‘Dixie College Day’ celebrates centennial of TTU forerunner
A marching band, faculty in period costumes, and the sealing of a time capsule all will mark Dixie College Day on Nov. 18, a day set aside for the centennial celebration of Dixie College, the predecessor of Tennessee Tech University.
The public is invited to attend the day’s festivities.
“We’re delighted to share with everyone in the Upper Cumberland and across the state of Tennessee TTU’s rich history and accomplishments. There can be no better way to mark this occasion than by inviting the public to the celebration to say ‘thank you’ for their many years of support,” said TTU President Bob Bell.
The University of Dixie, commonly called Dixie College, was founded on Nov. 18, 1909. Earlier that year, about 80 individuals signed financial pledges in amounts that ranged from $25 to $300 to establish a college to serve the people in Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland region. Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, now called Tennessee Tech University, was established by then-Gov. Thomas C. Rye on March 27, 1915.
From a humble college in temporary quarters to today’s comprehensive university, TTU’s storied history will be feted with a several activities on Nov. 18:
- 10:45 a.m.: The TTU Golden Eagle Marching Band will begin a procession from the Bryan Fine Arts Building down Dixie Avenue to Derryberry Hall, the original site of Dixie College.
- 11:00 a.m.: A time capsule will be sealed in front of Derryberry Hall, followed by a reading of an excerpt from the charter for Dixie College and the reading of a brief TTU history.
- Throughout the day: A display of historic photographs and a video presentation will be available for viewing on the second floor of Roaden University Center.
Today, TTU offers 44 bachelor's and 20 graduate degree programs within six academic divisions: Agricultural and Human Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, and Interdisciplinary Studies and Extended Education.
Tennessee Tech University has been named one of America's 100 Best College Buys, earning designation several years in a row as one of the nation's best college educations for the cost. USNews & World Report has chosen TTU as one of the Top Public Schools in the South on multiple occasions, and the university has been chosen as a "Best Southeastern College" by The Princeton Review for several years.
Find out more about TTU’s history and view photos of Dixie College’s earliest students at http://www.tntech.edu/dixiecollege.
