View source for University of Tennessee Southern

{{Short description|Public university in Pulaski, Tennessee, US}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = University of Tennessee Southern
 | image_name             = UT Southern Seal.png
 | established            = 1870
 | former_name            = Martin Female College (1870–1908)<br />Martin College (1908–1986)<br /> Martin Methodist College (1986–2021)
 | motto                  = {{lang|la|Cognito, Opportunitas, Veritas}}
 | mottoeng               = Knowledge, Opportunity, Truth
 | type                   = [[Public university]]
 | parent                 = [[University of Tennessee System]]
 | chancellor             = Melinda S. Arnold
 | city                   = [[Pulaski, Tennessee]]
 | country                = U.S.
 | coordinates            = {{coord|35.2002|-87.0364|type:edu|display=inline,title}}
 | enrollment             = 1,132 (fall 2025) <ref>https://utsouthern.edu/homepage-news/ut-southern-reports-record-fall-2025-enrollment-growth/#:~:text=–%20The%20University%20of%20Tennessee%20Southern,percent%20increase%20over%20last%20year.</ref>
 | faculty                = 57
 | endowment              = $9.28 million
 | campus                 = Rural, {{convert|55|acre|ha|abbr=on}}
 | athletics_affiliations = [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] – [[Southern States Athletic Conference|SSAC]]
 | sports_nickname        = [[UT Southern Firehawks|Firehawks]]
 | mascot                 = Flame the Firehawk
 | colors                 = {{Color box|#54565A|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|#FF8300|border=darkgray}}<br>Gray & Orange
 | website                = {{URL|www.utsouthern.edu}}
}}

The '''University of Tennessee Southern''' ('''UT Southern''' or '''UTS''') is a [[public university]] in [[Pulaski, Tennessee]], United States. Founded in 1870, it was a private institution for over 150 years until joining the [[University of Tennessee system|University of Tennessee System]] in 2021.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2021-06-25 |title=Board of Trustees Votes to Acquire Martin Methodist College |url=https://news.tennessee.edu/2021/06/25/board-of-trustees-votes-to-acquire-martin-methodist-college/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=UT System News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=University Of Tennessee Establishes New Campus: UT Southern |url=https://www.radionwtn.com/2021/06/26/university-of-tennessee-establishes-new-campus-ut-southern/ |access-date=2021-06-28 |website=radio NWTN |language=en-US}}</ref> It was renamed and became the first new primary campus in the University of Tennessee System in over 50 years. The name University of Tennessee Southern was chosen because the campus serves the 13 counties of southern [[Middle Tennessee]].<ref name=":4" />

==History==
UT Southern was originally founded as Martin Methodist College in 1870. The college was named for Thomas Martin, former mayor of Pulaski, who left in his will an endowment of $30,000 to establish a college for the education of the white girls and women of [[Giles County, Tennessee|Giles County]].<ref name="Rose1914">{{Cite book|last=Rose|first=Laura Martin|url=http://archive.org/details/cu31924083530117|title=The Ku Klux Klan or Invisible empire|publisher=L. Graham Co., Ltd.|year=1914|location=New Orleans, La.|pages=21|author-link=Laura Martin Rose}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://martinmethodist.edu/about/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=Martin Methodist College|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Rose|first=Laura Martin|url=https://archive.org/details/MMC17/page/n15/mode/2up|title=The Martin Box|publisher=Phi Kappa, Philosophian and Sigma Rho Literary Societies of Martin College, Pulaski, Tennessee|year=1917|volume=7|pages=17–18|language=English|chapter=Mr Thomas Martin: Founder of Martin College, Pulaski, Tenn.|author-link=Laura Martin Rose}}</ref> It is sometimes suggested that Martin did so in fulfilment of a promise to his daughter Victoria, who died at the age of twenty.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Medina|first=Daniella|title=UT System and Martin Methodist College: History, timeline of events leading up to vote|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2020/12/09/university-of-tennessee-martin-methodist-college-timeline-merger/3863224001/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=Knoxville News Sentinel|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1938, the college became coeducational.<ref name=":0" /> Originally founded as a whites-only institution, in 1966 it became racially integrated.<ref name=":2" /> The college was originally named '''Martin Female College''' until 1908, when its name was changed to '''Martin College'''. Then, in April 1986, it became '''Martin Methodist College''' after becoming a private institution affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]].<ref name=":0" /> In July 2021, the campus was purchased by the [[University of Tennessee system|University of Tennessee System]] and was converted to a public four-year institution.<ref name=":3" />

