East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Johnson City, Tennessee Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it Tennessee's eighth-most populous cit ...

. It was historically part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee under 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 ...

, but since 2016, the university has been transitioning to governance by its own board of trustees. , it is the fourth largest university in the state and has off-campus centers in nearby

Kingsport Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It lies along the Holston River and had a population of 55,442 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, w ...

Elizabethton Elizabethton () is a city in, and the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is the historical site of the first independent American government (known as the Watauga Association, created in 1772) located west of bo ...

, and Sevierville. ETSU is

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It hosts the James H. Quillen College of Medicine which is often ranked as one of the top schools in the United States for rural medicine and primary care education; the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, and the recently formed College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences. Unique programs include an accredited program in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music, America's lone

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in Storytelling, and the Appalachian Studies programs, focused on the surrounding

Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...

n region.

History

ETSU was founded as East Tennessee State Normal School in 1911 to educate teachers; the K-12 training school, called University School, operates to this day. East Tennessee State officially became a college in 1925 when it changed its name to East Tennessee State Teachers College, subsequently gaining accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1927. By 1930, the school's name had changed again to East Tennessee State Teacher's College, Johnson City. In 1943, East Tennessee State Teacher's College was expanded into a college with a range of

liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

offerings, becoming East Tennessee State College. The college became East Tennessee State University in 1963, adopting the name it holds today. In 1973,

Shelbridge Shelbridge is a historic three-story mansion in Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S.. It serves as the official residence of the president of East Tennessee State University. History The house was built in 1920-1921 for Ross Spears, a businessman. With ...

became the president's official residence. ETSU announced plans to open a College of Pharmacy in 2005, rapidly receiving local support to secure the approval. Full accreditation was granted in June 2010, shortly after the first class of the

Bill Gatton Carol Martin "Bill" Gatton (May 25, 1932 – April 18, 2022) was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. Gatton was born near Bremen, Kentucky, on May 25, 1932. He earned his B.S. in 1954 from the University of Kentucky. In addition to his d ...

College of Pharmacy graduated. In late 2009, the

Tennessee Higher Education Commission The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) was established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1967 to coordinate and support the efforts of higher education institutions in the State of Tennessee. One of its statutory requirements is to ...

and the

authorized the formation of a Ph.D. program in Sport Physiology and Performance. This program, the first of its kind in the United States, focuses on sports science and physiology in athletics. It features concentrations in sport physiology and sport performance and started in 2010.

Presidents

*Sidney G. Gilbreath, 1911–1925 *Charles C. Sherrod, 1925–1949 *Burgin E. Dossett Sr., 1949–1968 *D.P. Culp, 1968–1977 *Arthur H. DeRosier Jr., 1977–1980 *Ronald E. Beller, 1980–1991 *Bert C. Bach (interim), 1991–1992 *Roy S. Nicks, 1992–1996 *Paul E. Stanton Jr., 1997–2012 *Brian Noland, 2012–present

Academics

Colleges and schools

*College of Arts and Sciences *College of Business and Technology *College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences *Clemmer College * James H. Quillen College of Medicine *College of Nursing *College of Pharmacy *College of Public Health *Honors College *School of Continuing Studies *School of Graduate Studies

Honors College

There is an Honors College at East Tennessee State University.

Charles C. Sherrod Library

The Charles C. Sherrod Library houses the

Archives of Appalachia The Archives of Appalachia are located on the campus of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in Johnson City, Tennessee. Containing books, rare manuscripts, photographs, and audio and moving-image recordings, the archives serve as a resource f ...

and University Archives.

Greek life

There are several

Greek organizations Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

at East Tennessee State University. University sources claim that five percent of both men and women on campus are involved in Greek organizations.

Athletics

ETSU collegiate athletic teams,

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

d ''Buccaneers'', compete in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division I

Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. Southern Conference College football, football teams c ...

. The Buccaneers rejoined the Southern Conference in July 2014 after competing in the Atlantic Sun since 2003, when they dropped football. In the 2006-07 year, ETSU won both the conference's men and women's All-Sport trophies, winning seven team titles. They repeated as the overall and men's All-Sport champions in 2007–08 with three team titles, in 2008–09 with five team titles, and in 2009–10 with three team titles. Current men's sports at ETSU are

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, cross country,

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

and

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

. Women's sports are basketball, cross country, golf, soccer,

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

, tennis, track and field and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. Men's soccer competed at the club level in the fall of 2007, before entering NCAA and Atlantic Sun competition as a scholarship program in the 2008 season. With of the addition of football, ETSU rejoined the

in 2014 because the A-Sun does not support the sport. The Mini-Dome on the campus of ETSU houses the intercollegiate athletics offices. Still known by students, faculty, and the community as the Mini-Dome, this campus landmark was officially renamed from "Memorial Center" to "ETSU/Mountain States Health Alliance Athletic Center" and now "Ballad Health Athletic Center". The largest building on the ETSU campus, it hosts several indoor

meets, and was once the home field for the university's football program. The Mini-Dome has hosted many non-athletic events that could not be housed in an indoor setting on most American college campuses, such as national indoor championships for free flight

model aircraft A model aircraft is a physical model of an existing or imagined aircraft, and is built typically for display, research, or amusement. Model aircraft are divided into two basic groups: flying and non-flying. Non-flying models are also termed s ...

