# East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. It was historically part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee under the Tennessee Board of Regents, but since 2016, the university has been transitioning to governance by its own board of trustees. As of May 2017, it is the fourth largest university in the state and has off-campus centers in nearby Kingsport, Elizabethton, and Sevierville.
ETSU is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It hosts the James H. Quillen College of Medicine which is often ranked as one of the top schools in the United States for rural medicine and primary care education; the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, and the recently formed College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences. Unique programs include an accredited program in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music, America's lone master's degree in Storytelling, and the Appalachian Studies programs, focused on the surrounding Appalachian region.

## History

ETSU was founded as East Tennessee State Normal School in 1911 to educate teachers; the K-12 training school, called University School, operates to this day. East Tennessee State officially became a college in 1925 when it changed its name to East Tennessee State Teachers College, subsequently gaining accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1927. By 1930, the school's name had changed again to East Tennessee State Teacher's College, Johnson City. In 1943, East Tennessee State Teacher's College was expanded into a college with a range of liberal arts offerings, becoming East Tennessee State College. The college became East Tennessee State University in 1963, adopting the name it holds today. In 1973, Shelbridge became the president's official residence.
ETSU announced plans to open a College of Pharmacy in 2005, rapidly receiving local support to secure the approval. Full accreditation was granted in June 2010, shortly after the first class of the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy graduated.
In late 2009, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Board of Regents authorized the formation of a Ph.D. program in Sport Physiology and Performance. This program, the first of its kind in the United States, focuses on sports science and physiology in athletics. It features concentrations in sport physiology and sport performance and started in 2010.

### Presidents

* Sidney G. Gilbreath, 1911–1925
* Charles C. Sherrod, 1925–1949
* Burgin E. Dossett Sr., 1949–1968
* D.P. Culp, 1968–1977
* Arthur H. DeRosier Jr., 1977–1980
* Ronald E. Beller, 1980–1991
* Bert C. Bach (interim), 1991–1992
* Roy S. Nicks, 1992–1996
* Paul E. Stanton Jr., 1997–2012
* Brian Noland, 2012–present

## Academics
### Colleges and schools

* College of Arts and Sciences
* College of Business and Technology
* College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences
* Clemmer College
* James H. Quillen College of Medicine
* College of Nursing
* College of Pharmacy
* College of Public Health
* Honors College
* School of Continuing Studies
* School of Graduate Studies

### Honors College

There is an Honors College at East Tennessee State University.

### Charles C. Sherrod Library

The Charles C. Sherrod Library houses the Archives of Appalachia and University Archives.

## Greek life

There are several Greek organizations at East Tennessee State University. University sources claim that five percent of both men and women on campus are involved in Greek organizations.

## Athletics

ETSU collegiate athletic teams, nicknamed Buccaneers, compete in the NCAA Division I Southern Conference. The Buccaneers rejoined the Southern Conference in July 2014 after competing in the Atlantic Sun since 2003, when they dropped football. In the 2006-07 year, ETSU won both the conference's men and women's All-Sport trophies, winning seven team titles. They repeated as the overall and men's All-Sport champions in 2007–08 with three team titles, in 2008–09 with five team titles, and in 2009–10 with three team titles.
Current men's sports at ETSU are football, baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track and field. Women's sports are basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball. Men's soccer competed at the club level in the fall of 2007, before entering NCAA and Atlantic Sun competition as a scholarship program in the 2008 season.
With of the addition of football, ETSU rejoined the Southern Conference in 2014 because the A-Sun does not support the sport.
The Mini-Dome on the campus of ETSU houses the intercollegiate athletics offices. Still known by students, faculty, and the community as the Mini-Dome, this campus landmark was officially renamed from "Memorial Center" to "ETSU/Mountain States Health Alliance Athletic Center" and now "Ballad Health Athletic Center".
The largest building on the ETSU campus, it hosts several indoor track and field meets, and was once the home field for the university's football program. The Mini-Dome has hosted many non-athletic events that could not be housed in an indoor setting on most American college campuses, such as national indoor championships for free flight model aircraft.

## Notable people
### Alumni

* Donnie Abraham, football player
* Eric Axley, golfer
* Barry Bales, musician
* Timothy Busfield, actor and director
* Dave Campbell, baseball player
* Ronald E. Carrier, president of James Madison University
* Jo Carson, writer
* Keith Cate, newscaster
* Jamey Chadwell, football coach
* Kenny Chesney, entertainer
* Besse Cooper, oldest person in the world
* Patrick J. Cronin, actor
* Neil Cusack, runner
* Rhys Davies, golfer
* David Davis, politician
* David Eger, golfer
* Earl Ferrell, football player
* Ray Flynn, runner
* Thane Gash, football player
* Joseph R. Garber, author
* Eddie Golden, wrestler
* Ed Goodson, baseball player
* J. Ronnie Greer, US federal judge
* Steven M. Greer, ufologist
* Atlee Hammaker, baseball player
* Diana Harshbarger, politician
* Larry Hinson, golfer
* Mike Hulbert, golfer
* Earl Gladstone Hunt Jr., president of Emory and Henry College
* Steven James, novelist
* Keith "Mister" Jennings, basketball player
* Kenneth P. Johnson, newspaper editor
* Ric Keller, US Congressman
* Amythyst Kiah, singer-songwriter artist
* R. Alan King, author
* Landon Knack, baseball player
* Dave Loggins, singer, songwriter
* Herbert Theodore Milburn, US Federal Judge
* Jim Mooney, baseball player
* Eureka O'Hara, contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race
* Barclay Radebaugh, basketball coach
* Ron Ramsey, Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
* Debbie Ricker (born 1965), reproductive biologist and academic administrator
* Mo Sabri, recording artist
* Marcus Satterfield, football player
* Bryan Lewis Saunders, visual and performance artist
* Aaron Schoenfeld, soccer player
* Gerald Sensabaugh, football player
* Niall Shanks, philosopher
* Mike Smith, football coach
* J.C. Snead, golfer
* Adam Steffey, musician
* Harley Swift, basketball player
* Phyllis Tickle, author
* Jack Vest, football player
* Bobby Wadkins, golfer
* Harry L. Williams, businessman
* Garrett Willis, golfer
* Tommy Woods, basketball player