Chairman of the Faculty (interim university president) Papers
This collection contains materials dating from 1883 to 1887, during which time the University was without a President and the Chairman of the Faculty assumed the presidential responsibilities. The three faculty who held this title were Rodes Massie (1883-1885), Eben Alexander (1885-1886), and Samuel B. Crawford (1886-1887).
This collection consists primarily of correspondence between the Chairman of the Faculty and prominent state and national leaders and materials relating to state scholarships and student body appointments. Particularly interesting are letters dealing with the appointment of African-American cadets. Most of the material dates from Eben Alexander's term in office.
Notable correspondents in this collection include: William Brimage Bate, Governor of Tennessee; Thomas Humes, Trustee and former University president; Oliver Perry Temple, Judge and Trustee; Robert Craighead, Secretary of the Board of Trustees; John L. Moses, President of the Board of Trustees; J. C. Whitney, Secretary of the Navy; J. S. McCulloch, President of Knoxville College; Edward T. Sanford, Trustee and future Supreme Court Justice; Congressman John G. Ballantine; Congressman A. H. Pettibone; Congressman John Randolph Neal; James D. Porter, former Governor and Assistant Secretary of State; Worthington Curran Whitthorne; and Howell E. Jackson, Senator and future Supreme Court Justice.
Interested researchers may also wish to consult AR.0001: Presidents' Papers, 1867-1954, AR.0144: Presidents Thomas Humes and Charles Dabney Papers, AR.0091: Board of Trustees Records, 1808-1982, and AR.0364: Treasurer's Account Books, 1858-1934.
Dates
- 1884-1886
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
1 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection contains materials dating from 1883 to 1887, during which time the University was without a President and the Chairman of the Faculty assumed the presidential responsibilities. The three faculty who held this title were Rodes Massie (1883-1885), Eben Alexander (1885-1886), and Samuel B. Crawford (1886-1887).
Biographical/Historical Note
Rodes Massie was born in Virginia in about 1837. He was a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and of the University of Virginia. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from Washington and Lee University in 1881. Massie taught at Washington and Lee University and at Richmond College before coming to the University of Tennessee, where he served as a Professor of English and Modern Languages (1882-1887) and as the Chairman of the Faculty (1883-1885). He wrote a number of books on language and educational theory.
Eben Alexander was born in 1853. He was educated at Yale University and graduated in the early 1870s. After graduation, he became a professor of Ancient and Classical Languages at the University of Tennessee and served as the Chairman of the Faculty (1885-1886). He later moved to the University of North Carolina, where he taught Greek and earned a reputation as one of the best Greek scholars in the United States. In 1893 he was appointed U. S. Minister to Greece, Romania, and Serbia. He held this post until 1897, at which time he became Dean of the Faculty at the University of North Carolina. Alexander died suddenly in March of 1910 while visiting his son in Knoxville.
Samuel B. Crawford was professor in the University of Tennessee's Preparatory and Military Departments (1873-1888). He also served as the commandant of cadets, drawing on the experience he had gained as a Colonel in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and as Chairman of the Faculty (1886-1887).
Arrangement
Collection consists of one box divided into two series:
Missing Title
- Series I: Correspondence, 1884-1886
- Series II: Scholarships
Acquisition Note
This collection consists of materials taken from the office of the Chairman of the Faculty, 1884-1886. The three faculty who held this title were Rodes Massie, Eben Alexander, and Samuel B. Crawford.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository