Tag Archives: TSU President Glenda Glover

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TSU, Tennessee Black Caucus Host State Lawmakers from Across the Nation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University recently hosted a reception for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators on its Avon Williams Campus downtown. Members of the NBCSL were in Nashville for a legislative summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

One of the highlights of the reception on Aug. 6 was a pre-birthday celebration for Tennessee State Rep. Barbara Cooper, a TSU alum who marks her 90th birthday on Aug. 11. Cooper, who represents District 86 in Memphis, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tennessee State University.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to our beloved university,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “But a special privilege to say, ‘Happy birthday’ to Rep. Cooper, and to thank her for her able leadership in the Tennessee General Assembly.”

TSU President Glenda Glover (middle in blue) greets state lawmakers from Florida at the reception for members of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. (Photo by Erynne Davis, TSU Media Relations)

In her remarks, Dr. Glover informed the gathering, which included a number of black Tennessee lawmakers, about TSU’s recent partnership with tech giant Apple, and the hosting of the inaugural HBCU C2 Presidential Academy last month. She called on Dr. Robbie Melton, TSU’s interim dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, and the initiative’s main facilitator, to elaborate.

“TSU is now a National Center for Smart Technology Innovations that will bring coding and creativity opportunities across HBCU campuses,” Melton said. “TSU will be the hub for all 104 HBCUs to come here and code and create. And on behalf of our partnership with Apple, you are able to take this course this fall for free – no cost.”

Before Glover’s presentation, remarks were made by TSU alums Rep. Harold Love, Jr., and Sen. Brenda Gilmore, both of Nashville; as well as Rep. G.A. Hardaway, Sr., of Memphis, who is chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators. The lawmakers thanked President Glover and the TSU family for the reception and the contribution of TSU to the community and nation.

“I certainly want to express our appreciation on behalf of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators to Dr. Glover for opening up everything to us and for always being that resource that we need, whether we’re talking about facilities, research, or helping to shape public policy,” Hardaway said. “It is critical that we have that type of avenue to secure the data that we need – that is unfiltered. And nobody does it like TSU.”

In an interview, South Carolina State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, president of the NBCSL, thanked her fellow Tennessee lawmakers for organizing the reception. She congratulated President Glover on her leadership, and extolled TSU for preparing students to become productive citizens.

“I am always impressed with sisters who handle business and who know what they are doing,” Cobb-Hunter said, of Glover. “My brief encounter with her suggests that Tennessee State has the right person at the helm, that she is certainly a visionary, and I am hopeful that the people here in this community and in the state recognize what a treasure they have in Dr. Glover.”

The NCSL summit was from Aug. 5-6.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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TSU President Glenda Glover and Linebacker Christion Abercrombie receive top HBCU Digest Awards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University received two of the top awards from HBCU DIGEST this year. President Glenda Glover was named  HBCU Female President of the Year, while Christion Abercrombie was selected Male Athlete of the Year. 

President Glenda Glover receives the Female President of the Year Award at the annual HBCU Digest Awards in Baltimore. (Submitted photo)

Glover received the coveted award Aug. 2  at the ninth annual HBCU Digest Awards in Baltimore. She also accepted the award on behalf of the TSU standout who continues to recover from an on-the-field injury. 

Glover, the eighth and first female president of TSU, was presented with the awards during the ceremony in the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture.

“I am extremely honored that HBCU Digest named me HBCU Female President of the Year, and Christian Abercrombie of Tennessee State University Male Athlete of the Year,” Glover said. “I expressed to the audience that it is working through challenges that defines leaders. This is not my recognition alone. I’m truly grateful and appreciate the support of the entire TSU family. Thank you all for your support.”

Glover, who reached out to Abercrombie’s family with the news of him being named Male Athlete of the Year, said, “Christion Abercrombie is a walking miracle.”

