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Lambuth History and Archives

This guide includes information about The University of Memphis Lambuth Campus history, links to digitized Lambuth archive collections, and information about historical items located in the Lambuth Archives.

2011 - 2019

Summer 2011 

Lambuth University Board of Trustees accepts the proposal of the City of Jackson, Madison County, West Tennessee Healthcare, and Jackson Energy Authority to purchase the campus and turn it over to the Board of Regents governing the University of Memphis (UofM), which will establish a satellite location; in July, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission agrees that the state of Tennessee should acquire Lambuth University.

August 5, 2011 

Then UofM President Shirley Raines announces the official University of Memphis takeover of former Lambuth University.

August 27, 2011 

Classes begin for the first students of the University of Memphis Lambuth; more than 300 students enrolled for Fall 2011; UofM Lambuth offers courses in education, business, and nursing.

Fall 2011 

In October, a True Blue Day is held at UofM Lambuth campus, a free, family-friendly event sponsored by the Lambuth Alumni Association – it is an opportunity for the community to come together and get to know the campus; Dr. Dan Lattimore, announces that the school will offer RN to BSN program for working professionals starting in 2012.

December 20, 2011 

The University of Memphis officially takes ownership of former Lambuth University.

January 12, 2012 

Spring 2012 classes begin, with more than 400 registered students; a flag-raising ceremony is held at UofM Lambuth campus to commemorate the transfer of ownership of the school from the Lambuth University Board of Directors to the state of Tennessee to the benefit of UofM – the flag is raised by Gov. Bill Haslam and UofM President Shirley Raines.

May 2012 

42 students become the first class to graduate from UofM Lambuth.

Fall 2012 

The U of M campus facilities expand to include a bistro, a bookstore, a fitness center, and additional housing to accommodate increasing amounts of students enrolled; the number of degrees offered has increased.

September 27, 2012 

The Loewenberg School of Nursing officially opens at U of M Lambuth.

Fall 2013 

The Campus Life Grant is established for full-time students who choose to live on the UofM Lambuth campus.

December 2014 

Jim and Janet Ayers donate $1 million to UofM Lambuth – the donation will help the school attract and retain students and faculty, as well as increase graduation rates, by instituting scholarships, professorships, and chairs, and by improving campus facilities.

Fall 2015 

UofM Lambuth sees record increase in enrollment, continuing a trend of constant enrollment growth since Fall 2011.

October 2015 

UofM Lambuth becomes a certified Tennessee Urban Forestry Council Level 2 arboretum.

November 9, 2015 

The Center for Community Criminology and Research opens at UofM Lambuth – it serves as community resource by addressing issues of crime and delinquency and it provides professional development for criminal justice professionals.

August 2016 

The UofM football team begins its first three-day summer training camp at UofM Lambuth.

Spring 2017 

UofM Lambuth begins offering dual enrollment opportunities for area high school students through the Lambuth Academy.

May 2017 

The Jackson Madison County Historic Zoning Commission grants its approval to UofM Lambuth to demolish Epworth Hall and install a garden area where the old male dormitory is located.

July 19-21, 2017 

UofM Lambuth and the UofM Department of Social Work host the 2017 Rural Social Work Caucus Conference at the Wilder Student Union on the UofM Lambuth campus.

Spring 2018 

The number of students enrolled at UoM Lambuth surpasses 1,000, reaching a record total of 1,038.

February 2018 

Holley Wood, coordinator of the UoM Lambuth M. D. Anderson Planetarium, is selected as 2018 NASA Solar System Ambassador – the Planetarium, in conjunction with NASA, is planning a series of special shows that will take place throughout the year; UofM Lambuth begins offering students a Fellowship with International Nonprofit Internews in Washington, D.C.

May 2018 

The UofM Research Foundation (UMRF) and its subsidiary, UMRF Ventures, opens its second student-operated call center at the UoM Lambuth campus.

June 2018  

UofM Lambuth received the 2018 Mayor’s Civic Pride Award, which acknowledges businesses and individuals making a positive contribution to the community and the environment – the Award is co-sponsored by the Keep Jackson Beautiful Commission and the Waste Management of Jackson, TN.

November 5, 2018 

Modern States Education Alliance announces the beginning of the program “Freshman Year for Free,” a collaboration between U of M Lambuth and the Jackson-Madison County School System that allows high school students to earn free college credits through tuition-free online courses.

March 2019 

The UofM Alumni Association hosts a True Blue Day at the UofM Lambuth Campus, honoring outstanding Lambuth alumni of the 1968, 1969, and 1994 Classes.

June 2019 

The Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER), part of the Herff College of Engineering, plans on partnering with local farmers and rural community water users in the Jackson, TN, area by establishing a regional office at UofM Lambuth.

August 1, 2019 

UofM Lambuth announces a plan for the new Madison Academic High School to open on campus and become a dual-enrollment high school.

September 13, 2019 

A STEM scholarship is established thanks to the donation received from Jacqueline Fleener to commemorate the Lambuth University’s alumna – the scholarship will be available to UofM Lambuth biology and science majors starting in Fall 2019.

October 2019  

Through a collaboration between the Loewenberg College of Nursing, the Office of Student Services, and the Regional Inter-Faith Association, UofM Lambuth sets up a food pantry for food insecure students.