Early history

1822 ad for Jackson Male Academy.

Jackson Male Academy was founded in 1823 just after West Tennessee was opened for settlement.^[5] Only five years earlier in 1818 was the land purchased from the Chickasaw Indians.

Union University was established in 1875 in a consolidation of Southwestern Baptist College at Murfreesboro and West Tennessee College at Jackson.

In 1907, Dr. T.T. Eaton, a trustee of Southwestern Baptist University, left his 6,000 volume library to the college. Eaton was a former professor of Union University at Murfreesboro, where his father, Dr. Joseph H. Eaton, was a former president. Later that year Southwestern changed its name to Union University to honor the Eatons and others from Union at Murfreesboro who had impacted Southwestern as faculty, administrators, trustees, and contributors.^[6]

In 1925 the Tennessee Baptist Convention secured a charter that vested the rights, authority, and property of Union University in the Tennessee Convention. This charter included the election of the university's trustees. Two years later, the Convention consolidated Hall-Moody Junior College at Martin (1900–1927) with Union University; the former Hall-Moody campus subsequently became the location of the University of Tennessee Junior College, now the University of Tennessee at Martin.

In 1948 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted Union University accreditation.

In 1962 Union developed a nursing program with the assistance of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital at the request of local physicians.

In 1975 Union moved from downtown Jackson, Tennessee, to a new campus located near the Highway 45-Bypass in north Jackson.

The Craig and Barefoot Administrations

During President Robert Craig (1967–85) and President Hyran Barefoot's (1987–1996) administrations:

• enrollment increased from fewer than 1,000 students to more than 2,000;
• the Penick Academic Complex was enlarged several times;
• additional housing units were erected;
• and the Blasingame Academic Complex (1986) and the Hyran E. Barefoot Student Union Building (1994) were constructed.

From the early 1950s to the early 1970s, Union operated an Extension Center in the Memphis area. From 1987 to 1995, Union offered the degree-completion program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN track) in Memphis. At that time there were over 300 graduates of this program.

David S. Dockery's Administration

Dr. David Dockery at Union University

David S. Dockery was elected as the fifteenth president of Union University in December 1995. Dockery brought a desire to take Union to a more rigorous, conservative path. During his administration, which lasted until 2014, he realized:

• headcount increase from 2200 (in 1996) to more than 5300 (in 2012);
• increased giving to Union, including ten of the largest commitments in Union history;
• changed the school's logo and marketing fonts;
• construction of two residence halls, Miller Tower, Jennings Hall, Hammons Hall, Fesmire Field House and the new White Hall science building;
• successful completion of the $60 million comprehensive "Building a Future" campaign (1998–2005) (now at $69 million);
• renewed commitment to scholarship and research among Union faculty-part of Union's new Center for Faculty Development;
• new undergraduate majors in political science, physics, theology, digital media studies, church history, ethics, sports management, sports medicine, engineering; and graduate programs in education (M.Ed., Ed.S., and Ed.D.), nursing (MSN with tracks in education, administration, and nurse anesthesia), and intercultural studies (MAIS);
• SACS Level V accreditation was achieved;
• the establishment of an extension campus in Germantown, Tennessee, which now has almost 700 students;
• the establishment of the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Christian Leadership;
• the establishment of the Charles Colson Chair for Faith and Culture;
• the establishment of the annual Scholarship Banquet (1997–2004);
• the renaming of a road to his honor his wife (Lanese Dockery Drive);
• achieving top tier recognition in U.S. News & World Report and other important listings.
• Implemented the $110 million "Union 2010" plan that includes the future addition of new tennis courts, new intramural fields, and an amphitheatre, which has already included the completion of a second soccer field, the Fesmire Fieldhouse, and the state-of-the-art science building, White Hall.^[7]
• a Doctor of Pharmacy program.^[4]

2008 tornado

One of the Union dorms that was destroyed by the February 5, 2008 tornado.