“It’s only fitting that he should be named the HBCU Digest Awards’ Male Athlete of the Year,” Glover said. “His perseverance, as well as his incredible spirit, is an inspiration to anyone going through adversity. He is proof that you can make it, if you just have faith, and believe.”

Abercrombie suffered a severe brain injury Sept. 29, 2018, during a game against Vanderbilt. 

His mother, Stacie Abercrombie, thanked President Glover for reaching out to her with the news.

“It is amazing; it just shows that God is still in control,” Staci said. “Christion is very thankful that he is being acknowledged in such a way.”

Head TSU football coach Roderick Reed said he was not surprised that Abercrombie received the award.

“Even before the incident,” Reed said, referring to Abercrombie’s injury, “he was always an outstanding character with outstanding leadership.”

“I think any award he gets is richly deserved,” Reed added.

In winning the two top awards, TSU was a finalist in 11 categories of this year’s HBCU Digest Awards. 

TSU has won several HBCU Digest awards in the past three years, including Best Marching Band, for the Aristocrat of Bands; Best Student Organization, the TSU Collegiate Citizens Police Academy; Best Alumnus, James Shaw Jr.; Best STEM Program, the College of Engineering; Alumna of the Year, Dr. Edith P. Mitchell; Female Coach of the Year, Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice; Female Team of the Year, Women’s Basketball Team; and Best Student Organization, Student Activities.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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‘Love’s Healthy Start Festival’ gets Students ready for Back-to-School

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – More than 400 area students received free back-to-school supplies, advice on educational opportunities and health screenings, thanks to an effort by a Tennessee State University alum who is making sure youngsters are prepared for the new school year.

TSU President Glenda Glover, right, joins State Rep. Harold Love, Jr., left, and Nashville Mayor David Briley to distribute back-to-school supplies to youngsters at the annual Love’s Healthy Start Festival. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

The seventh annual Love’s Healthy Start Festival, started by State Rep. Harold Love, Jr., took place July 27 in Hadley Park with community partners, parents and vendors, who set up booths and displays with books. The event also included free food, refreshments and live entertainment.

Over the years, Love has partnered with a number of organizations, including TSU, to provide hundreds of free backpacks and school supplies, along with educational information and free health tips.

TSU President Glenda Glover joined Love, Nashville Mayor David Briley and volunteers to pass out supplies to students, parents and relatives.

“We thank Rep. Love for putting this festival together each year to make sure these students have what they need to be successful academically and in life, ”Dr. Glover said. “We appreciate him (Love) and all the other leaders for the support they continue to give this community and TSU.”

President Glover helps staff and volunteers at the TSU stand to give out food safety and health tips to students and parents at Love’s Healthy Start Festival in Hadley Park. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

Love said the festival is more than a back-to-school event.

“It is designed to give the entire family an opportunity to start the school year off right,” he said. “This is not only an effort to give our students a head-start for the school year with back packs and supplies, but also to let them know that they are worthy and mean so much to us. This has been a great partnership with TSU. I can’t thank Dr. Glover enough for what she has done by showing the kids the next path for them when they leave high school.”

Shamika Simpson, along with her husband, Darryl, and their two children – Jaden, 12, and Deborah, 9 – were among the hundreds who attended the festival.

The seventh annual Love’s Healthy Start Festival attracted more than 400 participants. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

“I love this (the festival). I think it is great when people come together to do something for the community,” Shamika Simpson said. “Some people can’t afford to do some of these things, like health screenings, because there are some kids here who need physicals before they can go back to school. This is the community coming together to help the community; that’s perfect.”

In addition to TSU, a number of other area colleges and universities set up displays at the festival, including Meharry Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University. Representatives from TSU’s  College of Agriculture gave tips on healthy eating and food safety, and provided crops harvested from the university’s farm.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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Tennessee State University, Apple host national coding academy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University has launched a national initiative that seeks to bring coding experiences to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and underserved communities. 

TSU hosted the inaugural HBCU C2 Presidential Academy July 14-19 through its newly established National Center for Smart Technology Innovations. HBCU C2 will bring coding and creativity opportunities to students across HBCU campuses and to a broad group of students across Nashville.

Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted about the initiative: “Anything is possible when people come together with a shared vision. Thank you to @TSUedu for your leadership and enthusiasm in bringing coding to your community and HBCUs nationwide!”

TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover (center); Dr. Alisha Mosley, interim Vice President of Academic Affairs (left); and Dr. Robbie Melton, the initiative’s facilitator, talk to media before kickoff. (TSU Media Relations)

 Leaders of 14 historically black colleges and universities – including Tennessee State – from across the country came away from the Academy with knowledge and skills in coding and app development from Apple’s comprehensive coding curriculum, which utilizes its popular Swift programming language.

“Tennessee State University is proud to host this great initiative as we give HBCU students and Nashville public schools access to this opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain important workforce development skills,” said TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover. “Coding and app development are a growing part of the global workforce, and we want to help make sure people of color, especially our students, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be competitive, and successful.”

The HBCUs that were part of the first cohort include: Arkansas Baptist College, Bethune-Cookman University, Dillard University, Fisk University, Fort Valley State University, Lincoln University-Missouri, Morehouse College, Norfolk State University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University Shreveport Louisiana, Texas Southern University, Wilberforce University and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Participants at the Academy included HBCU presidents, faculty members, IT staff and STEM students interested in becoming app developers.

Program participants showcase apps. (TSU Media Relations)

“I think this program is phenomenal,” said Dr. Sharron Herron-Williams, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at Southern University. “We have a reputation as HBCUs for taking people from where they are, to where they want to be in life. And it is my belief, that by participating in this program, this is only going to expand our territory.”

TSU business administration major Ahmad Richardson agreed. The junior from Memphis was returning a book to the campus library when he saw signs about coding and inquired about it.

“I talked to two ladies who told me more, and asked if I’d like to join,” recalled Richardson, who plans to start his own business.  “And I said, I’d love to. It’s a real opportunity to be able to create something new, to add my own flavor.”

TSU is also working with Apple, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Motlow State Community College and the Metropolitan Nashville Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. to expand coding opportunities to other students in the community.

“We want students of all ages and background to have the opportunity to pursue coding and creativity,” said Dr. Robbie Melton, TSU’s interim Dean of Graduates and Professional Studies, and the initiative’s main facilitator. “That’s why TSU is working side-by-side with Metro Nashville Public Schools to empower students from Pre-K through workforce and align curricula to make it even easier for students to learn to code and get credit for that effort.”

Dr. Douglas Renfro is executive director of learning technology and library services at MNPS. He says coding provides “opportunities for students that they had not seen before.”

Participants discuss the app they developed. (TSU Media Relations)

“We’re also showing students you don’t have to necessarily have a four-year degree to get started in life,” said Renfro. “This can become a way that you can boost yourself up, find your interest, and then maybe go get your four-year degree, or your two-year degree.”

As part of the new initiative, students who complete a Swift coding course at Motlow State Community College will be able to seamlessly transition to TSU or other four-year degree programs.

“We are excited to be part of this national effort to expand coding opportunities to students and teachers, and we can’t wait to see the amazing things our community can do with these new skills,” said Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, Dean of TSU’s College of Engineering, and one of the coding trainers.

Apple is supporting TSU with equipment, scholarships and professional development to help the university launch its HBCU C2 initiative.

“Students of all backgrounds should have the opportunity to learn to code,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives.

“We are thrilled to be working with Tennessee State University to support their new initiative to bring coding and creativity to underrepresented groups across the broader Nashville community and to HBCUs nationwide.”

To learn more about HBCU C2, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/hbcuc2/.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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Tennessee State University Ranked Among the Safest College Campuses in America

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is among the safest college campuses in the nation, a new report shows. The National Council for Home Safety and Security, in its 2019 report of Safest Colleges in America, lists TSU in the Top 8 percent of colleges with the lowest crime rate.

