Legacy of Learning
Union University (1841-1873)
While the first Baptists in Tennessee did not feel that their preachers needed an education, they came to realize that they were looked down on by the other denominations. In 1839, Baptists meeting in Nashville, Tennessee resolved to create a university to train young men to preach the gospel. They named the institution Union University in recognition of its potential to unite different Baptist sects. The success of the university proved to be a reflection of the leadership abilities of the University's presidents and his ability to connect with the needs of the broader Murfreesboro community.
Reverend Joseph Eaton
Under the direction of Reverend Joseph Eaton, the first president of the university, students studied a variety of subjects including math, Greek, Latin, philosophy, geology, astronomy, grammar, and various courses in theology. The academic year was divided into three terms beginning at the end of September and concluding at the end of July. Reverend Eaton died on January 12, 1859. His funeral was attended by students, faculty, and much of the community. Murfreesboro residents raised money to place a tomb on the campus grounds, and he was interred there on June 16, 1859. His wife Esther was buried there in 1886. Their remains and the tomb were moved to Evergreen Cemetery in 1907 when Tennessee College for Women opened on the same site.
James Madison Pendleton
James Madison Pendleton became president of Union University in 1859. Although he owned an enslaved housekeeper who he had inherited from his father, he was a vocal “emancipationist.” His views were unpopular in Confederate Tennessee, and an angry lynch mob chased Pendleton out of town in 1861, when he fled to Ohio.
Photo courtesy of Barry Lamb
Over its history, Union University became an important feature of the Murfreesboro landscape. Visitors and residents used a variety of medium in order to capture images of the buildings and campus for future generations.
Reunions
Even after the closure of Union University in Murfreesboro due to low enrollment, graduates of the university continued to gather every year to reminisce about their school days. The image to the right shows an invitation to a reunion held in 1911, thirty-six years after the university had closed. Even after the changes brought by the Civil War and Reconstruction, these men gathered for a "general good time."
Photo Courtesy of Bill Jakes
A Civil War soldier drew this map of Murfreesboro featured above. In the center of the star is a small rectangle labeled “Academy.” This symbolizes Union University and the current grounds of Central Magnet School. Courtesy of Rutherford County Archives
This photograph shows the view down East Main Street from the Rutherford County Courthouse. Union University can be seen in the top left.
A Civil War soldier drew this map of Murfreesboro featured above. In the center of the star is a small rectangle labeled “Academy.” This symbolizes Union University and the current grounds of Central Magnet School. Courtesy of Rutherford County Archives
Forced to close during the Civil War, Union University administrators attempted to resume classes when the war ended. The building, however, was so damaged by vandalism that the Tennessee Baptist Convention decided to relocate the school to Jackson, Tennessee in 1875.