October 7, 2003
Historical Marker Honors Belmont University Heritage
October 7. 2003 – The Tennessee Historical Commission has placed a historical marker on the campus of Belmont University honoring the establishment 90 years ago of Ward-Belmont College, a women's junior preparatory school and music conservatory and the first junior college in the South to receive accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The historical marker was installed on a grassy, tree-lined area near the front of Belmont Mansion, the historic former home of Adelicia Acklen on whose 19th Century Belle Monte estate Belmont University now sits. It was unveiled Saturday (Oct. 4) during a reunion of Ward-Belmont alumni. Approximately 90 alumni of Ward-Belmont College attended the Ward-Belmont Alumnae Luncheon at the Belmont Mansion.
Ward-Belmont's alumni include such notables as Sarah Cannon, better known as "Minnie Pearl," along with Clare Booth Luce, founder of Vogue magazine, and Lila Acheson Wallace, who along with her husband, founded Readers Digest magazine.
The Marker's Inscription
Ward-Belmont College
1913-1951
In 1913, Belmont College (est. 1890) and Ward's Seminary (est. 1865) merged to form Ward-Belmont College, a women's junior preparatory school and music conservatory on Adelicia Acklen's Belle Monte estate. It was the first junior college in the South to receive accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It graduated some of America's most prominent women, including Sarah Cannon, better known as "Minnie Pearl," Clare Booth Luce, founder of Vogue Magazine, and Lila Acheson Wallace, who along with her husband, founded Readers Digest. With this rich heritage, Belmont University continues in the educational lineage of Ward-Belmont College.
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Greg Pillon: 615.460.6645
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Belmont University, host of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate, is a fast-growing community of nearly 4,800 students who come from almost every state and more than 25 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. Our purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world’s needs. With more than 75 areas of study, 12 master’s programs and three doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon.
For more information visit www.belmont.edu
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