Universities and Colleges in Nashville, TN

Nashville, Tennessee, known as the Athens of the South, is one of the foremost educational centers in the Southeastern United States.

Located in the middle of Tennessee, which is conveniently situated in the eastern section of the United States, Nashville is host to some of the nation's best known institutes of higher learning.

• Vanderbilt University is Nashville's largest university, enrolling over 11,000 students. Established in 1873 on its current campus (also an arboretum), some of Vanderbilt University's original buildings are still in service today. The Peabody section of the campus is home to the Arthur J. Dyer Observatory, and has been registered as a National Historic Landmark, since 1966.
• American Baptist College (also known as American Baptist Theological Seminary) is a small, predominantly African-American liberal arts college, founded in 1924. Principally designed to train African-American Baptist ministers, its student body was highly influential in the civil rights movement.
• Aquinas College -- a Roman Catholic institution of higher learning, named in honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Founded in 1951, Aquinas was a junior college, for many years. In recent years, some four-year programs have been added, notably in nursing and business. It is part of the Dominican Campus, located approximately five miles west of downtown Nashville.
• Belmont University is a private, Christian coeducational university. It is the largest Christian university in the state, and the second largest private university in Tennessee. The school is best known for its music business program, though it boasts a wide variety of additional majors. Among its various colleges, Belmont is proud of its Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, the only college of entertainment & music business in the world. Among the university’s other innovative programs is its New Century Journalism program and commercial music program.
• Fisk University is an historically black college. It was named in honor of General Clinton B. Fisk of the Tennessee Freedmen's Bureau, and opened its doors in 1866. In 1947, Fisk welcomed its first African American president, Charles Spurgeon Johnson, who had been the editor of Opportunity magazine, a noted periodical of the Harlem Renaissance. Fisk University features the world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers, originally a group of traveling students who set out from Nashville to raise sufficient funds to build the first permanent structure in the country solely built for the education of newly-freed slaves -- the renowned Jubilee Hall.
• Lipscomb University is a Church of Christ-affiliated university. Founded in 1891 by David Lipscomb, the original name was the Nashville Bible School. Since the school's inception, all full-time students were required to take daily Bible classes and to attend daily chapel services. Lipscomb University has built a reputation as a Christian liberal arts institution.
• Meharry Medical College originated in 1876 as the medical division of Central Tennessee College, an institution established by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Meharry is the largest private, historically black institution for educating medical professionals in the country. Meharry's dental and pharmaceutical departments were organized in 1886 and 1889, respectively. In 1910, the School of Nursing of Mercy Hospital was transferred to Meharry. The Hubbard Hospital was built in 1917. Meharry Medical College includes the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, the School of Graduate Studies and Research, the School of Allied Health Professions, the George Russell Towers of Hubbard Hospital, two health centers, and the Harold D. West Basic Sciences Center.
• Tennessee State University -- a comprehensive, urban, coeducational land-grant university founded in 1912. The Avon Williams campus is located downtown, near the center of the Nashville business and government district, with over 8700 students and a faculty/student ratio of 17:1. This university awards 42 baccalaureate degrees, 21 masters degrees, the two-year Associate of Science degree in nursing and dental hygiene, and doctoral degrees in public administration, administration and supervision, curriculum and instruction and psychology. While preserving the rich heritage and tradition as an historically black college, Tennessee State promotes diversity and access without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.
• Trevecca Nazarene University is a liberal arts university, founded in 1901 by J. O. McClurkan. Originally named the Literary and Bible Training School for Christian Workers, the school's name was changed to Trevecca College in 1911. Originally located in historical downtown Nashville, the school’s campus was moved to East Nashville on Gallatin Road, in 1914. In 1935, the college was moved to its present location on Murfreesboro Road in southeast Nashville. An official college of the Church of the Nazarene since 1917, the school's name was changed to Trevecca Nazarene University, in 1995. Trevecca has been accredited since 1969, offering master's degrees since 1984 and doctorate degrees since 2000.

