Belmont University is a
privatePrivate universities are not operated by governments though they may or may not receive funding . Depending on the region, private universities may be subject to government regulation...
,
coeducationMixed-sex education , is the integrated education of males and females in the same institution. The opposite situation is described as single-sex education...
al, liberal arts university located in
NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state...
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the largest
ChristianChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby
Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the South...
.
Belmont Mansion
Belmont MansionBelmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, and originally known as Belle Mont or Belmont, is a historic mansion located in Nashville, Tennessee on the campus of Belmont University that today functions as a museum.-History:...
was the home of Adelicia Hayes Acklen, a wealthy Nashville socialite and businesswoman. It was one of the most elaborate antebellum homes in the South, with 36 rooms and . The estate contained an art gallery, conservatories, lavish gardens,
aviaryAn aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
, lake and zoo.[10][11] The mansion became the home to Ward-Belmont College, a former women's college. Today it is owned by Belmont University. The mansion is open for tours and features
VictorianVictorian may mean:* 19th-century matters:**Victorian era**Victorian architecture**Victorian decorative arts**Victorian fashion**Victorian morality**Victorianism in esthetics and manners**Victorian literature**Victorian America...
art and furnishings. The gardens are part of the college campus.
Nashville's first radio station
The first radio station in Nashville went on air in May 1922 when John "Jack" DeWitt, Jr., a 16-year-old high school student, installed a twenty-watt transmitter at Belmont. The station, WDAA, was born when Doctor C. E. Crosland, Associate President, realized the potential advertising value to the college of a radio station. The WDAA program on April 18, 1922 marked the first time a music program was broadcast in Nashville. The broadcast could be heard 150 to from the school. DeWitt later became
WSM (AM)WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night. It now bears the distinction of being the only clear channel station in the eastern...
radio station's chief engineer, 1932-1942, and president, 1947-1968.
Rankings and recognition
Belmont was cited as "School to Watch" in 2009 for its innovative programs.
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek, it was for many years a leading news weekly, although it focused more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
ranked it number 7 of masters-degree universities in the South. For the applicant class of 2008-09, Belmont admitted 63% of its applicants (only 35% of business students admitted as freshman), and half of those students matriculated. The average ACT score for the admitted class is 26. One-third of new freshmen at Belmont were in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, including 30 valedictorians and 12 salutatorians, and they held an average cumulative high school GPA of 3.5. Approximately 2/3 of entering freshmen graduate from Belmont. Approximately 1/3 of entering freshmen transfer out of Belmont.
Academic programs
Belmont University offers 7 bachelor’s degrees in over 75 academic majors in 6 colleges and 1 school along with 20 master’s and 3 doctoral programs. Belmont and
HCAThe Hospital Corporation of America is the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States and is widely considered to be the single largest factor in making that city a hotspot for healthcare enterprise.-History:The founders of...
created a health sciences consortium with local universities to alleviate the shortage of nurses and health care professionals in the local community. The entrepreneurship program was named the 2008 National Model Entrepreneurship Program, and provides students with shared office space and mentoring from faculty, local entrepreneurs and attorneys. New Century Journalism students have gained work experience at The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Daily Show, CBS Evening News, and British Broadcasting Corp.
Music and music business programs
Belmont is home to the only AACSB International accredited Music Business program in the world.
Belmont's
Mike CurbMichael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, race car owner , and Republican Party politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 during the second administration of Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
College of Entertainment & Music Business (CEMB) consists of current/former authors, performers, expert witnesses (for industry lawsuits), artist managers, lawyers,
record labelIn the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
executives, songwriters, and others. The former dean of the CEMB, Jim Van Hook, is a legendary Nashville label head, especially as part of the
Christian music industryThe Christian music industry is a small part of the larger music industry, that focuses on traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, Contemporary Christian music, and alternative Christian music. It is sometimes called the gospel music industry, although this designation is not a limitation...
. He is currently CEO of Word Entertainment. One of the hallmarks of the program is its internship program, which sends hundreds of students annually out into the Nashville music industry to intern for record labels, management companies, publishing companies, booking agencies, publicists, recording studios, law firms, and other businesses.
Besides having three professional-quality recording studios on campus, Belmont owns the Belmont Studios (including Ocean Way Nashville), part of which is operated for-profit (used by such artists as
Dave MatthewsDavid John Matthews is a South African-American Grammy Award-winning musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band.-Early life:...
,
Sheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Her music blends rock, country and pop into one mainstream sound, and she has won nine Grammy Awards...
