in 1928.

During World War II, Carson-Newman College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.[5]

During most of its history, Carson–Newman College has served as a residential four-year, liberal arts college with courses of study leading to the baccalaureate degree. On campus, art galleries, theaters, a television studio and a state-of-the-art recital hall offer opportunities for students to exhibit their talents and to participate in a variety of visual and performing arts and productions.

Carson–Newman College has maintained its commitment to training ministers and Christian professionals while expanding its liberal arts program to include 53 undergraduate areas of study. In 1988, Carson–Newman College introduced five "Steeples of Excellence," which focus on central elements of the college's mission and focus on work central to the college. They are the Center for Wellness, the Center for Educational Service to Appalachia, the Center for Baptist Studies, the Center for Global Education, and the Louis and Mary Charlotte Ball Institute for Church Music.[6]

In 1997, Carson-Newman dedicated its Laboratory for Learning in the name of Dr. Ernest L. Boyer, past president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Through Appalachian Outreach, many churches send volunteers to spend their summers working with the institution in poverty relief efforts, and many C-N students have been among volunteers to respond to national disasters. The first ministry team permitted to work with China’s leprosy patients consisted of Carson-Newman faculty, students and staff. Recent summers have seen a host of C-N missions and education initiatives across the globe, including China, Costa Rica and Djibouti. The College also offers programs to assist pastors and church leaders. The Norton Institute provides educational opportunities and spiritual enrichment through area churches. Over 1,000 C-N students are annually involved in Christian missions and service opportunities through the College’s Campus Ministries Office.

Notable alumni

Athletics

Carson-Newman is a member of the South Atlantic Conference and fields sixteen varsity teams in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II competition. Men's varsity sports at Carson-Newman are: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, and Track & Field. Wrestling will no longer be offered due to budget cuts. Women's sports are: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, and Volleyball

The college's athletic facilities include Roy Harmon Field at Burke-Tarr Stadium, the Ken Sparks Athletic Complex, McCown Soccer Field, the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex, six tennis courts, a softball complex, Holt Fieldhouse, and Butler-Blanc Gymnasium. Head football coach Ken Sparks who is a graduate of the school and has been coaching the team since 1980 ranks fourth in most wins among active NCAA coaches.[7]

In 2007, the C-N baseball team won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament after defeating Tusculum College, who had won more than 20 games in a row, twice in one day. The team traveled to Tampa, Florida, to compete in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. The baseball team returned to Tampa for the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2008 after receiving an at-large bid and finished third, again eliminating Tusculum College. In 2009 the C-N football team won the NCAA II South Regional Championship in Florence, AL to advance to the Final Four.

Notable athletics alumni

References

External links