Radar loop of the Nashville, Jackson and Christian County, Kentucky supercells. Those supercells were responsible for at least 32 deaths (courtesy of NWS Nashville)

On February 5, 2008, at 7:02 p.m., the university was struck by an EF4 tornado, with winds between 166 and 200 miles per hour (267 and 322 km/h). The tornado destroyed 18 dormitory buildings and caused over $40 million worth of damage to the campus, which suffered a direct hit, rendering almost 80% of the dormitory space to be either totally destroyed or unlivable. None of the approximately 1,800 students on campus at the time were killed. David Dockery, the president of the university, said:

I'm convinced-nobody will ever convince me otherwise-that God's angels were unleashed to come as ministering spirits to protect those students in the most precarious of situations.

Fifty-one students were taken to Jackson-Madison General Hospital. While most students were released after being treated, nine were kept overnight. Some students were trapped for hours while emergency crews worked to rescue them. A total of 31 buildings received damage of varying degrees.^[8] The devastation captured nationwide attention and was featured by CNN, Fox News,^[9] The New York Times^[10] and numerous regional news outlets. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, FEMA Director R. David Paulison and Governor of Tennessee Phil Bredesen all visited the campus after the disaster.^[11]

The Commercial Appeal reported that due to extensive damage, the campus would not reopen until February 18.^[12] Lambuth University, a rival area university, reportedly offered to open its dormitories to displaced Union students. The congregation of Englewood Baptist Church, which owned the Old English Inn in Jackson, voted unanimously to open the inn to Union students. The church's move accommodated almost 300 students until December 2008. The university also expected that around 200 students would be housed in the private homes of Union faculty, staff and friends.

The February 5, 2008 event was the second time in just over five years that the campus was hit by a tornado. On the evening of November 10, 2002, during the Veterans Day Weekend tornado outbreak, the university was struck by an F1 tornado, with winds of approximately 100 miles per hour, which did approximately 2 million dollars worth of damage to the university. There were no serious injuries.^[13] Union president David Dockery stated that the February 5, 2008 tornado was about 15 times as bad at the 2002 tornado. The damage caused by the February 5th tornado was estimated at $40 million.^[14]

Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver's administration

Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver became Union University's sixteenth president in June 2014. He previously worked at Baylor University and was president at East Texas Baptist University for five years.

Thus far in his presidency, he has achieved:

• the start of a new greenhouse project in July 2014;
• the completion of The Logos — Union's three-story, 54,000-square foot library started in July 2014 and dedicated on November 6, 2015;
• the adoption of a new strategic plan for 2016-2020 by the board of trustees in the fall of 2015.

Presidents

^[15]

Rankings

Miller Tower at Union University

For 2015, U.S. News ranked Union 14th among "Regional Universities" in the South. It has been recognized by Peterson's Competitive College Guide, the Time/Princeton Review, and Templeton's Colleges that Encourage Character Development. Union is a recipient of the President's Higher Education Community Service Award and has been listed as one of America's Top 100 College Buys. In addition, U.S. News has cited Union as an "A+ option for serious B students," among "Up and Coming Schools" and among schools "where the faculty has an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching."

Union is also recognized in:

• Peterson's Guide to Competitive Colleges;
• The Templeton Foundation Guide for Colleges That Encourage Character Development;
• America's Best College Buys;
• Kiplinger's Best College Values and
• America's Best College Scholarships.^[17]

Jackson facilities

The campus is 290 acres (1.2 km²) and includes a 2,200-seat gymnasium, dormitories for men and women including a married housing complex, separate lodges for the fraternities and sororities, academic halls, an administration center, baseball and softball parks, two soccer fields, and wellness center.^[18]

Germantown facilities

Union also has a 35-acre (140,000 m²) campus in Germantown, Tennessee, (suburban Memphis) offering graduate degrees in business, education, Christian studies & nursing. The degrees in education include the M.Ed., M.A.Ed., Ed.S., and Ed.D.^[19]

Hendersonville facilities

Union's newest location is in Hendersonville, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. This campus offers graduate degrees in education and Christian studies.^[20]

Housing

In Jackson, Union has apartment-style living. Each student has a separate private bedroom that shares a common living space with three roommates. All apartments feature a high-speed Internet connection, as well as kitchen unit. Some apartments feature private phone lines or a washer and dryer. All private living spaces have a window and the common areas have cable TV access. There is no student housing at the Germantown campus. Temporary off campus housing was at The Jett (the former Old English Inn) for the majority of the spring 2008 semester.^[21]

Accomplishments

In the NAIA, Union captured five women's basketball national titles (1998, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010). Union also has won national titles in the NCCAA in volleyball (2003), men's soccer (2004), softball (2001, 2002, 2004, 2013) and women's basketball (2014).