TSU Crime Prevention Officer Aerin Washington says the Police Department’s Rape Aggressive Defense program aims to help individuals defend themselves in any given situation. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

 The report ranked TSU No. 46 of the 490 colleges rated, using law enforcement and FBI data on crime rate and police adequacy.

 “It is extremely important that our students, parents, along with university employees, know they are safe on our campus, and this latest ranking is evident of our commitment to the institution’s public safety,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “Campus safety is always a priority and this administration will continue to invest in proactive measures that we believe will also continue to yield even better numbers.” 

Over the past three years, TSU has committed millions to upgrading campus safety. This includes increase in police workforce, technology, physical enhancements and crime prevention programs. Officials say fencing of the campus is about 75 percent complete, the university has added checkpoints with “internal  and hard external security,” as well as access-controlled entrances in many of the buildings.

TSU students participating in the Collegiate Citizens Police Academy train with the Nashville Metro Police Department. The academy is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

According to Dr. Curtis Johnson, associate vice president and chief of staff, the enhancements are all part of President Glover’s focus and emphasis on campus safety.

“These are all things Dr. Glover values in terms of the safety of our students, faculty, staff and TSU constituents,” Johnson said. “You are now seeing the results of those investments. TSU is a safer campus by any standard.”

TSU Police Chief Greg Robinson, who recently received a prestigious international campus safety award, said the TSU high safety ranking is the result of being proactive and building strong relationships that allow individuals to come forward with information that is beneficial to crime prevention.

A staff member engages in a simulated attack with an aggressor during a RAD or Rape Aggressive Defense basic self-defense class in the TSU Police Department. (Submitted Photo)

 “We plan on doing different things with our shift supervisors and building liaison roles with each residence hall, as well as adding more educational classes on prevention with students and the community at large,” Robinson said. “We will continue to depend on the stewards of our community to help us keep up the positive momentum.”

 In Tennessee, TSU is also rated “extremely high” among schools that have students living on campus, Robinson said. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, comparing figures from 2017 to 2018, reports that across Tennessee overall, crime report is down 15 percent. Robbery offenses are down 50 percent. Sex offenses are down 17 percent. Rape offenses are down 10 percent.

 During that time, Robinson said, TSU saw major improvement.

 “We will enhance and expand our current efforts that will allow us to sustain and even surpass the decline,” said Robinson, who received the 2019 International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) Award for Administrative Excellence, during a June ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“We have had record numbers in decline, and we want to keep this downward trend. We also want to keep the crime indicator numbers low but keep TSUPD visibility high so that our students, faculty, staff, and even our visitors know that we want to serve them in the greatest capacity.”

 In collaboration with campus police, TSU has also initiated a number of other programs in campus safety and crime prevention that have yielded measurable results. The university now has the only co-ed R.A.D., or Rape Aggressive Defense program. RAD, a self-defense program opened to students, faculty and staff, emphasizes awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance. The 12-hour class is taught over the course of three days in four-hour sessions.

 “You can’t always depend on law enforcement to be the first line of defense when it comes to your personal safety,” said Aerin Washington, TSU’s crime prevention officer. “Having a program like this really empowers our community members, as well as our students, faculty and staff to take their personal safety in their own hands. We want to make sure they’re able to defend themselves in any given situation.”

 In 2016, TSU and the Nashville Metro Police Department formed what’s believed to be the nation’s first Collegiate Citizens Police Academy. Students in the five-week training program are exposed to various aspects of police work, including domestic violence investigation, and making split-second decisions.  

Graduates of the program make up what’s called Tiger Patrol and work in shifts to guide fellow students on campus, or alert the police if a situation warrants it. More than 50 students have participated in the program since its inception about three years ago.

“Tiger Patrol is a very innovative way of allowing students to take part in the safety of the campus,” said Frank Stevenson, associate vice president and dean of students, who is the brainchild of the Collegiate Citizens Police Academy. “Tiger Patrol has been a tremendous success. It allows peer-to-peer interaction, and allows us to hear students’ concerns, and provide information on things around campus that should be brought to the attention of the police department.”

