The
University of Memphis is an American
publicA public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities...
research university located in the
Normal StationNormal Station is a neighborhood in East Memphis, Tennessee, anchored by the University of Memphis, formerly Memphis State University, and originally called West Tennessee State Normal School. It is bordered by the University of Memphis to the north, Audubon Park to the east, Park Avenue and the...
neighborhood of Memphis,
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...
and is a flagship public research university of the
Tennessee Board of RegentsThe Tennessee Board of Regents as currently constituted is authorized by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly passed in 1972. It supervises all public institutions of higher education in Tennessee not governed by the University of Tennessee system, including four-year...
system.
The University was founded under the auspices of the General Education Bill, enacted by the
Tennessee General AssemblyThe Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
in 1909.
Known originally as West Tennessee State
Normal SchoolA normal school was a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose was to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
, the institution opened its doors September 10, 1912, with Dr. Seymour A. Mynders as President. A number of minor name changes occurred between 1912 and 1941, with the "West Tennessee State" name remaining at the forefront of each.
In 1941, the name of the University changed, becoming Memphis State College. In 1950, graduate studies were initiated, and in 1954, the school switched from a quarter to a semester system. In 1957, Memphis State College became Memphis State University. In 1959, the university admitted its first black students, and the first doctoral programs began in 1966.
The 1990s were characterized by another name change and another building boom. In 1994, MSU became the University of Memphis, and the Ned R. McWherter Library was completed. Moving into the 21st century, the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management and the
FedEx Institute of TechnologyThe FedEx Institute of Technology is at the University of Memphis. Founded November 19, 2003, under the leadership of James M. Phillips the Institute was designed to bridge the gap between industry and academic research...
have made their mark on the University landscape.
Today, the University of Memphis is one of Tennessee's three comprehensive doctoral-extensive institutions of higher learning. Situated in central Memphis, the University awards more than 3,000 degrees annually.
With an enrollment of approximately 21,000 students, the University of Memphis has 25 Chairs of Excellence and five state-approved Centers of Excellence.
The University maintains the Journalism and Public Relations department, Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI),
Cecil C. Humphreys School of LawThe Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school and is the only law school in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has been associated with the University of Memphis since the law school's formation in 1962. The school was named in honor of former University...
, Loewenberg School of Nursing,
FedEx Institute of TechnologyThe FedEx Institute of Technology is at the University of Memphis. Founded November 19, 2003, under the leadership of James M. Phillips the Institute was designed to bridge the gap between industry and academic research...
and the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology. Its mathematics department has more
Erdos numberThe Erdős number describes the "collaborative distance" between a person and mathematician Paul Erdős, as measured by authorship of mathematical papers....
1 mathematicians than any other research institution in the world.
https://files.oakland.edu/users/grossman/enp/Erdos0p.html http://www.msci.memphis.edu/faculty.html
Institution
A faculty of approximately 900 professors serves about 15,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students.
The Daily Helmsman, the university's independent daily newspaper, in operation since 1925, remains a prominent student organization on campus. In addition, many other student organizations and academic departments, such as the University of Memphis Institute for Egyptian Art and Archaeology, the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Moot Court Board, the University of Memphis Advertising Federation and the University of Memphis chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, play an active and involved role in the community, both nationally and internationally.
The University of Memphis attracts most of its undergraduate students from Memphis and West Tennessee, though many current undergraduate and graduate students have come from public and private schools across the southeastern United States as well as from other nations.
Over its history, the University of Memphis has graduated many famous alumni, including Fred D. Thompson, actor and former United States senator,
Benjamin HooksBenjamin Lawson Hooks , is an American civil rights leader. A Baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1977 to 1992, and throughout his career has been a vocal campaigner for civil rights in the...
,
civil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights and freedoms that protect individuals from unwarranted government action and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression....
leader and former executive director of the NAACP, the historian of the American South
Joe Gray TaylorFor the football player of the same name see Joe Taylor . See also Joseph Taylor.Joe Gray Taylor was a historian of the American South who published fifteen essays and eight books, including Louisiana: a Bicentennial History...
, Anfernee Hardaway, NBA and former University of Memphis
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
player, and
DeAngelo WilliamsDeAngelo Williams is an American football running back in the NFL who currently plays for the Carolina Panthers. He played for the University of Memphis Tigers in college and was drafted 27th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2006 NFL Draft.-College career:Williams holds the NCAA records for...
, former All-American college
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...
running back.
Among its most famous faculty members are
Shelby FooteShelby Dade Foote, Jr. was an American novelist and a noted historian of the American Civil War, writing a massive, three-volume history of the war entitled The Civil War: A Narrative...
(dec.), visiting professor of History,
Richard BauschRichard Bausch is an American novelist, and Moss Chair of Excellence in English at the University of Memphis. He holds a B.A. from George Mason University, and an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. His novels usually focus on American family life...