Other fine Nashville institutions of higher learning include:

• Nashville School of Law
• Free Will Baptist Bible College
• Gupton College
• Nashville State Community College
• Strayer University
• University of Phoenix
• Draughons Junior College
• Watkins College of Art and Design
• Nashville Auto Diesel College

Nashville Entertainment for July 2006

Music City Independence Day Concert Spectacular
July 4
Riverfront Park
Contact: (800) 657-6910
Come celebrate our nation's birthday with a fun evening of free entertainment and fireworks -- Nashville's largest one-day event. Internationally renown artists will perform (in 2005, Charlie Daniels Band, among others) and the fireworks will be the best ever !
Admission: Free.
4 - 10:30 pm - Fireworks at 9 pm.

29th Annual Uncle Dave Macon Days
July 7 - 9
Murfreesboro, TN (a quick 20 minute drive from Nashville Airport)
Contact: (800) 716-7560
Highlights include a Motorless Parade, National Championship in Old Time Music and Dance, and Gospel Showcase.
Friday starts at 5 pm
Saturday starts at 8:30 am
Sunday 10 am - 4 pm.

Mayfield Ice Cream Day
July 11
War Memorial Plaza
What could be cooler than to celebrate Ice Cream Day with Mayfield Dairy Farms ?
Mayfield will be giving away FREE ice cream. Come sample all four new Mayfield flavors. Bring the family and have a cool and scrumptious day !
11 am - 2 pm

Pharaoh's Forensics
July 15
Adventure Science Center
Are you up for a challenge ?
Use your skills to solve the mystery of the missing scarab by decoding hieroglyphics, taking measurements in cubits, exploring levers, and examining ancient broken pottery.
An exciting mystery for the whole family.

Elegant & Depression Glass Show/Sale
July 15 - 16
Tennessee State Fairgrounds
Hosted by the Fostoria Glass Society of Tennessee, with more than 18 dealers from various states. Beautiful displays of hand-made, pre-depression, depression era, elegant glass and pottery and depression glass from the most notable provenance.
Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 11 am - 3 pm.

The General Jackson Showboat Presents: Jeff and Sheri Easter
July 16
The famous General Jackson Gospel Cruise features Jeff and Sheri East. Cruise includes a brunch buffet, 2 1/2 hour cruise and concert.
Departs at 1 pm.

Music City Brewer's Festival
July 29
Hilton Park
Beat the hot July heat in the Cool Zone ! Come enjoy live music acts. Delicious food from local restaurants will be available for you to purchase.

On-going Nashville Area Seasonal Cultural Activities

Are you Afraid of Bugs ?
July 20 - October 1
Adventure Science Center
Are you scared of Scorpions? Ants? An angry mob of bees? Well, conquer your fears and become the ASC Fear Factor: Bug Off champion. There will be physical challenges, eating challenges and an electrifying bug quiz to determine who will go home confident he has conquered his fears. These activities are extremely fun and should be attempted by anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Summer Saturdays
June 24 - August 12
Tennessee Agricultural Museum
From heirloom gardening to Tennessee Walking Horses, butterfly stations, miniature mules, there is something for everyone to see and do each weekend at the Tennessee Agricultural Museum.

Opry Plaza Parties
Saturday and Sunday, June 1 - August 31.
The Opry Plaza is filled with food, music, and fun for the whole family. Previous summer parties have presented a variety of performers to the plaza stages including singer-songwriters Bruce Robison and Darrell Scott , Grammy award winner Jim Lauderdale, and other notables including Junior Brown, Asleep at the Wheel, and Beau Soleil.

Innovation & Engineering Excellence: "Behind the Iron Curtain"
Lane Motor Museum
May 19 - September 17
Special exhibit featuring Czechoslovakian cars. Discover the history of these unique and advanced vehicles, until now, poorly represented outside of the Iron Curtain.
Regular admission rates apply.

Summerfest at Gaylord Opryland
May 26 - September 4
Whether you'd like a romantic promenade through the verdant indoor gardens or the excitement of a Mardi Gras parade before a party, come join this celebration. A tip of the hat to summer with parades, live entertainment, roving artists and performers, golf clinics, kids' activities and more.

