Sewanee, The University of the South
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| Image:The Seal of The University of the South.png
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| Motto | Ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum. (Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.)<ref name=motto>The University of the South. (2006). The Sewanee Student Handbook.</ref> |
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| Established | 1857 |
| Type | Private |
| Endowment | US$253 million |
| Undergraduates | 1,383 |
| Postgraduates | 177 |
| Location | Sewanee, Tenn., USA |
| Campus | Southern Rural, 10,000 acres (40 km²) |
| Website | www.sewanee.edu |
The University of the South is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by twenty-eight southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church and its School of Theology is an official seminary of the denomination. The university's School of Letters offers graduate degrees in literature and creative writing. Often known simply as "Sewanee," the school enjoys an excellent academic reputation and is well-ranked on the annual US News & World Report list of the best American liberal arts colleges.<ref>US News & World Report summary of Sewanee</ref> Sewanee has produced 25 Rhodes Scholars, garnering the distinction of the most Rhodes Scholars per capita of any school in the country. The campus (officially called the "University Domain" or, affectionately, "The Mountain") consists of 10,000 acres (40 km²) of scenic mountain property atop the Cumberland Plateau in southeastern Tennessee, although the actual area occupied by buildings is a mere fraction of this size. This 10,000 acres is among the most biologically and geologically diverse of any college campus in the United States.[citation needed] Enrollment is currently about 1500 students. The asteroid 89264 Sewanee is named in its honor.
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[edit] History
On July 4, 1857, delegates from ten dioceses of the Episcopal Church — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas — met together at Lookout Mountain to found a denominational college for the region. The cornerstone, laid on October 10, 1860, was destroyed in 1863 by Union soldiers from an Illinois regiment; many of the pieces were collected and kept as keepsakes by the soldiers. Several figures later prominent in the Confederacy, notably Bishop Leonidas Polk, General Edmund Kirby Smith and Bishop James Hervey Otey, were involved in the founding of the University.
Unfortunately, due to the damage and disruptions of the Civil War, construction came to a momentary halt around that time. In 1866 the process was resumed, and this date is usually given as the re-founding of the University and the point from which it has maintained continuous operations. The University's first convocation was held on September 18, 1868, with nine students and four faculty members present. It is also noted that after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee was offered to head the school but declined to work at Washington College in his native Virginia.
Schools of dentistry, engineering, law, medicine, and nursing once existed, and a secondary school was part of the institution well into the second half of the twentieth century. For financial reasons, however, it was eventually decided to focus on two schools which exist today, liberal arts and theology. In June 2006, Sewanee opened its School of Letters, a second graduate school. The School of Letters offers an M.A. in American Literature and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing.
[edit] Literary associations
The school has long been known for its literary associations. The Sewanee Review, founded in 1892, is thought to be the longest-running literary magazine in the country and has published and been praised by many distinguished authors. Its success has helped launch the well-regarded Sewanee Writers' Conference, held each summer.
In 1983, Tennessee Williams, playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner, left his literary rights to the University of the South. Royalties have helped build the Tennessee Williams Center, a performance venue and teaching facility, and to create the Tennessee Williams teaching fellowships, which bring well-known figures in the arts to the campus.
"Ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum," the University's motto, is taken from the opening of Psalm 133: "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."<ref name=motto />
[edit] "Name change" and identity controversy
Recently, the institution has begun combining its two names in all non-University publications and University publications that are not official documents and bills itself as "Sewanee: The University of the South." The Sewanee Graphics Identity Standards Manual, a document reflecting the official policies of the university with respect to its public image, states:
- First, it must be understood that the official and legal name of this institution is “The University of the South.” In the past, though, unorganized use of this official name and the University’s familiar name, Sewanee, has been confusing to those unfamiliar with the institution. In addition, college guides and Web sites that have become so crucial in young people’s college searches may list the institution under as many as four different entries—beginning with "The," "University," "South," or "Sewanee."
- To avoid confusion and to honor the history and character of the institution, a consistent reference to the name of the institution is critical. So, for extended audiences unfamiliar with the institution, the naming convention "Sewanee: The University of the South" should be used on a first reference. Subsequent references may be to "“Sewanee" or "the University." This convention should not be used for those familiar with the University. Appropriate use of this convention is for admissions publications. An inappropriate use would be in alumni publications or those intended for the campus community. <ref>The University of the South. Graphics Identity Standards Manual, Section 5.1.</ref>
Some have criticised this move and perceive the new logo and identity standards as an attempt to downplay the university's historical and cultural ties with Southern culture. <ref>Finder, Alan. (2005). In Desire to Grow, Colleges in South Battle With Roots, The New York Times.</ref> <ref name=McWhirterC>McWhirter, Cameron. (2005). Colleges suffer identity crisis, The Atlanta Journal Constitution.</ref> Critics also protest the disappearance of the school's traditional mace, which bore numerous Confederate-themed marks and images. The University claims that the traditional mace "was broken accidentally."<ref name=McWhirterC/><ref>Cusack, Andrew. The 'New South' Scorns an Old Mace.</ref>
[edit] University Hymn, Alma Mater, and Prayer
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The University Hymn, written by Bishop Thomas Frank Gailor (1856-1935), is commonly sung to the tune of Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser (also known as Austria) by Joseph Haydn[1]: God of Light, Whose face beholding, |
The Sewanee Alma Mater was written by Newton Middleton, a member of the Sewanee class of 1909: ALMA MATER, SEWANEE, The University Prayer is said at many official functions, usually by a chaplain:
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[edit] The School of Theology
The School of Theology at the University of the South was founded in 1878.
[edit] Noted Sewanee alumni
- Will Anderson, radio talk show host
- The Most Rev. Edmond Browning, former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
- Archibald Butt, military advisor to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft
- Radney Foster, Singer/songwriter
- William Crawford Gorgas, Surgeon General of the United States Army
- Roger Hodge, editor of Harper's Magazine
- Jon Meacham, managing editor of Newsweek
- Anson Mount, stage, film, and television actor; star of NBC show Conviction.
- William Alexander Percy, lawyer and author from Greenville, Mississippi
- The Rt. Rev. Vicki Imogene "Gene" Robinson, first openly homosexual bishop of the Episcopal Church
- Hudson Stuck, (Anglican) Archdeacon of the Yukon
The University has produced 25 Rhodes Scholars since 1907, a noteworthy achievement given the fact that the undergraduate population is less than 1,500.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- University homepage
- Sewanee Review
- Sewanee Writers' Conference
- Sewanee On-line Museum (Sponsored by the Leonidas Polk Registry Research Project- a gift from a University Trustee to the Sewanee community)
- A Letter From The Episcopal Church Historical Society On Bishop Polk And Sewanee
- Sewanee Rugby Club Homepage
[edit] References
<references />
| Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference |
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| Austin • Birmingham-Southern (2007) • Centre • Colorado College • DePauw • Hendrix • Millsaps • Oglethorpe • Rhodes • Sewanee • Southwestern • Trinity (Texas) |
From time to time Micah Zinnerman can be seen on his daily walks enjoying the beautiful campus scenery.
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Articles lacking sources from August 2006 | All articles lacking sources | Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference | Liberal arts colleges | Anglican theological colleges and seminaries | United States seminaries | Universities and colleges in Tennessee | Franklin County, Tennessee | Episcopal Church in the United States of America | Sewanee, The University of the South | Anglicanism stubs