, Dr. Lorelei Corcoran, Professor of
EgyptologyEgyptology Egyptology Egyptology (from Egypt and Greek , -logia. , is a major field of archaeology, the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century...
, Dr.
Peter J. BrandPeter James Brand is a Canadian Egyptologist from Toronto, Ontario. He is also a naturalized American citizen. He completed his PhD in 1998 at the University of Toronto with his dissertation The Monuments of Seti I: Epigraphic, Historical and Art Historical Analysis...
, Professor of Egyptology,
Rick BraggRick Bragg is an American journalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1996 for his work at The New York Times.-Early life:...
,
Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City....
winner and professor of Journalism, Dr. E.W. "Bill" Brody, nationally-published author and professor of Journalism and Public Relations,
Béla BollobásBéla Bollobás is a Hungarian-born British mathematician who has worked in various areas of mathematics, including functional analysis, combinatorics, graph theory and percolation. As a student, he took part in the first three International Mathematical Olympiads, winning two gold medals...
, Jabie Hardin Chair Professor of Mathematics, and Dr. Donald R. Franceschetti, Professor of Physics.
The Division of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Memphis (http://umce.memphis.edu) provides non-credit instruction to people from all walks of life. Originally established in the 1970s, the non-credit programs include face-to-face short courses, customized training for businesses, and online courses.
Organization
The University of Memphis is governed by the
Tennessee Board of RegentsThe Tennessee Board of Regents as currently constituted is authorized by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly passed in 1972. It supervises all public institutions of higher education in Tennessee not governed by the University of Tennessee system, including four-year...
(TBR) system, consisting of 18 Board Members. The Board sets Policies and Guidelines that govern all TBR institutions. The Standing Committees of the Board, and some Ad Hoc Committees, meet prior to each Board meeting and include faculty and student representatives. Within this framework, the President of the University of Memphis is the day-to-day administrator of the university.
The University of Memphis today comprises ten different colleges and schools:
The University of Memphis is host to several centers of advanced research:
History
In 1909, the Tennessee Legislature enacted the General Education Bill. This bill stated that three colleges be established within each
grand divisionThe Grand Divisions are geographic, cultural, and legally recognized regions, each constituting roughly one-third of the State of Tennessee. The Grand Divisions are represented prominently by the three stars on the flag of Tennessee...
of the state and one additional school for African-American students. After much bidding and campaigning, the state had to choose between two sites to build the new college for
West TennesseeWest Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
:
Jackson, TennesseeJackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 59,643 at the 2000 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
and
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
. Memphis was chosen, one of the main reasons being the proximity of the rail line to the site proposed to build the new college for
West TennesseeWest Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
. This would allow professors and students to go home and visit their relatives. The other three schools established through the General Education Act are modern-day
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...
,
Middle Tennessee State UniversityMiddle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.Founded in 1911 as an education college, the university is comprised seven colleges offering over 60 degree programs through 35 departments. Enrollment in the Spring of 2009...
and
Tennessee State UniversityTennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee...
.
On September 10, 1912, West Tennessee Normal School opened in Memphis; its first president was Seymour A. Mynders. After Mynders' death in 1913, John Willard Brister was chosen to take his place. After Brister's resignation in 1918, Andrew A. Kincannon became president. In 1924, Brister returned to his post as president of the school.
The name changed in 1925 to West Tennessee State Teachers College. In 1931, the campus' first newspaper,
The Tiger Rag, was established. In 1939, Richard C. Jones became president of WTSTC. In 1941, the school was changed to Memphis State College, when the college expanded its liberal arts curriculum. In 1943, Dr. Jennings B. Sanders succeeded Jones as president. Three years later, the first alumnus to become president, J. Millard (Jack) Smith, was appointed. In 1951 MSC awarded its first B.A. degrees. In 1957 the school received full
UniversityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
status, and changed its name accordingly.
1959 marked the university's admitting its first group of black students, five years after
Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court, which overturned earlier rulings going back to Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, by declaring that state laws that established separate public schools for black and white students denied...
. Among the restrictions faced by black students at the time were that they had to leave campus by noon each day and that they were not allowed to eat in the cafeteria. Dr. Cecil C. Humphreys became president of MSU, succeeding Smith, in 1960.
In 1966, the school began awarding doctoral degrees. Humphreys resigned as MSU president to become the first chancellor of the newly formed State University and Community College System, later renamed the Tennessee Board of Regents. John Richardson was appointed interim president.
