University of Nashville

University of Nashville was a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It was established in 1806 as Cumberland College. It existed as a distinct entity until 1909; operating at various times a medical school, a four-year military college, a literary arts (liberal arts) college, and a boys preparatory school. Educational institutions in operation today that can trace their roots to the University of Nashville include Montgomery Bell Academy, an all-male preparatory school; the Vanderbilt University Medical School; Peabody College at Vanderbilt University; and the University School of Nashville, a co-educational preparatory school. History The predecessor to the University of Nashville, Davidson Academy, was founded as a preparatory school for boys in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1785. In 1802 this institution moved to a building in downtown Nashville. The facility, named Cumberland Hall, was located at 300 Peabody St., on the corner of what is now Peabody St. and Third Avenue. The building no longer stands, but a Tennessee State Historical Marker was erected on the site. In 1806, Davidson Academy changed its name to Cumberland College. United States President Andrew Jackson served on the board of trustees for many years during this time. Meanwhile, Reverend Philip Lindsley (1786–1855) was named the chancellor of Cumberland College in 1824. In 1826, the Tennessee Legislature changed the name of Cumberland College to the University of Nashville. In 1827, future Confederate General Gideon Pillow was part of a graduating class of twelve. Under Reverend Phillip Lindsley, the University of Nashville provided educational instruction to young men, and Nashville became known as the 'Athens of the South.' In 1850, all parts of the college level instruction were shut down, a consequence of a cholera epidemic in the city. Meanwhile, Cumberland Hall was torn down, and the University of Nashville opened a medical college in 1851.