, and
Bob SegerRobert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the "System" from his recordings, and continued to strive for...
), and part of which is used by students. Belmont also operates historic
RCA Studio BRCA Studio B is a noted recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Situated at 30 Music Square W and originally known simply as RCA Studios, it became famous in the 1960s for being a part of what many refer to as the Nashville Sound...
(formerly used by
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
,
Roy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter and musician, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly / country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records...
, and
Dolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best-known for her work in country music....
), in conjunction with the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Curb Family Foundation. In addition, the music business program operates Belmont West and Belmont East, which enable students to spend a semester learning about and interning in the entertainment industries in
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
and
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, respectively.
Schools and colleges
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Visual and Performing Arts
- College of Business Administration
- Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing
- The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business
- University College
- Graduate School
- Massey Graduate School of Business Administration
- School of Religion
Main Campus (Nashville)
In June 2006, Belmont opened the new $18 million Gordon E. Inman Center that now houses the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing.[10] A state-of-the-art facility, which was financed primarily by Nashville businessman Gordon E. Inman and the HCA TriStar Health System, the building has three stories of classroom space that contain learning labs equipped with Sim Man mannequins that respond to the actions of the nursing students. Additionally, there are classrooms centered on both adult and pediatric occupational therapy, maternity and neonatal care complete with Sim Man babies and a birthing Sim Woman, orthopedics lab, and many classrooms of various sizes.
Belmont also houses the Curb Event Center, a 5000-seat multi-purpose arena, which is used for basketball games, concerts, and other events like the 2006, 2007 and 2008 CMT Awards, and the 2008 Presidential Debate.[11] The facility is connected to the Beaman Student Life Center and Maddox Grand Atrium—collectively, a $52 million development.
Student Life
Belmont has over 80 student organizations. These include Student Government, Program Board, Greek Life, and The Psychology Club as well as other special interest organizations.
Belmont's Greek community consists of four sororities and four fraternities. The sororities are
Alpha Gamma DeltaAlpha Gamma Delta is an international women's fraternity founded in 1904 at Syracuse University. The Fraternity promotes academic excellence, philanthropic giving, ongoing leadership and personal development, and a spirit of loving sisterhood. Also known as "Alpha Gam" and "AGD", Alpha Gamma...
,
Alpha Sigma TauAlpha Sigma Tau is a national Panhellenic sorority founded on November 4, 1899, at Michigan State Normal College...
, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and
Phi MuPhi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and announced publicly on March 4 of the same year...
. The fraternities include
Alpha Tau OmegaATΩ is an American Leadership fraternity that annually ranks among the top ten national fraternities for number of chapters, and total number of members. ATO has more than 250 active and inactive chapters with more than 200,000 members and more than 6,500 active undergraduate members...
, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.,
Phi Kappa TauPhi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
, and
Phi Delta ThetaPhi Delta Theta is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 160 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces and...
. 80% of Belmont's student leadership comes from these Greek organizations. Approximately 10% of the student body is Greek. Belmont
PanhellenicThe National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
is the second largest student organization on campus with over 250 members.
Belmont is also home to two Greek-lettered music honor societies. They are
Sigma Alpha IotaSigma Alpha Iota , International Music Fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest ideals of a music education" and "to further the development of music in America", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public. Sigma Alpha Iota is a fraternity for...
and
Phi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men who wish to devote themselves to the advancement of music in America and who wish to associate with others who share that interest...
.
Belmont operates four private television stations called BTV (local Comcast stations for its residents), as well as one student newspaper called The Vision.
Students may also become involved through special interest organizations including, but not limited to Bolting Belmont Bruins running club, Service Corps, and The M.O.B. (Motivational Organization of Belmont) which supports athletics. Students are encouraged to get involved. If a club does not exist for a student's interests, they are encouraged to start one.
The largest student organization on campus is Service Corps, which focuses on volunteer work inside the Music Industry and is open only to students enrolled in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
Notable alumni
- Ricky Braddy, American Idol
American Idol is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television...
finalist
- Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is a Contemporary Christian musician.After starting his career in the late 80s as a songwriter, Chapman has turned into one of the most prolific singers in the genre, releasing more than 20 albums to this date...
, Grammy award winning Christian artist
- Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus is a Grammy Award-nominated American country music singer, songwriter and actor, best known for his #1 single "Achy Breaky Heart." Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart...
, Country star and father of Miley CyrusMiley Ray Cyrus is an American pop-rock singer and television and film actress. Cyrus is best known for starring as the title character in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Following the success of Hannah Montana, in October 2006, a soundtrack CD was released in which she sang eight songs...