According to Stevenson, many of the graduates of the Tiger Patrol and Citizens Police Academy program have gone on to professional careers in different forms of law enforcement.


For more information on the TSU Police Department or student programs go to http://www.tnstate.edu/police/

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority establishes endowment at Tennessee State University and honors school’s President Glenda Glover

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is the latest HBCU recipient of financial support from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. On Wednesday, the service organization continued its commitment of creating a $100,000 endowment at each of the nation’s four-year historically black colleges and universities with a donation to TSU President Glenda Glover.

President Glenda Glover admires a commemorative bench dedicated in her honor by the AKA Sorority, Inc. (Submitted Photo)

An initial gift of $25,000 was presented to Glover during a bench dedication in her honor by the sorority. She was joined by Horace Chace, vice president of Business and Finance; Terry Clayton, member of the TSU Foundation Board; and Iris Ramey, associate vice president for Corporate Partnership and Strategic Initiatives.

“One meaningful part of the AKA Leadership Seminar in Nashville is the $100,000 commitment for an endowment from Alpha Kappa Alpha to Tennessee State University,” Glover said. “It begins with this initial donation of $25,000 to assist with student scholarships. I’m extremely appreciative to the sorority for this gift.”

 The gift coincides with AKA’s HBCU Endowment initiative, which looks to award $10 million to these institutions by 2022. 

“We are trying to assist students and help retain them to continue with their education,” Chase said. “This funding from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is definitely going to be a big plus in helping to accomplish that goal.”

The Commemorative Bench was unveiled and dedicated on the TSU main campus on June 29. The honor recognizes President Glover’s exemplary leadership and service. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

The Executive Director of the TSU Foundation, Betsy Jackson-Mosley, added, “The TSU Foundation is very grateful for the support received from the AKA Foundation for student scholarships. Scholarships are very important to attract the best and brightest and to help students stay in school.”

The financial support and bench dedication were two of several service projects taking place during the AKA’s 2019 Leadership Seminar – June 27-30 – being held at Opryland Hotel.

In a litany at the dedication, led by Dr. Norma S. White, 25th international president of AKA, the group acknowledged the significant contributions of Dr. Glover in leadership, education, community service and philanthropy.

“As we dedicate this commemorative bench in honor of the 30th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Dr. Glenda Glover, we take pride in her leadership and the many contributions that she has made to the sorority, Tennessee State University and other noteworthy organizations,” the group said. “May this bench be a permanent reminder of the significant accomplishments of Dr. Glover.”

Glover, a native of Memphis and the eighth and first female president of TSU, became the 30th international president of AKA in July 2018.  Immediately upon taking the helm, she sent a clear message that education would remain a priority for the organization, especially supporting the nation’s HBCUs. She launched HBCU for Life: A Call to Action and signature program College Admissions Process, also known as #CAP, to promote and market HBCUs.

Saying that she leads by example, Glover donated $50,000 to the sorority’s Educational Advancement Foundation to further emphasize her commitment. She made that same commitment to TSU when she became president of her alma mater in 2013. 

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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TSU remembers famed alum and most iconic female track and field star, Wilma Rudolph

Kelli Sharpe contributing writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University joined the world in remembering alumna Wilma Glodean Rudolph, the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympiad. She also galvanized the country and made the world take notice as the first African American female to accomplish this feat. 

 Rudolph would have been 79 on Sunday, June 23. But even in death, her legacy lives on. 

“We are so very blessed to have had the great Olympic Champion and former Tigerbelle Wilma Rudolph attend and graduate from Tennessee State University,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “Ms. Rudolph’s determination and accomplishments, on and off the track field, continue to inspire young people today. She will always be remembered as a global icon and a trailblazer in her sport as a record-setting gold medalist, and TSU is proud to be a part of Wilma’s amazing history as we celebrate her.” 