In 1973, Dr. Billy Mac Jones became president. Also that year, the Memphis State Tiger men's
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
team reached the finals of the NCAA tournament, only to fall at the hands of a UCLA team led by future
NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
star
Bill WaltonWilliam Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and current television sportscaster. The “Big Red-Head”, as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards...
in the championship game in
St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
. In 1980, Dr. Thomas Carpenter became president of MSU; he was succeeded by Dr. V. Lane Rawlins in 1991. On July 1, 1994, after years of research and surveys, Memphis State University changed its name again, to the University of Memphis - a name change inspired by Ms. Christina Trinh, wife of former president Carpenter.
Dr. Rawlins served for slightly over a decade; Dr. Ralph Faudree filled in as interim president for one year after Rawlins' retirement. In 2002, U of M installed its first female president, Dr. Shirley C. Raines, 62, who serves to this day.
Campus
The University of Memphis campus is located approximately east of downtown in the University District neighborhood of midtown Memphis. It has an area of , although this figure does not include the law school due to be relocated in the former United States federal courthouse in downtown Memphis in January 2010. The historical core of campus encompasses approximately 30 acres. The University of Memphis is located geographically at .
Click here to see a campus map.
Proponents of a more pedestrian-friendly campus have significantly increased the amount of green space and the number of walkways over the past several years, while maintaining a focus on the original and historic architecture of the campus.
Surrounding the University's main campus are several historic Southern neighborhoods to the north and east, as well as the University District neighborhood and the Highland Strip to the west. Many University of Memphis college students also reside in homes to the south of the main campus.
Layout
The University of Memphis campus is set out in a rectilinear format, planned as a geometric design similar to the
JeffersonianThomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States , the principal author of the Declaration of Independence , and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States...
style of the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Despite gradual expansion of the campus to the west and south, the campus is fairly compact and retains a park-like, tree-lined setting. The farthest distance on campus takes about 25 minutes to walk. According to the most recent master plan, the University is projecting to expand and redevelop additional areas one block west of the main campus' current western boundary of Patterson Road, making Highland Avenue as the "de facto" entrance to the University.
Main campus
The center of the main campus comprises buildings that made up the original campus. The first college buildings, including Scates Hall, Manning Hall, and the Administration Building, were erected in the early 1900s. This section stretches from Deloach Avenue south to the end of the main campus at Walker Avenue, with most buildings surrounding the Alumni Mall and Student Plaza. The majority of the buildings of the arts and humanities departments, as well as those of the Physics and Astronomy departments of the College of Arts and Science, are located in the original areas of campus.
Flanking the original area of campus to the east are the areas of major research for the life sciences and Engineering departments, including J.R. Smith Hall, the Life Sciences building and the Herff College of Engineering complex, as well as the Education department, residing in E.C. Ball Hall. The Ned R. McWherter Library, a state-of-the art library facility and one of the premier research libraries of the Mid-South United States, takes up the eastern part of the campus adjacent to Dunavant Plaza and Emeriti Grove.
The northwestern area of the main campus includes the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, the Fogelman Executive Center (a major conference center for regional executives visiting the University), and the FedEx Institute of Technology, a major research contributor in the areas of Supply Chain Management, nanotechnology, robotics and intelligent systems. Originally, in the north end of the campus, Norriswood Avenue was the northern boundary and was an actual street that ran through the campus. The campus expanded into this area in the late 1960s & early 1970s.
The western edge and southwest corner include Johnson Hall (comprising the Geography and Geology departments), Patterson Hall (housing the English department), Wilder Tower, Greek Row and the bulk of the University of Memphis residence halls. As the University presses ahead with its planned expansion, many more facilities, pedestrian access and green space will also be created with the renovation and development of the currently-residential block east of Patterson Street in the University District neighborhood.
Park Avenue Campus
Directly south of the main campus along the corner of Park Avenue and Getwell Road sits the Park Avenue Campus. The Park Avenue Campus is home not only to various intramural athletics programs and facilities, but also to various research facilities, classrooms and the Speech and Audiology Pathology Center. The
Defense Contract Audit AgencyThe Defense Contract Audit Agency , under the authority, direction, and control of the United States Under Secretary of Defense , is responsible for performing all contract audits for the United States Department of Defense , and providing accounting and financial advisory services regarding...
also operates its main training facility on the Park Avenue Campus.
Future plans include a regulation indoor soccer stadium and track facility, capable of hosting large-scale NCAA Division I track-and-field meets.
Sustainability
In 2007, President Shirley Raines signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which requires that the University become carbon neutral in the coming years.
The Green Campus Initiative works to develop and implement a strategic plan to achieve the goals of the APUPCC. Successful events and projects include the May 2009 2nd Annual E-Recycling Day, resulting in 155 tons of electronic items collected, and the Tiger Initiative for Gardening in Urban Settings (TIGUrS), a fruit and vegetable gardening initiative across campus.