- Cowboy Crush
Cowboy Crush is an American country music band signed to Curb Records' Asylum/Curb division. The group is composed of Trenna Barnes , Debbie Johnson , Becky Priest , and Renaé Truex . Until 2006, Darla Perlozzi was also a member of the group...
, country music band; all five members are alumni.
- Denver and the Mile High Orchestra
Denver and the Mile High Orchestra is a horn-driven band based out of Nashville, Tennessee. DMHO was formed by a group of friends at Belmont University in 1999. They have traveled across the world, playing at churches, conferences, and festivals...
, "big band" featured as a finalist on The Next Great American BandThe Next Great American Band was a reality television talent show. The show premiered on October 19, 2007 and aired on FOX at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times Friday nights...
.
- Melinda Doolittle
Melinda Marie Doolittle is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol...
, American IdolAmerican Idol is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television...
finalist.
- Stu Grimson
A. Stuart Grimson is a former Canadian ice hockey forward. Grimson played in the National Hockey League from 1989 to 2002. During this time, he played for the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings,...
, former NHL enforcer.
- Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George
Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George , is a singer, actress, and author. Best known as one-third of the singing group SWV, she was a contestant on Survivor: Tocantins.-Background:...
, member of R&B group SWVSisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American Grammy Award-nominated female R&B/pop trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You". The group disbanded in 1999 to pursue solo projects, and...
, author, and Survivor: Tocantins contestant.
- Kimberley Locke
Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American adult contemporary pop/R&B singer and plus-size fashion model...
, American Idol finalist, music star, and plus-size model.
- Gordon Kennedy
Gordon Kennedy is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer.He has collaborated with many artists including Eric Clapton, Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt, Jewel, Kenny Loggins and others. The Grammy-winning song "Change the World", was co-written by Kennedy, Tommy Sims and Wayne...
, Co-writer of Eric Clapton song "Change the World" and Grammy winner (1996 Song of the Year, 2006 Best Pop Instrumental Album)
- Levi Kreis
Levi Kreis is an American vocalist and pianist. He appeared in an episode of The Apprentice, where one team had to work with him to create and record a song to be played on XM Radio. Songs from his first album, One of the Ones , have been used in TV episodes of Days of our Lives and The Young and...
, music artist
- Sandra McCracken
Sandra McCracken is an independent singer-songwriter. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and fellow singer-songwriter Derek Webb.- Background :...
, 1999, singer-songwriter.
- Ginny Owens
Ginny Owens is a Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter. She was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and has been blind since the age of two. When she graduated from Belmont University with a degree in Music Education, she found that most people were skeptical about hiring a blind music teacher...
, Christian music artist.
- Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is a Grammy Award-winning American country music singer-songwriter and virtuoso country guitarist...
, country music artist.
- Ricardo Patton
Ricardo Maurice Patton is the head men's basketball coach at Northern Illinois University. Prior to this, he was the head coach at the University of Colorado. He was hired as head coach for the Buffaloes on March 5, 1996, just days before the Big Eight Conference Tournament. Patton guided the...
, head basketball coach at Northern Illinois UniversityNorthern Illinois University is a public university located in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as a satellite campus for what is now Illinois State University. The DeKalb campus was originally called Northern Illinois State...
- Minnie Pearl
Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon , known professionally as Minnie Pearl, was a country comedienne who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and on the television show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1991.-Early life:Sarah Colley was born in Centerville, in Hickman County, Tennessee, about...
(real name Sarah Cannon) of Grand Ole Opry and Hee HawHee Haw was a television variety show, initially co-hosted by musicians Buck Owens and Roy Clark and featuring country music and humor with fictional, rural "Kornfield Kounty" as a backdrop. It was taped at WLAC-TV and Opryland USA in Nashville...
fame; attended Belmont's predecessor, the Ward-Belmont SchoolWard-Belmont College was a women's college, also known at the time as a "ladies' seminary," located in Nashville, Tennessee on the grounds of the antebellum estate of Adelicia Acklen....
.
- Jill Phillips
Jill Phillips is an American singer-songwriter based out of Nashville, Tennessee, who brings a folk-rock sound.Phillips got her start in a music career when she graduated from Belmont University in 1998. Her first, self-named album was produced by grammy-award winning Wayne Kirkpatrick who has...
, Christian music artist.
- DJ Qualls, actor.