Wilma Rudolph (2nd from left top), TSU track and field coach Ed Temple (3rd from left), and Ralph Boston (5th from left), with Tigerbelle members. (TSU archives)

 As a child, Rudolph battled double pneumonia, scarlet fever and polio. Problems with her leg forced her to wear a leg brace. But she overcame her illnesses, and eventually, her disability through intense physical therapy, and her mother’s support. 

 “My doctors told me I would never walk again,” Rudolph said in an interview. “My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.”

 She did way more than walk. In 1958, Rudolph enrolled at then Tennessee A&I and joined the famed Tigerbelles, under legendary track and field coach Ed Temple. 

As a sophomore, Rudolph competed in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials at Abilene Christian University, in Texas, where she set a world record in the 200-meter dash. With that performance, she also qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, and soon made history. 

Rudolph competed in three events on a cinder track in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico: the 100- and 200-meter sprints, as well as the 4 × 100-meter relay. She won a gold medal in each of the three events, and immediately rose to international fame. 

TSU alumnus Ralph Boston, who won a gold medal in the long jump competition at the 1960 Olympics as well, said he and Rudolph won their medals less than 15 minutes apart. Boston said he still marvels at her perseverance.

“Here’s a person who couldn’t walk, and then becomes at the time the greatest sprinter that ever lived,” Boston said. 

 He said Rudolph had many admirers, including boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who was very fond of her. Boston said they met Ali while in Rome, and he stayed in contact with them afterward, even making several stops at TSU to see them on his way to training camp in Miami. Boston fondly recalls the champ mainly wanted to see Rudolph. 

TSU Olympians Ralph Boston and Wilma Rudolph hang out with up and coming boxing legend Muhammad Ali during one of his visits to Tennessee State University. (TSU archives)

 “He had brashness, but he was always very cordial,” Boston said of Ali.

Former Tigerbelle Edith McGuire Duvall said she first met Rudolph right before she went to the Olympics in 1960. She said the accomplishment of Rudolph, and the other track and field TSU Tigers, was inspirational. 

 “To have met them that summer, and then they went to the Olympics and won gold medals, it made me want to be a part of that,” said Duvall, who went on to win a gold and two silver medals at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. “It motivated me.”

 Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice, a former Tigerbelle who currently serves as director of track and field at TSU, said she first met Rudolph when she was a high school senior, and that the two formed a bond that lasted until Rudolph’s death. 

 “She was just a down-to-earth person,” recalled Cheeseborough-Guice. “She brought me in like one of her own children. She was a mother figure to me.”

Rudolph’s feats were seen as a true American story and was made into a television movie in 1977 starring Shirley Jo Finney as Wilma, an up and coming actor by the name of Denzel Washington as her love interest, and Cicely Tyson as her mother, Blanche Rudolph.

The Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee, native was also seen as an important figure in African American history. In 2016, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opened and featured Rudolph in its sports section, including a pair of her Olympic cleats and photographs. 

TSU also has a display of the track and field sports legend housed at the Brown-Daniel Library. The campus display is a main attraction during the summer months leading up to the Olympic Games. 

To learn more about TSU’s track and field program, visit http://www.tsutigers.com/wtrack/.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Alumni, Athletics, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, FACULTY, Featured, RANKINGS, RESEARCH, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, Uncategorized

TSU Receives 11 Nominations For 2019 HBCU Digest Awards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is a finalist in 11 categories of the 2019 Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ Digest Awards.

The winners will be announced at the ninth annual HBCU Awards ceremony to be held on August 2 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in downtown Baltimore. 

TSU is a finalist for University of the Year, and TSU President Glenda Glover is in the running for Female President of the Year.

