The University has two convenient campus sites. Its central or main campus is located between 28th and 39th Avenues North and is bounded by the Cumberland River on the North and Albion Street on the South. The main campus occupies more than 450 acres with 65 buildings, parking lots, outdoor facilities, pasture and farm lands.
The Avon N. Williams, Jr. campus is located at Tenth and Charlotte Avenues, in downtown Nashville, with adjacent parking facilities. The “downtown campus” is the site for the Center of Excellence for Research in Basic Skills, Center of Excellence Information Systems Engineering and Management, the Center for Extended Education and Public Service, the Institute of Government, the Testing Center and Departmental offices of the College of Business. Other facilities include faculty offices, classrooms, lecture halls, computer laboratories, library, and a 200-seat auditorium. Daytime and evening classes are available at the Williams campus.
Major Buildings—Main Campus
The Walter S. Davis Building (“A” Building), originally occupied in 1933, was renovated and enlarged in 1967 and 1997. The building houses the Department of Languages Literature and Philosophy, and the Center for Administrative Computer Services.
The Ned Ray McWherter Administration Building at Tennessee State University encompasses nearly 25,000 square feet and includes the offices of the President, Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, Business and Finance, and University Relations and Development, other administrators, and a number of auxiliary offices. Its architectural style complements that of the Otis L. Floyd-Joseph A. Payne Campus Center , dedicated in 1992, and the two buildings are connected by a colonnade.
The James E. Farrell and Fred E. Westbrook Agricultural Complex (The Barn) is located behind the Lawson Agriculture Building. Extensive renovations were completed in 1991. The building now houses the office of the Research Director, the Extension Program, the greenhouse, laboratories, and a banquet room.
The Alger Boswell Science Complex , completed in the fall 1965 and since renovated and enlarged, is located south of Crouch Hall. It houses research laboratories, classrooms, two auditoriums, and faculty offices, as well as the departmental offices of the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Mathematics.
The Martha M. Brown-Lois H. Daniel Library is adjacent to the Floyd-Payne Campus Center . The main library is a three-story, contemporary structure built in 1977. It has 82,000 square feet of space with special study and research facilities for faculty and graduate students. A unique special collections room houses the Library’s historical archives, theses, dissertations, art objects, and special collections including documents related to the University’s unique and colorful history. The Library houses 378,650 book volumes, subscriptions to 1,272 periodicals with over 84,941 bound periodicals, 15,202 microfilm reels, and 754,955 microfiche sheets. Media Centers on the main and downtown campuses offer audio visual services and a variety of computer based information is available. A full-range of services, including books, microfilm, microfiche, periodicals and computerized data bases is also available at the downtown Avon N. Williams, Jr. facility.
The R. E. Clay Education Building , erected in 1958 and renovated in 1992, is located on 35th Avenue and Alameda directly west of Clement Hall. This building is equipped with classrooms and special laboratories for teacher education, psychology and reading. The office of the Dean of the College of Education and the Departments of Administration, Teaching and Learning, Psychology, and Teacher Education are housed in this building.
Frank G. Clement Hall is located on 35th Avenue and Alameda , south of the Brown-Daniel Library. This structure was formerly used as a men’s residence hall. It was renovated in 1991 and serves as a classroom/laboratory building containing the Office of the Dean of The School of Allied Health Professions, the Departments of Dental Hygiene, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy and the Dental Hygiene Clinic.
The Hubert Crouch Hall (also known as the Graduate Building ) contains classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and offices for the Dean of the Graduate School and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Also located in this building are the main offices of the departments of Communications; Criminal Justice; History, Geography, and Political Science. The program of Modern Foreign Languages, along with the language laboratory, is located in the building.
