Holland Nimmons McTyeire (July 28, 1824 – February 15, 1889) was an American

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the

Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...

, elected in 1866. He was a co-founder of

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. He was a supporter of

slavery in the United States The legal institution of human chattel slavery, comprising the enslavement primarily of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and African Americans, was prevalent in the United States of America from its founding in 1776 until 1865 ...

Early life

Holland McTyeire was born on July 28, 1824, in Barnwell County,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

"McTyeire, Holland Nimmons", in ''The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge''. Samuel Macauley Jackson, ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1954, p. 12

/ref> His parents; Capt. John McTyeire (1792–1859) and Elizabeth Nimmons (1803–1861), were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. His father was "a cotton planter and a slaveholder." McTyeire attended the higher schools available at the time: first at

Cokesbury, South Carolina Cokesbury is a census-designated place (CDP) in Greenwood County, South Carolina, Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 215 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, down from 279 in 2000. History The name "Coke ...

, then Collinsworth Institute in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. He graduated from Randolph-Macon College in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

( A.B. degree, 1844).

Career

Already licensed to preach, McTyeire was admitted on trial into the Virginia Annual Conference in November 1845. He was appointed to

Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...

. After one year's service, he was transferred to the

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Conference, admitted into full connection at the first of 1848. He was a pastor in Alabama ( Mobile and Demopolis) and

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

( Columbus), before transferring to the

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

Conference, where he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

elder in 1849. He also was a pastor in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. In 1854, McTyeire was elected

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

of the '' New Orleans Christian Advocate'', serving in this position until 1858. He was then elected editor of the '' Nashville Christian Advocate'', the central organ of the M.E. Church, South. Interrupted in his editorial career by the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

of 1861-1865, he entered the pastorate again in the Alabama Conference, serving in the city of Montgomery, from which he was elected to the

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

in 1866 at the General Conference meeting that year in New Orleans. McTyeire led a movement within the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to establish "an institution of learning of the highest order." In 1872, a charter for a "Central University" was issued to the bishop and fellow petitioners, who represented the nine M.E. Church, South Annual Conferences of the mid-south. Their efforts failed, however, for lack of financial resources. Early in 1873, he went to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

for medical treatment. His wife, Amelia Townsend, was a cousin to Commodore

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

's second wife, Frank Armstrong Crawford Vanderbilt (1839–1885).History of Vanderbilt University
/ref> This connection led to Vanderbilt giving McTyeire two $500,000 (~$ in ) gifts, which the bishop used to found Vanderbilt University. The Commodore's gift was given with the understanding that McTyeire would serve as chairman of the university's Board of Trust for life. He was appointed President of Vanderbilt University in 1873.

McTyeire appointed Confederate veteran Fountain E. Pitts as the first pastor of the McKendree Church, later known as the West End United Methodist Church, in the early 1870s.

Views on slavery

McTyeire "fully supported slavery as part of human nature." In 1859, he published ''Duties of Christian Masters'', where he opined that slavery was "God’s punishment and that he, as a follower of the faith, was bound to do all in his power to ensure this continued."

Personal life

McTyeire was married to Amelia Townsend of

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

Death and legacy

McTyeire died on February 15, 1889, in

. His portrait, done by Jared Bradley Flagg, hung in Main Hall (later known as Kirkland Hall) until it was destroyed by the 1905 fire. Another portrait, done by Ella Sophonisba Hergesheimer in 1907, hangs in Kirkland Hall. In the 1940s, the first women's dormitory on the Vanderbilt campus was named McTyeire Hall; it was later renamed McTyeire International House. Meanwhile, the McTyeire School for Girls, founded by

Young John Allen Young John Allen (January 3, 1836 – May 30, 1907) or Young J. Allen, was an American Methodist missionary in late Qing dynasty China with the American Southern Methodist Episcopal Mission. He is best known in China by his local name Lin Lezhi (� ...

and Laura Askew Haygood in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, is also named in his honor.

Bibliography

*'' Duties of Masters to Servants: Three Premium Essays'' (co-authored with C. F. Sturgis and A.T. Holmes; Charleston, South Carolina: Southern Baptist Publication Society, 1851). *''A Catechism on Church Government'' (1869) *''A Catechism on Bible History'' (1869) *''Manual of the Discipline'' (1870) *''History of Methodism'' (1884) *''Passing Through the Gates'' (1889)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McTyeire, Holland Nimmons 1824 births 1889 deaths People from Barnwell County, South Carolina Religious leaders from Nashville, Tennessee 19th-century American newspaper editors American religion academics American theologians American Methodist Episcopal, South bishops Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Editors of Christian publications Randolph–Macon College alumni Methodist writers Vanderbilt University people Auburn High School (Alabama) people Journalists from Alabama American male journalists 19th-century American male writers American proslavery activists 19th-century American clergy