Other TSU nominations are:

Best Marching Band: Aristocrat of Bands

Best HBCU Choir: New Direction Choir

Best Fine Arts Program: Department of Music

Best Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics (STEM) Program: College of Engineering

Best Business Program: Executive MBA Program

Alumna of the Year: Traci Otey Blunt

Female Coach of the Year: Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice

Male Athlete of the Year: Christion Abercrombie

Male Student of the Year: Jailen Leavell

The HBCU Awards is the first and only national awards ceremony honoring individual and institutional achievement at historically black colleges and universities throughout the country. Winners are selected by a panel of previous winners, journalist, HBCU executives, students and alumni for the merit of accomplishment and for generating positive coverage for HBCU campus communities.

Last year, Tennessee State University received awards for “Best Student Organization” and “Alumnus of the Year.”

The year before that, TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands and the university’s College of Engineering received top honors in the HBCU Digest Awards.

In 2015, TSU’s women’s basketball team got Female Team of the Year, and student activities received Best Student Organization.

To see all the 2019 HBCU Awards finalists, visit: https://bit.ly/31JbrRF

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Alumni, Athletics, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, Featured, GRANTS, NEWS, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Homelessness to higher Ed: Memphis teen who graduated valedictorian and received more than $3M in scholarship offers, finds a home at TSU

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover traveled to her hometown of Memphis last week, she had one goal in mind:  Bring back Tupac Moseley.

Moseley had recently graduated valedictorian of his class at Raleigh-Egypt High School, and received $3 million in scholarships, all while homeless his senior year. This hands-on treatment didn’t go unnoticed by the shy teen. 

President Glenda Glover presents Tupac Moseley with his full-ride scholarship letter. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

“For the president herself to drive down to one of the schools to actually assist a student personally, one-on-one, to take him or her up there for a visit, it’s just mind blowing to me,” said Moseley, who will major in engineering.

Dr. Glover personally led a team of senior university officials to Memphis and presented Moseley with a full-ride scholarship, including housing and a meal plan. 

 “Tupac is not homeless anymore,” Glover said to the throng of media representatives and a cheering crowd assembled in the school cafeteria during a celebration for the teen. “He now has his own room with a meal plan with all the necessary amenities to help him continue his success as an academically talented student. That’s what we do. We are an HBCU, we care about our students. It is in our DNA that we can see a student with this much potential and talent and see what we can do to assist him even before he starts his academic journey.”

President Glover and Tupac Moseley answer reporters’ question at a press conference in Memphis. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

Moseley’s remarkable story of perseverance and success amidst homelessness and poverty has made national headlines. The 18-year-old became homeless in his senior year after his father died and the family could not afford the mounting bills. They moved to a campsite for the disadvantaged. In the midst of the hardship, the Memphis native found a way to stay focused in school, and “staying on top of everything that came his way in class work,” his high school principal said. He graduated with a 4.3 grade point average.

“Tupac is an amazing individual with excellent math knowledge,” said principal Shari Meeks.   “He has taken the highest-level math here that we offer. He has attained college credits. He took a statewide dual credit challenge test in pre-calculus and passed it. He could have gone to any school in the nation. I think TSU will have an asset in Tupac. He is awesome and revered by his classmates – he helps them, he tutors them.”

Tupac Moseley blows the candles on his pre-birthday cake at a send-off reception Raleigh-Egypt High School hosted for the incoming TSU freshman. His birthday was May 23. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

 At a sendoff reception for Moseley in the principal’s conference room, the standing room only audience included state and county Who’s Who, such as State Rep. Antonio Parkinson (District 98), who was instrumental in the TSU/Moseley talks; and Dr. Joris M. Ray, superintendent of Shelby County Schools.

Parkinson described Moseley as the “best and brightest talent that has ever been produced in Shelby County.”

“This is just the culmination of a lot of things that’s been going on,” Parkinson said about the reception. “Losing his father, homelessness, that was just too much for anyone. What we have done is just pull resources together to make sure that we provide the stability for him and Tennessee State University was part of the strategy to create that stability for one of our best and brightest talents.”

Superintendent Ray was thankful for the support system at the school – principal, teachers, counselors.

