That Time My College Ceased to Exist

One of my alma maters will cease to exist in just a few days.

On July 1, Martin Methodist College will be absorbed into the University of Tennessee system.

After 151 years of operation, Martin will become UT Southern.

The move will give the UT system a presence in southern middle Tennessee. Martin is in Pulaski, in Giles County.

This will be a bittersweet occasion for me.

I grew up 20 miles from Martin. Both my parents graduated from there. Mama served on the board of trustees for several years and endowed a scholarship in daddy’s memory.

As a child, we went to countless Martin basketball games, performances and other events.

Do you think there was any question where I was going to spend the first two years of my college education?

Attending Martin changed my life. I met Kim there, and we graduated together. 

I even played on the tennis team my sophomore year.

It was a 2-year school then. It wouldn’t become a 4-year school until 1993. When I was there it was just called Martin College. Methodist wasn’t added to the name until a few years later, though it had been the property of the Methodist Church since 1905.

We were the Indians. The nickname was later changed to Red Hawks. I don’t know what the nickname will be starting next week.

There wasn’t much to do in Pulaski, so we had to get creative. The accounts of our shenanigans are endless. They’ve probably been embellished over the years, but they’re based on truth.

We made great memories. And I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a Martin graduate who wouldn’t say the same thing. It was a special place with top-notch faculty and leadership.

Kim and I went back there last month and walked around. We knew it would be the last time we would be back on the campus of something called Martin Methodist College.

This move will help put Pulaski on the map. That’s a good thing for the town from an economic standpoint.

The chamber of commerce has organized a midnight party on June 30 to celebrate the transition.

I’m sure the people there have strong opinions about the change, both for and against.

I can see both sides.

On one hand, more than 150 years of tradition just kind of goes away — a tradition that my family and I were a part of.

On the other hand, I also graduated from the University of Tennessee system. And I’ve been a life-long ardent Tennessee fan. So if Martin is going away, I’m glad UT is stepping in.

Hey, maybe my biology credit will now transfer to UT. I might have to call somebody about that.

A couple of months ago, I talked to a childhood friend who has been a part of the Martin administration for years and years to get his thoughts on it all.

He said the Tennessee Promise program steered potential students to community colleges over the past few years, which had caused a decline in enrollment.

After talking to him, I decided to embrace it. I’m going to get me a UT Southern cap as soon as they start selling them.

But in my heart, I’ll always be a Martin Indian.