- Julie Roberts
Julie Roberts is an American country music singer. Signed to Mercury Nashville in 2004, Roberts made her debut that year with the single "Break Down Here", a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts and the first track from her self-titled debut album...
, country music artist.
- Rachel Smith
Rachel Renee Smith is an American beauty queen and television personality from Clarksville, Tennessee, who won the Miss USA pageant in 2007 and who previously had competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant.-Biography:...
, Miss Tennessee Teen USAThe Miss Tennessee Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Tennessee in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Tennessee is among the most successful states at Miss Teen USA in terms of number and value of placements . In the 1990s, they were placed first...
2002, Miss Tennessee USAThe Miss Tennessee USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss USA pageant.Since 2001 the pageant has been held in the auditorium at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee....
2007, and Miss USA 2007Miss USA 2007, the 56th Miss USA pageant, was held in Hollywood, California, on March 23, 2007, after two weeks of events and preliminary competition. The winner of the pageant was Rachel Smith, of Tennessee....
- Larry Stewart
Larry Stewart is an American country music singer, best known for his role as lead singer of the country pop band Restless Heart...
, country music artist, lead singer of Restless HeartRestless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's original members were John Dittrich , Paul Gregg , Dave Innis , Greg Jennings , and Verlon Thompson...
- Pam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music legend Mel Tillis....
, country music artist
- Josh Turner
Joshua Otis "Josh" Turner is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Josh released his platinum certified debut album Long Black Train that year. This album produced a #13 in its title track...
, country music artist.
- Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best-known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
, country music artist.
- Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Originally discovered by Garth...
, country music artist.
Notable supporters of Belmont include
Mike CurbMichael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, race car owner , and Republican Party politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 during the second administration of Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
(substantial donor/namesake of CEMB and Curb Event Center/founder and head of
Curb RecordsCurb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963. From 1969 to 1973 Curb merged with MGM Records where Curb served as President of MGM and Verve Records...
),
Jack C. MasseyJack Carroll Massey , Venture capitalist and entrepreneur, born 1904 in Tennille, Georgia. In 1964, after a career in the medical supply industry, he bought Kentucky Fried Chicken from its founder, Harland Sanders, for $2 million. Seven years later he sold it for $239 million. His Hospital...
(substantial donor to and namesake of BU's business building and graduate business program, former head of Kentucky Fried Chicken and a founder of
Hospital Corporation of AmericaThe Hospital Corporation of America is the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States and is widely considered to be the single largest factor in making that city a hotspot for healthcare enterprise.-History:The founders of...
), and
Vince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
(country music artist whose annual charity event has raised thousands in scholarship money).
Main campus attractions
- Belmont Mansion (Tennessee)
Belmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, and originally known as Belle Mont or Belmont, is a historic mansion located in Nashville, Tennessee on the campus of Belmont University that today functions as a museum.-History:...
- The Bell Tower -- The first carillon in Tennessee and in the first 25 installed in North America.
- Curb Event Center
The Curb Event Center is a multipurpose arena on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.The facility was completed in 2003. It is the home venue of Belmont's men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams and hosted the 2004 and 2005 Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball...
Off-campus facilities
- Greer Stadium -- Belmont's baseball team utilizes this stadium for its games.
- The Boulevard -- Fine dining and events on Belmont Blvd.
Belmont athletics
Belmont is a member of the
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...
Division IDivision I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States....
and is a member of the
Atlantic Sun ConferenceThe Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference which operates primarily on the east coast of the United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; the conference does not sponsor football...
, a non-
footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
conference.
In the mid-1990s, Belmont adopted the
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
"
BruinBruin is another name for a brown bear , or for any bear, usually poetically or archaically. It has become a popular name for sports teams...
s", replacing the earlier mascot of Rebels due to the latter's association with the
ConfederacyThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
.
The school has an ongoing basketball rivalry with
Lipscomb UniversityLipscomb University is a liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.-History:...
and currently plays them at least twice per year on a home-and-home basis (even more frequently in some years) in games
nicknameA nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, which may sometimes be used simply for convenience A nickname (also spelled "nick name") is a descriptive name...
d the "Battle of the Boulevard". In 2006, likely the most important Battle of the Boulevard game to date was played. With both teams battling for their first-ever
NCAA TournamentThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams. college basketball teams in the United States...
berths, the Belmont Bruins nipped Lipscomb in overtime to win the Atlantic Sun conference championship 74-69. The Belmont Bruins were seeded 15th in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, losing in the first round to the UCLA Bruins.