“This young man is a testament of being very resilient and strong,” Ray said. “I am so proud of his hard work, dedication, and he defied the odds with a great support system here at school that helped him to overcome and achieve in the midst of turmoil. I am so proud of Tupac, what he has done here, what he has done for our city and school district.”

As a way of telling his story and helping others facing hardship, Moseley created his own T-shirt based on his quote, “Your location is not your limitation.” He earned 50 scholarships worth a total of $3 million. He said he is majoring in engineering “because I love the smiles I get after helping people with tech issues.”

Moseley is not coming to TSU alone. Two other fellow graduates, including his best friend, Brandon Fontaine, also received scholarships and will attend TSU with him. President Glover included them in the trip back to campus on Wednesday as well. Fontaine is considering majoring in business management or mechanical engineering. The other student, Natoriya Owens, who wants to pursue a career in entrepreneurship, will major in theater arts with a minor in business.

President Glover added that this is what makes HBCUs so special for African Americans, and particularly first-generation college students and communities of color.

“This is the type of hands-on, special attention TSU provides our students, and especially those with unusual circumstances. It also speaks to the holistic approach and nurturing that HBCUs provide to students. Tupac is a prime example of the role TSU and other HBCUs play in addressing the total needs of our students.” 

Tennessee State University is currently accepting students for the fall and have scholarships available for qualified students who want to major in STEM. 

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Alumni, Athletics, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, College of Public Service, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, Featured, GRANTS, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Tennessee State University Commencement Speaker Michael Eric Dyson Tells Graduates to Continue to Learn and Appreciate the Difference in People and Culture

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – “Receiving your degrees does not mean classes are over,” the keynote speaker at Tennessee State University’s spring commencement told more than 700 undergraduate students who received degrees in various disciplines Saturday.

President Glenda Glover and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson enter the Howard C. Gentry Complex for the 2019 Spring Undergraduate Commencement. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, bestselling author and professor of sociology at Georgetown University, said to impact the world graduates must be literate, interconnected and transformative.

“You must be ‘LIT,’” he said, attributing the acronym to the young generation’s reference to something fun, good or exciting. “You might think classes are over so you don’t have to read. But you have to be literate in the world we live in because it is important. When you go into the world as proud Tennessee State University graduates they know you come from a great place. You got to be morally and psychologically literate.”

Before Dyson gave his speech in the Howard C. Gentry Complex, TSU President Glenda Glover congratulated the graduates, parents, relatives and friends for their support.

“I applaud you for having reached this milestone,” said Glover. “Today is only a stepping stone. We thank you. We salute you.”

Dyson, also known as a preacher and radio host, has authored or edited more than 20 books dealing with subjects such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marvin Gaye and Hurricane Katrina. He has received several awards for his literary work, including three NAACP Image Awards and the Southern Book Prize.

Graduates prepare to receive their degrees at the Spring Undergraduate Commencement. (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)

“You must be interconnected,” he said. “You are going into a world that ain’t reading your same book, not listening to your same culture, and not reared in your home, but you got to make a way to get along with people who don’t look like you or act like you.”

The undergraduate ceremony followed the graduate commencement also in the Gentry Complex Friday evening. Civil rights leader and activist the Rev. Al Sharpton, was the speaker.

Dyson also urged the graduates to be about change and improvement in their communities.

“That means you can’t just leave it the way you found it. You got to make something better where you show up,” he said.

More than 700 students participated in the Spring Undergraduate Commencement in the Howard C. Gentry Complex. (Photo by Charles Cook, TSU Media Relations)

Charles Alexander Hill, who received his bachelor’s degree in business, had not heard much about Dyson, but he thinks the speaker gave him and his fellow graduates “just what we needed to hear.”

“I am very prepared to face the world,” Hill said. “TSU has given me all the tools I need to succeed in my life, and the speaker was very dynamic with his words of encouragement and wisdom.”

Following his speech, Dyson was presented an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his body of work.