In April 2008, the student-run Environmental Action Club ran a Green Power Campaign to promote a student referendum to add a “Green Fee” to tuition payments to fund clean, renewable energy and other campus sustainability projects. The referendum passed with a 69% student approval rate. The university is now purchasing renewable energy through the
TVATVA typically refers to the Tennessee Valley Authority.TVA may also refer to:Television*TVA , Andorran television broadcaster*TVA , Canadian french-language television network*TV Aichi, Japanese television station...
’s Green Power Switch program and offsetting 10% of current energy use. It is now the 2nd largest green power purchaser in the entire TVA distribution region.
In February 2009, the TERRA (Technologically and Environmentally Responsive Residential Architecture) sustainable design demonstration house was completed. The TERRA house will serve as a studio for which architecture and design students to design “green” housing within urban areas, as well as serve as a demonstration house open for tours and serving as a educational tool for the community.
Memphis received a grade of "C" on the 2009 Campus Sustainability Report Card published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. with only 34 schools earning a higher grade.
The Daily Helmsman
The editorially independent student newspaper of the University publishes 55,000 copies a day, four days a week, and employs a paid staff of more than 30 which includes an editorial team of six, more than 10 staff writers, photographers, copy editors, and other staff members during the Fall and Spring semesters. The paper publishes at decreased intervals during the summer semester (May through August) and has significantly fewer staff writers during the summer.
The publication is part of a tradition which began in 1931 as
The Tiger Rag, a protest newspaper. Since that time, the newspaper has been continuously published by University of Memphis students. Even during World War II when paper and other resources were scarce, the newspaper published as a newsletter posted on bulletin boards around campus.
The name of the newspaper was changed to
The Helmsman in 1972, and became
The Daily Helmsman in 1981, when the newspaper began publishing four days a week.
The Helmsman has won many honors over the years for reporting, photography and design, including awards given by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Columbia University and the Southeastern Journalism Conference.
Helmsman alumni have gone on to jobs at many prestigious news organizations, such as
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
, Rolling Stone magazine, and Southern Living magazine, among others.
Religious Organizations
Numerous religious centers are located on the campus, including the Wesley Foundation (a United Methodist student center), the Baptist Student Center, the University Catholic Center and Catholic Student Center, Barth House Episcopal Student Center, and Reformed University Fellowship. Numerous other religious clubs of various faiths also exist on campus, which meet in various locations.
Fraternities
- Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is one of the largest and oldest college Greek-letter social fraternities. Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon. Sigma Chi has seven founding members: Benjamin Piatt Runkle, Thomas Cowan Bell, William Lewis...
- Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau is a historically Jewish, presently nonsectarian international fraternity. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood numbers over 130,000 initiated Brothers, and over 80 student chapter locations...
- Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
- Alpha Tau Omega
ATΩ 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...
- Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's general fraternities in North America, by its own count, having initiated more than 270,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole,...
- Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social and secret fraternity with 108 chapters and 12 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania in 1848 and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. Founded at the University of Alabama in 1856, it is the only fraternity founded in the Antebellum South still in operation...
- Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans. Founded on December 4, 1906, on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha has initiated over 185,000 men into the organization and has been open to men of all races since 1940...
- Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
- Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is an international fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. by three undergraduate students and one faculty...
- Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914. by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
- Sigma Phi Epsilon
ΣΦΕ , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a secret letter, social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
- Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. The fraternity has 142 active chapters, 93 alumni groups, 21 colonies, and...
Sororities
- Phi Mu
Phi 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...
- Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the universities Kappa Delta (ΚΔ) was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University), in Farmville,...
- Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi is an international fraternity for women founded as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, and is known as the first fraternity for women. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330...
- Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
- Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha 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...
- Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
- Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi was founded May 15 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia making it the first female fraternal organization established. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia...
- Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
- Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
- Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta was founded on January 13, 1913, at Howard University by twenty-two young women. Today, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority...
- Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...
Traditions
The University of Memphis has accumulated numerous traditions over its long history as the flagship public research university within the Tennessee Board of Regents system.
Colors
The University of Memphis' official school colors of blue and gray were selected by students in the first classes in the early 1900s. Tradition holds that the colors, those of the opposing armies during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
, were chosen in commemoration of the reuniting of the country after that divisive conflict. The student body thought that by picking the colors of the North and the South, the school would show a togetherness and unity among all students.
Mighty Sound of the South Band
The Mighty Sound of the South Band is the University's band. The band performs at Memphis Tigers football games as a marching band and at Tigers basketball games as a pep band. As one of the oldest institutions at the University, the Band partakes in many of the game day traditions. The MSS performs more than any other student ensemble on campus, and for approximately 350,000 fans each fall. The MSS is featured at nearly every campus-wide event, ranging from Freshman Convocation to the Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally. The band has been featured on the nationally syndicated "Mike & Mandy" Radio Show, and is a star attraction at the Bandmaster's Championship, a high school marching band contest administered by The University of Memphis Band Alumni Chapter. Members of the MSS represent all academic disciplines across campus, and historically has been open to all students via audition.