The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt
June 9 - October 8
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
This exhibit is made up of the largest collection of antiquities ever loaned by the Egyptian government for a North American exhibition. Included are exquisitely crafted gold jewelry, intricatley painted sarcophagi and funerary coffins, and massive stone carvings.
Admission charged.

Ancient Breed: Nashville Horse Culture & The Travellers Rest Arabians
March 30 - August 31
Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum
Since 1938, the Travellers Rest has been one of the largest privately owned Arabian horse farms in the U. S. This exhibition presents artifacts, film and photographs to recreate the exciting atmosphere of this prestigious farm.

Frist Fridays Concert Series
Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
Fridays
Presented by Fifth Third Bank, the Frist Center's popular summer concert series: musical guests, the Wooten Brothers, perform live in the Turner Courtyard from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Now in its fourth year, the series, which runs on the last Friday evening of each month through October, has quickly become a Nashville tradition, attracting visitors of all ages from Tennessee and beyond. COme enjoy an evening of live music, food and beverages, and visit the various exhibitions on view in the Frist Center galleries.

Tuesday Night Opry
March 21 - December 19
The Grand Ole Opry features the very best in country music and bluegrass from new performers, superstars, and legends during their special Tuesday night performances.

Old Glory & Special Exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum
May 4 - January 7
Tennessee State Museum
On loan from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., the original Old Glory flag will be on view at the state museum, until 26 . The Old Glory exhibition of the Museum's country music collection includes instruments and stage costumes donated by such legends as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, and is on display through January 7, 2007. One of the highlights of the display is the restored neon sign in the form of a guitar that hung over the Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Broadway from 1947 through 1960.

I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles and Country Music
March 10 - December 31
Country Music Hall of Fame
From his early days in a country band to his legendary recording of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” Charles spent a lifetime changing the popular view of country music. This 5,000 square-foot exhibit features unique artifacts including instruments, costumes, photographs, computer interactives and moving images of Ray Charles’ remarkable career.

Nashville Entertainment for June 2006

Historic Edgefield's Spring Festival and Tour of Homes
June 2 - 4
Historic Edgefield
Contact:615-255-5542
One of Nashville's oldest neighborhoods opens its doors for a full weekend of celebration. Admission $10 (children under 12 - free)


Heritage Foundation Town and Country Tour of Homes
June 3 - 4
Franklin, TN
contact: 615-595-1239
Williamson County's finest homes, selected for their beauty and historical significance, open their doors to the public.
Admission $15 in advance; $18 day of tour. (tickets may be purchased from any participating home)
Saturday 10 am - 5 pm;
Sunday 1 - 5 pm.


Native American Dance Theatre
June 5
Ryman Auditorium
contact: 615-889-9636
Authentic Native American dance and drum. Traditional music, in addition to performances by country music recording artists.
Admission $10 - $15 adults; $5 children.
Show at 7:30 pm.


Marty Stuart Late Night Jam
June 7
Ryman Auditorium
Contact: 615-889-3060
For the fifth straight year, Marty Stuart brings his favorite friends for a night-long jam.
Show at 10:30 pm.


Grand Ole Opry Superstar Spectacular Benefit
June 8
Grand Ole Opry House
Contact: 615-889-3060
Country music's finest artists on stage to benefit the Opry House Fund, raising money for members of the country music community in need.

CMA Music Festival 2006
June 8 -– 11
The Coliseum, Nashville Convention Center and Riverfront Park
Contact: 800-CMA-FEST
Events include stage shows and picture/autograph sessions with music stars and NBC daytime stars.

Opry at the Ryman Fan Fair Matinee
June 10
Contact: 615-889-3060
For one summertime session only... The Grand Ole Opry returns to the Ryman !


36^th Annual American Artisan Festival
June 16 -– 18
Centennial Park
Contact: 615-298-4691
Craftspeople exhibit blown glass, wood, metal, photography, jewelry, stained glass and much, much more.
Admission: Free.
Friday 12 -– 7 pm;
Saturday 10 am -– 7 pm;
Sunday 10 am -– 6 pm.