[[File:Grissom Colonial Hall.JPG|thumb|Grissom Colonial Hall, May 2014]]

==Athletics==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: The University of Tennessee Southern|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?220701-The-University-of-Tennessee-Southern|website=College Scorecard |publisher=[[United States Department of Education]] |access-date=July 27, 2025}}</ref>
|-
! Race and ethnicity
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|77|%|2||background:cyan}}
|-
| [[International student]]
|align=right| {{bartable|8|%|2||background:#008080}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| Unknown
|align=right| {{bartable|3|%|2||background:grey}} 
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:violet}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|41|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|59|%|2||background:black}}
|}
The UT Southern athletic teams are called the Firehawks (previously they were known as the RedHawks before the UT system merger). The university is a member of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[Southern States Athletic Conference]] (SSAC) on its second stint since the 2023–24 academic year. The Firehawks had previously competed as members of the SSAC on its first tenure from 2013–14 to 2019–20, until briefly joining the [[Mid-South Conference]] (MSC) from 2020–21 to 2022–23.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Willis |first=Tee |title=Blazing a path: UT Southern unveils new mascot, branding as it joins UT System |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2021/06/30/martin-methodist-joins-university-tennessee-system-new-mascot/7795348002/ |access-date=2021-06-30 |website=Knoxville News Sentinel |language=en-US}}</ref> They also competed in the (now defunct) [[TranSouth Athletic Conference]] (TSAC) from 1996–97 to 2012–13, and in the [[Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference]] (TCAC) from 1986–87 to 1995–96.

UT Southern competes in 19 intercollegiate varsity teams:<ref>{{Cite web |title=The University of Tennessee Southern - Official Athletics Website |url=https://utsfirehawks.com/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=The University of Tennessee Southern |language=en}}</ref> Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Competitive cheerleading and competitive clay target shooting are offered as a co-ed sports. Former sports included men's and women's bowling.

Athletic teams at UT Southern have won 12<ref>{{Cite web |title=Quick Facts |url=https://utsfirehawks.com/sports/2024/7/26/quick-facts |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=The University of Tennessee Southern |language=en}}</ref> national championships:

*  Men's Soccer – NAIA National Champions ([[NAIA men's soccer championship|2013]])
*  Women's Soccer – Three-time [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] National Champions ([[NAIA women's soccer championship|2005]], [[NAIA women's soccer championship|2007]], [[NAIA women's soccer championship|2021]]).
*  Competitive Cheer – NAIA National Invitational Tournament Champions ([[NAIA competitive cheer championship|2016]])
*  Clay Target Team – [[Trap shooting|SCTP]] Champions (2016-2020) and [[Association of College Unions International|ACUI]] Champions (2021, 2022)

== Notable alumni ==

* [[John Andrews (footballer, born 1978)|John Andrews]] (2008), former professional soccer player from [[Ireland]] and current manager of [[Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur]]
* [[Chike Augustine]] (2019), professional basketball player from [[Trinidad and Tobago]]
* [[Ross Bass]] (1938), member of the [[United States Senate]] from Tennessee
* [[Tenywa Bonseu]] (1998), former professional soccer player from [[Uganda]]
* [[Adam Darragh]] (2002), former professional basketball player from [[Australia]]
* [[James Justice Jr.|James Justice, Jr.]] (2012), former professional basketball player
* [[Jennifer Muñoz (Guatemalan footballer)|Jennifer Muñoz]] (2016), former professional soccer player representing [[Guatemala]]
* [[John Ogiltree]] (2000), former professional baseball player from [[Canada]] and Olympian for [[Team Canada (baseball)|Team Canada]]
* [[Fabiola Sánchez]] (2016), former professional soccer player from [[Costa Rica]]
* [[Hanit Schwartz]] (2012), former professional soccer player from [[Israel]]
* [[Mariah Shade]] (2011), former professional soccer player from [[Trinidad and Tobago]]

==Notes==
{{noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.utsouthern.edu Official website]
* [http://utsfirehawks.com Official athletics website]

{{UTsystem}}
{{Southern States Athletic Conference navbox}}
{{Tennessee public universities}}
{{Women's colleges that became coeducational}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:University of Tennessee Southern| ]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1870]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]
[[Category:Education in Giles County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Giles County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Former women's universities and colleges in the United States|Tennessee Southern]]
[[Category:1870 establishments in Tennessee]]
[[Category:University of Tennessee System campuses|Southern]]