Central Tennessee College
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Active | 1865–1925 |
| Affiliation | Methodist Episcopal |
| Location | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Other names | Central Tennessee College (1865–1900) Walden College (1922–1925) |
Walden University was an historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1865 by missionaries from the northern U.S. on behalf of the Methodist Church to serve freedmen. From 1865 to 1925, Walden University provided education and professional training to African Americans.
Meharry Medical College, established as one of Walden's departments in 1876, was the first medical school in the South for African Americans. In 1915, it was chartered separately and became a separate institution. It is one of the constellation of colleges in Nashville.
After regrouping as a junior college in 1922 and offering a two-year associate's degree, Walden College closed in 1925 due to financial difficulties and competition with state-run colleges. Since 1935, its second campus (acquired in 1922) has served Trevecca Nazarene University.
Walden University was founded in Nashville in 1865 by missionaries from the northern Methodist Episcopal Church. They first organized a basic community school for freedmen. Classes attracted both children and adults, as people eagerly embraced the chance for literacy and learning.
After the state established a public elementary school in Nashville, in 1867 the Methodists chartered Central Tennessee College for freedmen. The Freedmen's Bureau helped finance construction of the first two brick buildings. The directors added higher level courses, including teacher education, agriculture, science, and theology. The college was part of a first generation of such institutions across the South to educate freedmen and to teach teachers and ministers, fields that were closely aligned as callings. To aid students, it included preparatory classes for those who had not had much prior education. Gaining education was seen as a priority for African Americans, and the vocation of teaching attracted many of the most talented people. Segregation made separate institutions for blacks necessary.
In 1876, the Medical Department of Central Tennessee College was founded as the first medical school in the South for blacks. It was founded and supported financially by Samuel Meharry and his four brothers, Scots-Irish immigrants who became philanthropists. In 1915 the medical department received a separate charter and became Meharry Medical College. It still continues in Nashville.
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