About Quizzes

University of Memphis

The University of Memphis, in Memphis, Tennessee, is a coeducational institution of higher learning. The history of the university began in the early 20th century. It was established in 1912 under the General Education Act of 1909, as West Tennessee Normal School. The official school colors of royal blue and gray were selected by the students in the first classes. Between 1912 and 1925, the Desoto yearbook was created, the first library was opened in the Administration Building, the first dining hall was built, and the first men's dormitory, Scates Hall, was built. Scates Hall now is occupied by the College of Arts and Sciences' Dean's offices. The Normal School became West Tennessee State Teachers College, in 1925. After three years, the Brister Library was built in honor of its two-term president John W. Brister. The Tiger Rag, a campus newspaper, was started by the students, in 1931. The college changed its name again in 1941, to Memphis State College. Graduate studies were initiated in 1950, and in 1954, the school switched from a quarter to a semester system. In 1957, the State Legislature elevated Memphis to full university status. The first doctoral programs began in 1966, and under the presidency Cecil C. Humphreys, new buildings were constructed across campus, including a University Center and a 12-story library. In 1983, Memphis State College became the first public university in Tennessee to receive accreditation for its entire curriculum. The university witnessed another name change and another building boom during the next decade. In 1994, the university changed its name to the current moniker, the University of Memphis. Today, the University of Memphis is one of Tennessee's three comprehensive doctoral-extensive institutions of higher learning. Although training teachers remains a major part of the university’s mission, the University of Memphis awards more than 3,000 world-recognized programs in diverse disciplines. Its academic programs are organized into the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Communication and Fine Arts; College of Education; Fogelman College of Business and Economics; Graduate School; Herff College of Engineering; Loewenberg School of Nursing; School of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology; and University College.