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University of the South holds its first convocation at Sewanee

When
1868
Where
University of the South campus
Episodes
1

The University of the South held its first convocation on September 18, 1868, at Sewanee, Tennessee. Presided over by Vice-Chancellor Charles Todd Quintard, the event marked the commencement of operations following the resumption of building in 1866. Nine students and four faculty members attended the gathering, which occurred on the campus owned by southern Episcopal dioceses.

Episodes

  1. 18 September 1868 · University of the South campusFirst Convocation at Sewanee

    The University of the South held its first convocation on September 18, 1868, with nine students and four faculty members present.

Background and detail

Background. The University of the South, founded by southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church, is located in Sewanee, Tennessee. Building construction resumed in 1866, a date sometimes cited as the re-founding, though official materials use 1857. The campus, known as "The Domain," occupies land on the Cumberland Plateau, with the developed portion covering about 1,000 acres.

Leadership. Charles Todd Quintard, the second Bishop of Tennessee and vice-chancellor, presided over the first convocation. Known as the "Re-Founder" of the university, Quintard had previously attended the Lambeth Conference in England, securing financial support from the Church of England for rebuilding the school.

Attendance. The convocation was attended by nine students and four faculty members. This small gathering marked the beginning of continuous operations for the institution, which is officially named "The University of the South" and commonly referred to as "Sewanee."

People involved

Sources

  1. Sewanee: The University of the South Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-06
  2. Sewanee, Tennessee Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-08

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.