Mascot
For over 30 years, the sideline mascot for The University of Memphis has been the Bengal Tiger. TOM II, the current Tiger mascot, attends all Tiger Football home games, and he can also be found at many other University events throughout the year as a powerful and majestic symbol of Tigers Athletics. TOM II travels in style in a custom-designed, climate-controlled trailer, always with police escort. TOM II has spent his life housed and cared for in private facilities provided and maintained by the Highland Hundred Tiger Guard, an alumni booster organization. With a price tag of over $300,000, raised entirely by the Tiger Guard, the habitat was widely regarded as the finest private facility in the nation, surpassing that of many zoos. In this comfortable home, TOM II matured into a magnificent animal weighing more than 500 pounds. As one of only two Universities in America with a live Tiger mascot, The University of Memphis is unique in its Tiger Tradition.
After being diagnosed with mouth cancer, TOM II was euthanized on October 15, 2008, at the age of 17. The team of veterinarians who oversaw TOM II decided this was necessary to ensure he did not suffer due to his illness.
Nickname
When the University of Memphis first fielded a football team in the fall of 1912, no one had selected a nickname for the squad. Early references to the football team tabbed them only as the Blue and Gray Warriors.
After the final game of the 1914 season, there was a student parade. During this event, several University students shouted, "We fight like Tigers!" The nickname was born. As time passed, the nickname "Tigers" was increasingly used, particularly in campus publications, but did not catch on with the newspapers downtown. They continued to use "the Blue and Gray" when referring to the University.
Under Coach Lester Barnard in 1922, Memphis's football team gave a ring of truth to that old student yell about Tigers. The team adopted a motto - "Every Man a Tiger" - and went on to score 174 points while allowing its opponents just 29 points. The Tiger nickname continued on with students and alumni, eventually being adopted as the official nickname for the University of Memphis in 1939.
Song
Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as
commencementGraduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
and
convocationA Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.In some Universities for example, the term "convocation" refers specifically to the entirety of the alumni of a college which function as one of the university's representative bodies...
, and athletic games are: “Go! Tigers! Go!” the University of Memphis Tigers’ fight song.
List of presidents
- Seymour A. Mynders (1912-1913)
- John Willard Brister (1913-1918)
- Andrew A. Kincannon (1918-1924)
- John Willard Brister (1924-1939)
- Richard C. Jones (1939-1943)
- Jennings B. Sanders (1943-1946)
- J. Millard (Jack) Smith (1946-1960)
- Cecil C(larence) Humphreys (1960-1972)
- John Richardson (1972-1973) interim
- Billy Mac Jones (1973-1980)
- Thomas G. Carpenter (1980-1991)
- V. Lane Rawlins (1991-2000)
- Ralph Faudree (2000-2001) interim
- Shirley C. Raines (2001-present)
Government, public service, and public policy
- William Duane Benton
William Duane Benton is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.- Eighth Circuit nomination :...
, Judge, Supreme Court of MissouriThe Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820, and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction- the sole legal power to hear -...
- Robert N. Clement - Former U.S. Congressman
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
- Bernice Donald - Judge
A judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead official who presides over a court of law, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is like an umpire in a game and...
, United States district courtThe 94 United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
- Major Jon S. Jackson
Army Major Jon S. Jackson is a veteran military trial lawyer in the United States Army Reserve. He is currently representing 9/11 suspect Mustafa Ahmed Al-Hawsawi at the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay. During the arraignment of the 9/11 accused, Major Jackson accused the alleged mastermind...
, Lawyer 9/11 case
- W.W. Herenton - Former Mayor, City of Memphis
- Benjamin Hooks
Benjamin Lawson Hooks , is an American civil rights leader. A Baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1977 to 1992, and throughout his career has been a vocal campaigner for civil rights in the...
, Civil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights and freedoms that protect individuals from unwarranted government action and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression....
leader and former executive director of the NAACP
- Jim Kyle - Tennessee State Senator and Democratic Leader of the Tennessee Senate
- Fred Thompson
Fred Dalton Thompson , is an American politician, actor, attorney, lobbyist, and radio host. He represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S...
- ActorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and former U.S. SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
Literature, arts, sciences, and media
- Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter is an American actress. She was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Desperate Housewives in 2007.-Early life:...
- Actress
- Kellye Cash - Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
1987
- Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey is a New York Times best-selling American author best known for his novels about contemporary African-American life...
- Author
- John Dye - Actor
- Johanna Edwards
Johanna Edwards is a bestselling American novelist and award-winning entertainment journalist.Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Edwards attended The University of Memphis where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in journalism in 2001. Edwards spent six months after college living and working in...
