History

Agriculture and Home Economics curricula were a part of the original course offerings when Tennessee Polytechnic Institute was established in 1915 and opened in 1916. Home Economics began as Domestic Science and Agriculture was listed in the first catalog as the Department of Agriculture, while the second catalog listed it as the School of Agriculture and Rural Life. In 1938, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Home Economics became part of the Division of Professional and Technical Subjects. These two departments were reorganized in 1949-50 as the School of Agriculture and Home Economics, with a Division of Agriculture and a Division of Home Economics. College status was achieved in 1971, with the Divisions becoming schools and the School of Agriculture and the School of Home Economics each having a dean, but no administrative officer at the college level.

In 1985, the College of Agriculture and Home Economics administration was restructured and reorganized and the position of dean of the college was established. The former titles of dean of the two schools were changed to director of the School of Agriculture and associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics and director of the School of Home Economics and associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. In 1987, the titles of associate dean were dropped, with the director title for each school being retained. In July 1997, after approval by the Tennessee Board of Regents, the name of the School of Home Economics was officially changed to the School of Human Ecology and the name of the College became the College of Agriculture and Human Ecology.