. This building is also where the University holds its twice annual commencement ceremonies for Spring (May) graduates and Fall (December) graduates.

Notable people

Alumni

Donnie Abraham Nathaniel Donnell Abraham (born October 8, 1973) is an American football coach and former cornerback who is the current defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). He was selected in the third round ...

, football player * Eric Axley, golfer *

Barry Bales Barry Turner Bales (born August 23, 1969) is an American musician best known as the long time bass player and harmony vocalist for Alison Krauss, Alison Krauss and Union Station. He has been in the band since 1990. The 2012 Grammy was awarded as ...

, musician *

Timothy Busfield Timothy Busfield (born June 12, 1957) is an American actor and director. He played Elliot Weston on the television series '' thirtysomething''; Mark, the brother-in-law of Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), in '' Field of Dreams''; and Danny Concann ...

, actor and director * Dave Campbell, baseball player *

Ronald E. Carrier Ronald E. Carrier (August 18, 1932 – September 18, 2017) was the fourth President of James Madison University (JMU), having served from 1971 to 1998. Carrier presided over JMU as it grew dramatically in size and in reputation. Carrier most r ...

, president of

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

Jo Carson Josephine Catron Carson (October 9, 1946 – September 19, 2011) was an American playwright, poet, fiction writer, and actor, as well as the author of three children's books. Her best-known play is ''Daytrips'' (1991), and her poetry is collected ...

, writer *

Keith Cate Keith Alvin Cate has been a main anchor for WFLA-TV (Channel 8) in Tampa, Florida since 2000. Cate has won 12 Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences along with four Edward R. Murrow awards and other journalism-rela ...

, newscaster *

Jamey Chadwell Jamey Chadwell (born January 10, 1977) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Liberty University, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Chadwell served as the head football coach at North ...

, football coach *

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country singer. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, he released his debut, '' In My Wildest Dreams'', in 1994, and has since released 19 follow-ups. His albums spawned 27 singles tha ...

, entertainer *

Besse Cooper Besse Berry Cooper (née Brown; August 26, 1896 – December 4, 2012) was an American supercentenarian who was the world's oldest living person from June 21, 2011 until her death in 2012. Early life, education and career Cooper was born Besse B ...

, oldest person in the world * Patrick J. Cronin, actor *

Neil Cusack Neil Cusack (born 30 December 1951 in Limerick) is a retired middle- and long-distance runner from Ireland. Early life Cusack was born in Limerick city in 1951 and attended St Munchin's College. Cusack attended East Tennessee State University. ...

, runner * Rhys Davies, golfer * David Davis, politician *

David Eger David Benjamin Eger (born March 17, 1952) is an American professional golfer on the Champions Tour. Early life and amateur career Eger was born in Fort Meade, Maryland. He attended the University of North Carolina, and later East Tennessee Sta ...

, golfer * Earl Ferrell, football player * Ray Flynn, runner * Thane Gash, football player * Joseph R. Garber, author *

Eddie Golden Harold Edward Cox (born November 4, 1973), better known by the ring name Eddie Golden, is an American professional wrestler. A member of the Golden wrestling family, he is the father of Evan Golden and the nephew of Bunkhouse Buck. Golden was ...

, wrestler *

Ed Goodson James Edward Goodson (born January 25, 1948) is an American former first baseman and third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from 1970 to 1977 for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. In his one World Serie ...

, baseball player * J. Ronnie Greer, US federal judge *

Steven M. Greer Steven Macon Greer (born 1955) is an American ufologist and a retired physician. He founded the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI) and the Disclosure Project, which claims to seek the disclosure of alleged classified U ...

, ufologist *

Atlee Hammaker Charlton Atlee Hammaker (born January 24, 1958) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played the majority of his career for the San Francisco Giants (1982–1990). He also played for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego ...

, baseball player *

Diana Harshbarger Diana Lynn Harshbarger ( ; born January 1, 1960) is an American pharmacist, businesswoman, and politician. Harshbarger has served as the U.S. representative for since 2021. Her district is based in the Tri-Cities area in northeastern Tennessee ...

, politician *

Larry Hinson Larry Hinson (born August 5, 1944) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour from 1968–1976. Hinson was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, but has lived almost his entire life in Douglas, Georgia. Despite having a left arm ...