- Author
- Stan Franklin
Stan Franklin is an American scientist and W. Harry Feinstone Interdisciplinary Research Professor at the and co-director of the . He is the author of Artificial Minds and mental father of IDA, a computational implementation of Global Workspace Theory...
- Cognitive scientist
- Clare Grant
Clare Grant is an American actress.-Biography:Clare was heavily involved in theater as a young child throughout her schooling years, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Performance from the University of Memphis, where she met director Craig Brewer who cast her in two short indie...
- actress
- Barbara Walker Hummel - Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
1947
- Michael Jeter
Michael Jeter was an American actor.-Early life:Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee to Virginia and William Jeter, a dentist. Jeter was a student at Memphis State University when his interests changed from medicine to acting...
- Actor
- Terry Manning
Terry Manning is a music producer, songwriter, photographer and recording engineer known for work in rock, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres....
- Music Producer
- Wink Martindale
Winston Conrad Martindale , better known as Wink Martindale, is an American disc jockey and television game show host.-Career:...
- Game show host
- William Sanderson
-Biography:Sanderson was born on January 10, 1944 in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. to an elementary school teacher mother and a landscape designer father. He is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He holds business and law degrees from the University of Memphis...
- Actor
- Drew Thomas - Singer/Songwriter
- Pat Kerr Tigrett - Fashion
Fashion is the style and custom prevalent at a given time. In its most common usage however, "fashion" describes the popular clothing style. Many fashions are popular in many cultures at any given time. Important is the idea that the course of design and fashion will change more rapidly than the...
Designer
Business
- Todd Adams - Owner, Newby's
Newby’s is a concert hall as well as a bar, pool hall, dining area and patio in Memphis, Tennessee. It is located at 539 S. Highland Street in Memphis, about a block from the University of Memphis.-History:It was established in 1975 by David “Newby” Harsh...
(located on the Highland Strip near the UM campus)
- Martin Belz - President of Belz Enterprises
Belz Enterprises is a major American-based developer of hotels, retail, and commercial properties, including shopping malls.Belz operates throughout much of the country. They are most notably known for owning and operating the Peabody Hotels in Memphis, Little Rock, and Orlando...
- William Dunavant - Chairman of Dunavant Enterprises
- G. Douglas Edwards - Retired President of Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc.
- J. Kenneth Hazen - President and CEO of CTSI
CTSI, previously Continental Traffic Service, Inc., is an international corporation that provides supply chain management solutions for all aspects of the supply chain: physical, informational, and financial. CTSI has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau for over 25 years.- History :CTSI...
- Nancy Laurie - Billionaire Investor in Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores. It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, incorporated on October 31, 1969, and...
- R. Brad Martin - Chairman of the Board/CEO, Saks Incorporated
Saks Incorporated , formerly known as Proffitt's Inc., is a Fortune 500 operator of high-end department stores in the United States. After going public in 1987, Proffit's Inc. completed acquisitions of several department stores...
- Kenneth May - CEO of FedEx Kinko's
- James M. Phillips
James M. Phillips is an American businessman who is currently a managing partner at Pinnacle Investments. Prior to that, Phillips served as vice chairman of the Luminetx Corporation, a bioscience technology company...
- Chairman and CEO of Luminetx CorporationFounded in 2001, Luminetx Corporation is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and was founded to commercialize the VeinViewer, invented in 1995 by Herbert D. Zeman, Ph.D., while he was an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center...
- William C. Rhodes III
William C. Rhodes III is President and Chief Executive Officer of AutoZone, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. He was named to those positions on March 13, 2005, following more than 12 years with the company where he served in a variety of executive-level roles...
- Chairman and CEO of AutoZoneAutoZone is a Fortune 500 corporation based in Memphis, Tennessee which is engaged primarily in the business of the retail sale of automotive parts and accessories. It was originally a division of Memphis-based wholesale grocer Malone & Hyde, and went under the name Auto Shack, which was changed...
, Inc.
Athletics
- Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Evans is an American professional basketball player who was drafted 4th overall by the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association in the 2009 NBA Draft. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis, where he was the starting point guard...
- Sacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. The Kings are members of the National Basketball Association .-Rochester:...
- NBA.
- Earl Barron
Earl Daniel Barron, Jr. is a professional basketball player who is currently a member of the New Orleans Hornets....
- NBA
- Antonio Burks
For the American Basketball Association player, see Antonio Burks .Antonio Cornell Burks is an American professional basketball player, formerly in NBA. He is 6'0" and 185 lb . Burks played at Booker T...
- NBA
- Rodney Carney
Rodney Dion Carney is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA...
- Philadelphis 76ers - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Larry Finch
Larry Finch is a former player and coach for the University of Memphis men's basketball team. He is perhaps most famous for leading the Memphis State Tigers to the NCAA men's basketball championship game in 1973 in a heroic loss to the UCLA Bruins, led by Bill Walton.- Playing career :Finch was...