The Frederick S. Humphries Family and Consumer Sciences and Nursing Education Complex is located on John A. Merritt Boulevard between the Lawson Agriculture Building and the President’s residence. It is a three-story building that contains the School of Nursing and the departmental offices, classrooms, and laboratories for the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
The Jane E. Elliott Hall (also known as the Women’s Building) is located west of the Learning Resources Center , on the north side of campus. The building contains laboratories, lecture rooms, faculty offices, work rooms, studios for the fine arts and crafts, and the Hiram Van Gordon Memorial Gallery. The main offices of the departments of Africana Studies; Art; Languages, Literature, and Philosophy; and Social Work and Sociology are located in the building.
The Otis L. Floyd-Joseph A. Payne Campus Center was conceptualized and constructed to be one of the nation’s most modern facilities of its type. With 229,253 square feet of floor space, the three-level arena is an accommodating addition to Tennessee State University. It is a masterful architectural structure, three stories high, featuring brick and limestone and an award winning interior design. It combines Kean Hall, a renovated athletic building, with a contemporary multi-purpose center including a 350 seat auditorium.
The Howard C. Gentry, Health, Physical Education, Athletic and Convocation Complex is located on the north side of the campus east of the Edward S. Temple Track. This facility contains a 10,000 seat basketball and convocation arena, an indoor track, handball courts, dance studio, offices, classrooms, and a 35 meter swimming pool. The main offices of the Physical Education and Athletics Departments are housed in this complex. Exterior accommodations include basketball courts, softball fields, a baseball diamond, and parking for 2,000 cars.
Goodwill Manor is a two-story colonial house that was formerly used as the residence of the University President. It was completely renovated in 1991 and is maintained as an historical University landmark. It also serves as the location for the Office of Alumni Affairs. The Manor is located in the “horseshoe” just north of Harned Hall.
The Harned Hall of Science , erected in 1927, houses classrooms, lecture auditoriums, laboratories, staff offices and other facilities for instruction and research in the biological sciences.
The Lewis R. Holland College of Business Building is located on the southwest side of the campus, west of Crouch Hall. This building contains computer laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls, and faculty offices for personnel of the College of Business .
The Industrial Arts Building , renovated in 1999, is located at John A. Merritt Boulevard and 35th Avenue . Instructional staff offices for the Department of Industrial Arts and Technology are in this building. This facility also houses The School of Allied Health Professions Departments of Cardio-Respiratory Care Sciences, Health Information Management and Medical Technology.
The W. W. Lawson Agriculture Building is located on the north side of John A. Merritt Boulevard between the Davis Complex and the football stadium. The building contains classrooms and laboratories equipped for teaching and agricultural research.
The Jim Nance McCord Hall houses classrooms and laboratories for biological sciences and computer science, as well as faculty offices, the central offices of the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Computer Science, as well as the Academic Computing Center . It is located directly west of the Library and north of the Clay Education Building .
The Marie Brooks Strange Music Building , erected in 1968 and renovated in 2002 to include the new Performing Arts Building, contains the offices of the Department Heads and faculty of the Music and Communications Departments, classrooms, listening laboratories, studios for piano and instrumentation, an auditorium seating 400 and a recital hall seating 226. It is located at the south end of the campus near 35th and Alameda .
The Harold M. Love ( Learning Resources Center) is located behind the Alger Boswell Science Complex. Its laboratories are equipped with up-to-date equipment for instruction and research in civil, mechanical, architectural and electrical engineering. The building was completed in 1982.
The University Learning Resources Center, informally known as “The Old Library,” is the location for the Media Center which has multimedia study carrels available to students on an individual basis and an inventory of audio-visual equipment for loan to faculty for classroom use. The offices of the Academic Intervention Program, Developmental Studies, Academic Advisement, and Orientation, and the University Honors Program are in this building which also houses the campus radio station and a 300 seat auditorium.
The Queen Washington Health Service Building has facilities for complete examination and limited treatment for students. The Health Service staff includes two nurses and three physicians. The University Counseling Center occupies the 2nd floor where staff is available to provide individual and group counseling. This facility is located north of Elliot Hall (the Women’s Building).