In 2007, Belmont won the Atlantic Sun Conference championship for the second year in a row, defeating
East Tennessee State UniversityEast Tennessee State University is an accredited American university, founded October 2, 1911 and located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities...
in
Johnson CityJohnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County. The 2008 population for Johnson City was estimated at 61,990 by the United States Census, making it the eighth largest city in the state...
94-67. The Bruins continued to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, losing in the first round to the
GeorgetownGeorgetown University is a Jesuit private university located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Father John Carroll founded the school in 1789, though its roots extend back to 1634. While the school struggled financially in its early years, Georgetown expanded into a branched university after the...
Hoyas.
In 2008 The Bruins advanced for the third straight year to the NCAA Tournament, again earning a 15 seed against the #2 seeded
Duke Blue DevilsDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892...
. Belmont had their best tournament showing ever in this game, falling short by a score of 71-70 to the Blue Devils, nearly pulling off an incredible upset.
In 2009 The Bruins posted their first post season victory by beating Evansville University in the CollegeInsider.com Post Season Tournament (CIT).
Presidential debate
On November 19, 2007, The
Commission on Presidential DebatesThe Commission on Presidential Debates was established in 1987 by the Democratic and Republican parties to establish the way that presidential election debates are run between candidates for President of the United States who garner at least 15% support across five national polls...
officially chose Belmont University to host one of three
Presidential election debateDuring presidential elections in the United States, it has become customary for the main candidates to engage in a debate...
s on October 7, 2008. President Bob Fisher gave a press conference on November 19 announcing the news, expressing great excitement towards the opportunity to be a part of something so historical. He added: "It is an amazing honor, a tremendous responsibility and a fantastic opportunity for all of us. We will be privileged to see the frontlines of the political process and engage with a vast array of professionals and scholars, all while witnessing the significant benefits this event will have on our university and the local Nashville community."
Belmont was chosen out of sixteen finalists.
The Debate at Belmont is different from the others in that it is a "town-hall" style debate. In a Town-Hall debate, questions are fielded from the audience.
Separation from the Tennessee Baptist Convention
Belmont severed its ties from the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 2007, when the university announced it would be a Christian university without any religious affiliations.
In 1951,
Ward-Belmont CollegeWard-Belmont College was a women's college, also known at the time as a "ladies' seminary," located in Nashville, Tennessee on the grounds of the antebellum estate of Adelicia Acklen....
, the finishing school operated in Nashville by Ward-Belmont, Inc., was facing severe financial difficulties. To relieve those problems, the school entered into a relationship with the TBC. Under the terms of that relationship, the Tennessee Baptist Convention provided the school with financial support and in exchange was granted certain management rights related to the school. In particular, all of the members of the school's Board of Trustees were required to hold membership in a Baptist church.
In 2005 Belmont's Board of Trustees sought to remove Belmont University from the control of the Tennessee Baptist Convention while remaining in a "fraternal relationship" with it. Advocates of this plan presented a blueprint for change in which all board members would be Christians but only 60 percent would be Baptists in order to affirm a Christian affinity while acknowledging the diversity of both the faculty and the student body. The head of the TBC would continue to be an
ex officio board member. The TBC rejected this plan.
In November 2005
The TennesseanThe Tennessean is the principal daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky....
reported that the TBC would increase its funding of two other institutions,
Union UniversityUnion University is a four year institution in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, and Hendersonville, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville...
and
Carson-Newman CollegeCarson-Newman College is a historically Baptist liberal arts college located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Enrollment as of 2006-2007 was about 2,050. The college's students come from 44 U.S. states and 30 other countries. Studies are offered in approximately 90 different academic programs...
by the amount previously given to Belmont and Belmont would replace the three percent of its budget that was funded by the TBC; this announcement seemed to mark the end of the matter. However, on April 7, 2006
The Tennessean reported that the TBC would seek to oust the existing board and replace it with one consisting entirely of Southern Baptists and amenable to ongoing TBC control.
After settlement talks failed, the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board filed a lawsuit on September 29, 2006 against Belmont seeking the return of approximately $58,000,000.
On November 14, 2007, Nashville media reported that a settlement of this suit had been reached before trial. Under its terms, the TBC and Belmont would disaffiliate amicably, with Belmont agreeing to pay one million dollars to the convention immediately, and $250,000 annually for the next forty years, for a total cost of $11,000,000. The University has stated its intent to maintain a Christian identity, but no longer a specifically Baptist one.
External links
Affiliated media
Related, independent media
Belmont centers