- Memphis TAMsThe Memphis Tams were an American Basketball Association team during the 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 seasons. The team had previously been the New Orleans Buccaneers for three seasons before moving to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Memphis Pros from 1970 through 1972. The team later became...
- ABA
- Anfernee Hardaway - NBA
- Mike McKenzie
Michael Terrance McKenzie is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
- New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints play in the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
- NFL
- Sam Thomas
Sam Thomas is a New Zealand fashion and fitness model perhaps best known for his frequencies in Australian COSMOPOLITAN and re-occurring issues of Men's Health magazine campaigns....
- All BlacksThe New Zealand national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, is the representative side of New Zealand in rugby union. Rugby union is regarded as the country's national sport...
- Rugby UnionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
- Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment , working and wrestling on its Raw brand as the color commentator...
- Hall of Fame Professional Wrestler - WWE
- Dave Anderson - Multiple Teams - MLB
- Chad Harville
Chad Ashley Harville is a free agent relief pitcher who most recently played in the majors for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Harville bats and throws right-handed...
- Multiple Teams - MLB
- Dan Uggla
Daniel Cooley Uggla is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Florida Marlins. Uggla finished third in the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year voting behind teammate and winner Hanley Ramirez, and Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals, but won the Players Choice and...
- Florida MarlinsThe Florida Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
- MLB
- Tamika Whitmore
Tamika Whitmore is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA currently with the Connecticut Sun.-College years:...
- Indiana FeverThe Indiana Fever is a professional women's basketball team that plays in the Women's National Basketball Association . The Fever are based in Indiana's capital and largest city, Indianapolis. Their first season of play in the league was in 2000. The Fever play at Conseco Fieldhouse, located in...
- WNBA
- DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Williams is an American football running back in the NFL who currently plays for the Carolina Panthers. He played for the University of Memphis Tigers in college and was drafted 27th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2006 NFL Draft.-College career:Williams holds the NCAA records for...
- Carolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, representing North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
- NFL
- Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
- New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
-NFL
- Shawne Williams
Shawne Brian Williams is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA...
- Dallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas, USA. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association ....
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Lorenzen Wright
Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.He was signed as a free agent by the Cavaliers on September 5, 2008. He is nicknamed Lo'Z....
- Cleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team and won their first Eastern Conference Championship in 2007.-1970–1980: Expansion and early hope:The Cavaliers first...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
- Chicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Chris Douglas-Roberts
Chris Douglas-Roberts, also known as CDR is an American basketball player for the New Jersey Nets of the NBA. He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers.-High school:...
- New Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association that plays in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They are currently based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and play their home games at the Izod Center...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Joey Dorsey
Richard Elmer "Joey" Dorsey is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis Tigers, where he was an interdisciplinary studies major...
- Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets is an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Darius Washington - NBA
- Bill Laurie - Billionaire and 1973 NCAA Championship Game starting point guard for Memphis State
- Isaac Bruce
Isaac Isidore Bruce is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
- San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara...
- NFL
- Elliot Perry
Elliot Lamonte Perry is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.The 6'0" point guard from Memphis State University , was selected with the tenth pick of the second round by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1991 NBA Draft...
- Phoenix SunsThe Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Their home arena is the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix at Copper Square.The Suns have been generally...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Keith Lee
Keith Lee is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round of the 1985 NBA Draft later to be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers...
- New Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association that plays in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They are currently based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and play their home games at the Izod Center...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Win Wilfong
Alva Winfred Wilfong was an American professional basketball player.A 6'2" guard/forward from the University of Memphis, Wilfong played four seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the St. Louis Hawks and Cincinnati Royals. He averaged 6.8 points per game and won a league...
- Cincinnati Royals - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Dajuan Wagner
Dajuan Marquett Wagner is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent.Wagner is the son of former University of Louisville and NBA player Milt Wagner...
- Cleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team and won their first Eastern Conference Championship in 2007.-1970–1980: Expansion and early hope:The Cavaliers first...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Larry Kenon
Larry Joe Kenon is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'9" forward who had a productive career in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association , Kenon played for the New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and...
- Multiple Teams - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Vincent Askew
Vincent Jerome Askew is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft...
- Multiple Teams - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Cedric Henderson
Cedric Earl Henderson is an American basketball player who played 5 years in the NBA.A 6'7" forward, Henderson starred at the University of Memphis before being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft...
- Utah JazzThe Utah Jazz are a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Sylvester Gray
Sylvester Gray is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Miami Heat in the 2nd round of the 1988 NBA Draft. A 6'6" forward from Memphis State University, Gray played in only one NBA season.As a member of the Heat during the 1988-89 season, he appeared in 55...