, golfer *

Mike Hulbert Michael Patrick Hulbert (born April 14, 1958) is an American professional golfer and sportscaster. Hulbert was born in Elmira, New York. He grew up in Horseheads (village), New York, Horseheads, New York, and was a childhood friend and high scho ...

, golfer * Earl Gladstone Hunt Jr., president of

Emory and Henry College Emory & Henry University (E&H or Emory) is a private university in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry U ...

Steven James Steven James (born 1969) is an American author who has written more than forty books, including the critically acclaimed Bowers Files, an eleven-book series of psychological thrillers that consists of ''Opening Moves'', ''Every Crooked Path'', ' ...

, novelist * Keith "Mister" Jennings, basketball player * Kenneth P. Johnson, newspaper editor *

Ric Keller Richard Anthony Keller (born September 5, 1964) is an American politician, author, and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 8th congressional district from 2001 to 2009. His district included much of the Central Florida reg ...

, US Congressman * Amythyst Kiah, singer-songwriter artist * R. Alan King, author * Landon Knack, baseball player *

Dave Loggins David Allen Loggins (November 10, 1947 – July 10, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his 1974 hit single " Please Come to Boston" as well as his 1984 duet with Anne Murray, " Nobody Loves Me Like You ...

, singer, songwriter * Herbert Theodore Milburn, US Federal Judge *

Jim Mooney James Noel Mooney (August 13, 1919 – March 30, 2008) was an Americans, American comics artist best known for his long tenure at DC Comics and as the signature artist of Supergirl, as well as a Marvel Comics inker and Spider-Man artist, both ...

, baseball player *

Eureka O'Hara Eureka, also known as Eureka O'Hara and Eureka!, is the stage name of Eureka D. Huggard (born August 26, 1990), an American drag queen and reality television personality. Eureka rose to prominence competing on the ninth and tenth seasons of ''RuP ...

, contestant on

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

* Seamus Power, golfer *

Barclay Radebaugh Barclay Radebaugh (born September 14, 1965) is an American college basketball coach. He is the former head coach of the men's basketball team at Charleston Southern University. Radebaugh is a two-time Big South Conference The Big South Con ...

, basketball coach *

Ron Ramsey Ronald Lynn Ramsey (; born November 20, 1955) is an American auctioneer, politician, and lobbyist, who served as the 49th lieutenant governor of Tennessee and speaker of the State Senate from 2007 to 2017. A Republican from Blountville in Ea ...

, Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee *

Debbie Ricker Deborah Dianne Ricker (born October 1, 1965) is an American reproductive biologist and academic administrator serving as the interim president of Hood College since 2024. Her research has focused on reproductive biology, particularly studying sp ...

(born 1965), reproductive biologist and academic administrator * Mo Sabri, recording artist *

Marcus Satterfield Marcus David Satterfield (born April 9, 1976) is an American football coach and former player. He is the tight ends coach at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln; he was previously the offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, and the first nine ...

, football player *

Bryan Lewis Saunders Bryan Lewis Saunders (born 1969 in Washington, D.C.) is an endurance artist, a performance artist, videographer, performance poet, and self-portrait painter known for his disturbing spoken word rants, tragic art performances and stand-up traged ...

, visual and performance artist * Aaron Schoenfeld, soccer player * Gerald Sensabaugh, football player *

Niall Shanks Niall Shanks (18 January 1959 13 July 2011) was an English philosopher and critic of intelligent design. Career Shanks was born in Cheshire, England, was educated at Rossall School, and later at the University of Leeds and the University of L ...

, philosopher * Mike Smith, football coach * J.C. Snead, golfer *

Adam Steffey Adam Carter Steffey (born November 24, 1965) is an American mandolin player, best known for playing in the bluegrass and old-time styles. He spent time as a member of bands such as Alison Krauss & Union Station, Mountain Heart, Lonesome Riv ...

, musician * Harley Swift, basketball player * Phyllis Tickle, author * Jack Vest, football player *

Bobby Wadkins Robert Edwin Wadkins (born July 26, 1951) is an American professional golfer. Early life and amateur career Wadkins was born in Richmond, Virginia. His brother is Lanny Wadkins, a professional golfer. Between Bobby and Lanny, they held the Ric ...

, golfer * Harry L. Williams, businessman *

Garrett Willis Garrett Michael Willis (born November 21, 1973) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. Early life Willis was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended East Tennessee State University where he ...

, golfer * Tommy Woods, basketball player

References

External links

*
ETSU Athletics website
{{Coord, 36.30333, -82.36917, display=title East Tennessee Universities and colleges established in 1911 Johnson City, Tennessee Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Washington County, Tennessee Buildings and structures in Washington County, Tennessee Education in Sullivan County, Tennessee Education in Carter County, Tennessee Public universities and colleges in Tennessee 1911 establishments in Tennessee