Fraternities

The fraternities represented on campus are:

Sororities

The sororities represented on campus are:

Academic

The academic fraternities are:

Annual Scholarship Banquet

Union's Scholarship Banquet has brought prominent national and international figures to Union including: former presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Russian president and Nobel Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former Senator Bob Dole, presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, former British Prime Minister John Major, Tony Blair, and Winston S. Churchill, Grandson of the former British Prime Minister.^[25]

Union Forum

Union's Forum is an annual speaker series that has brought several national figures to Union, including Peggy Wehmeyer, William Kristol, Michael Medved, Robert Novak, Stephen Carter, Morton Kondracke, Clarence Page, Juan Williams, and Margaret Carlson.^[26]

Alumni

Howell Jackson

William Hicks Jackson

David Alexander Nunn

• Bob Agee, executive director for the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities, and President Emeritus, Oklahoma Baptist University.
• Milton Brown (politician) (W) - U.S. Representative and co-founder of Southwestern University (now Union University) and Lambuth University both located in Jackson, Tennessee.
• Joshua F. Drake - Musicologist and hymnist at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
• Steve Gaines - Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
• Pauline LaFon Gore - mother of United States Vice President Albert Gore, attended Union and was awarded an honorary degree.
• J. D. Grey (Bachelor's degree, 1929), Southern Baptist pastor and convention president from 1952 to 1954
• George H. Guthrie - Professor of New Testament, Regent College; former Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible and chair of the School of Christian Studies, Union University; one of the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible Translation Review Scholars. An expert in Greek Exegesis and writer known for his analysis and expertise on the Epistle to the Hebrews.
• Eli Shelby Hammond - federal judge
• John L. Head (attended)- basketball coach
• John W. Holland - federal judge
• Howell Edmunds Jackson - United States Supreme Court Justice
• William Hicks Jackson - Confederate general, brother of Justice Howell Edmonds Jackson
• Jim Jones - American football player
• Chad McMahan, Mississippi state senator.^[27]
• Charles N. Millican - founding President for the University of Central Florida.
• Gaylon Moore - professional basketball player
• Jimmy Moore (baseball) - Major League baseball player
• Tom J. Murray (D) - U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1943 to 1966
• David Alexander Nunn - U.S. Representative and Tennessee Secretary of State
• Luis Ortiz (baseball) - Major League baseball player
• Josephine Owino - basketball player for the Washington Mystics
• Joseph B. Palmer - Confederate general and lawyer
• Herron C. Pearson (D) - U.S. Representative from Tennessee
• Jeanette Brooks Priebe - Director of the Louisville Civil Service Board in Kentucky
• Chris Rice - Christian recording artist
• Eugene Rice - United States federal judge (Eastern District of Oklahoma)
• R. R. Sneed - Tennessee Secretary of State from 1913 to 1917^[28]
• Scratch Track - Indie Acoustic Hip-hop Band
• L. Thomas Strong III - Dean of Leavell College and Professor of New Testament and Greek in Leavell College at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
• John May Taylor (D) - U.S. Representative from Tennessee.
• William E. Troutt - President, Rhodes College
• Timothy Tucker - Former President of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Former president of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA), president of the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, and Speaker of the House for TPA for more than 10 years. Winner of the Lambda Chi Alpha Order or Merit.
• Jacob Mathis - World-renowned Logistics expert

Faculty and administration

Benjamin Lee Arnold Union University professor, later president of Oregon State University

• Benjamin Lee Arnold - later became president of Oregon State University
• James Robinson Graves - chair of the Board of Trustees, 1885–1892; minister, journalist, author, and co-founder of Landmark Baptism
• Ed Bryant (R) - Tennessee politician
• Stephen Carls - chair of the History Department and expert 20th-Century France, World War I, Europe between the two world wars, and French arms manufacturer Louis Loucheur.
• George H. Guthrie - expert on the Epistle to the Hebrews
• Harry Lee Poe - Charles Colson Chair of Faith and Culture
• Ivy Scarborough - author and lawyer
• C. Pat Taylor - president of Southwest Baptist University.^[29][30]