Austin Peay State University (APSU) () is a

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

Clarksville, Tennessee Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 166,722 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tennessee, fifth-most populo ...

, United States. Standing on a site occupied by a succession of educational institutions since 1845, the precursor of the university was established in 1927 and named for then-sitting Governor

Austin Peay Austin Peay (; June 1, 1876 – October 2, 1927) was an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Tennessee from 1923 to 1927. He was the state's first governor since the Civil War to win three consecutive terms and the first to die ...

, who is further honored with "Governors", the name of the university's athletic teams. Affiliated with the

Tennessee Board of Regents The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR or The College System of Tennessee) is a system of community and technical colleges in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of two public higher education systems in the state, the other being the Universit ...

, it is now governed by the Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees . The university is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

(SACS) and, in 2012, was the fastest-growing university in Tennessee. In 2019, Austin Peay officially hit 11,000 students enrolled. Austin Peay Browning Building

History

Austin Peay Normal School, the precursor of the university, was established in 1927 and named for then-sitting Tennessee Governor

. In 1943, its name was changed to Austin Peay State College. It became Austin Peay State University in 1967.

Presidents

Philander Claxton Philander Priestly Claxton (September 28, 1862 – January 12, 1957) was an American educator and administrator. Biography Philander Claxton was born in Bedford County, Tennessee. He was educated at the University of Tennessee where he obtained ...

, 1930–1946 * Halbert Harvill, 1946–1962 * Joe Morgan, 1963–1976 * Sherry Hoppe, 2001–2007 * Tim Hall, 2008–2013 * Alisa White, 2014–2020 * Michael Licari, 2021–Present

Academics

Austin Peay is organized into six colleges, two schools, and 28 departments.

Campus

The university's campus in

, is a site occupied by a succession of educational institutions since 1845. The urban setting includes . Built before Austin Peay Normal School, the Castle Building was an impressive three-story brick structure that featured fretted

battlements A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

, towers,

casement windows A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges at the side. They are used singly or in pairs within a common frame, in which case they are hinged on the outside. Casement windows are often held open using a case ...

set in paneled wood.

Athletics

The university's colors are red and white. Its athletics teams are called the Governors, in honor of Governor

. The university is a member of the

ASUN Conference The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Division I FCS level in 2022. ...

and competes at the

NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

Notable alumni

References

https://www.apsu.edu/news/november-2023-govs-ice-hockey-1101.php

External links

*
Austin Peay State University athletics
{{Coord, 36.53230, N, 87.35457, W, source:placeopedia, display=title Education in Clarksville, Tennessee Universities and colleges established in 1927 Public universities and colleges in Tennessee Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Montgomery County, Tennessee Buildings and structures in Montgomery County, Tennessee 1927 establishments in Tennessee