- Miami HeatThe Miami Heat are a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Richard Jones
-Artists and entertainers:* F. Richard Jones , American filmmaker* Dick Clair , born Richard Jones, American producer, actor and TV writer* Richard Jones , British bass guitarist...
- New York Nets - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- William Bedford
William Bedford is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 1st round of the 1986 NBA Draft after playing at the University of Memphis...
- Multiple Teams - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Hank McDowell
Hank Leigh McDowell is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'9" 210 lb forward and he played collegiately at Memphis State University . He has played in the NBA from 1981 to 1987...
- Multiple Teams - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Andre Turner
Andre Devalle Turner is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. A 5'11", . point guard, he played collegiality at Memphis State University...
- Multiple Teams - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Wayne Yates - Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, which they share with their fellow NBA rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their sister team, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA...
- NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- David Vaughn
David Vaughn III, known as David Vaughn , is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Orlando Magic in the 1st round of the 1995 NBA Draft. A 6'9" power forward-center from Memphis State University, Vaughn played in 4 NBA seasons from 1995-1999...
- Multiple Teams - NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
- Steve Matthews
Steve Matthews is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played five seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Oilers. He played collegiately at Memphis.-Pro career:Matthews was drafted in the seventh round in the 1994 NFL Draft by...
- Kansas City Chiefs - NFL
- James Logan - Houston Oilers Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington, USA. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, joined the NFL in 1976 as...
NFL
Notable Professors & Scholars
- Béla Bollobás
Béla Bollobás is a Hungarian-born British mathematician who has worked in various areas of mathematics, including functional analysis, combinatorics, graph theory and percolation. As a student, he took part in the first three International Mathematical Olympiads, winning two gold medals...
- A prominent mathematician who is known for his work in combinatoricsCombinatorics is a branch of pure mathematics concerning the study of discrete objects. It is related to many other areas of mathematics, such as algebra, probability theory, ergodic theory and geometry, as well as to applied subjects in computer science and statistical physics...
. He was Fields MedalThe Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union, a meeting that takes place every four years. The Fields Medal is often viewed as the top honor a mathematician can receive. It...
winner Timothy Gowers' dissertation advisor. With 18 articles co-written with Paul ErdősPaul Erdős was an immensely prolific and famously eccentric Hungarian mathematician. Erdős published more papers than any other mathematician in history, working with hundreds of collaborators...
, he has an Erdős numberThe Erdős number describes the "collaborative distance" between a person and mathematician Paul Erdős, as measured by authorship of mathematical papers....
1.http://www.oakland.edu/enp/Erdos0
- Arthur C. Graesser - A prominent cognitive psychologist, now editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology.
- Ralph Faudree
Ralph Jasper Faudree is a mathematician who specializes in combinatorics; specifically graph theory and Ramsey theory. He has published more than 150 mathematical papers on these topics together with such notable mathematicians as Bela Bollobas, Stefan Burr, Paul Erdos, Ron Gould, András Gyárfás,...
- A prominent Erdős numberThe Erdős number describes the "collaborative distance" between a person and mathematician Paul Erdős, as measured by authorship of mathematical papers....
1 mathematician with a focus on Ramsey TheoryRamsey theory, named after Frank P. Ramsey, is a branch of mathematics that studies the conditions under which order must appear. Problems in Ramsey theory typically ask a question of the form: how many elements of some structure must there be to guarantee that a particular property will...
, he is currently provost of the university. With 50 articles co-authored with Erdős, only two other persons have co-authored with Erdős on more papers.http://www.oakland.edu/enp/Erdos0
- Shelby Foote
Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. was an American novelist and a noted historian of the American Civil War, writing a massive, three-volume history of the war entitled The Civil War: A Narrative...
- Prominent Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
historian
- Stan Franklin
Stan Franklin is an American scientist and W. Harry Feinstone Interdisciplinary Research Professor at the and co-director of the . He is the author of Artificial Minds and mental father of IDA, a computational implementation of Global Workspace Theory...
- A cognitive scientist, Franklin is a leading proponent of artificial consciousnessArtificial consciousness , also known as machine consciousness or synthetic consciousness, is a field related to artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics whose aim is to define that which would have to be synthesized were consciousness to be found in an engineered artifact...
. http://www.cs.memphis.edu/~franklin/
- Benjamin Hooks
Benjamin Lawson Hooks , is an American civil rights leader. A Baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1977 to 1992, and throughout his career has been a vocal campaigner for civil rights in the...
- Attorney and former executive director of the NAACP
- Cecil C. Rousseau
Cecil Clyde Rousseau is a mathematician and author who specializes in graph theory and combinatorics. He is a professor emeritus at The University of Memphis and former chair of the USAMO.Rousseau received his Ph.D...
- An Erdős numberThe Erdős number describes the "collaborative distance" between a person and mathematician Paul Erdős, as measured by authorship of mathematical papers....
1 mathematician
External links