Vanderbilt University, situated just a mile and a half from the downtown area, has helped shape Nashville’s cityscape for over a century. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt’s generous 1 million donation in the spring of 1983 paved the way for what is today regarded as one of the South’s most prestigious private academic institutions. In his honor, the school was renamed “Vanderbilt University” and its athletic teams, nicknamed the “Commodores,” still pay homage to his title. Originally founded by bishop Holland McTyeire as “Central University,” in its early years the university maintained strong ties with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. After a series of escalating conflicts with the Methodist church, including the employment of non-Methodist teachers and the lack of representation of Methodist leaders on the school’s Board of Trust, culminated in a formal spit from the church at the General Conference of 1914. Despite no official ties to the Methodist church, Vanderbilt is still shaped and influenced by its history of Methodist tradition.The school itself serves as a welcome oasis from the Nashville’s predominantly urban city center. In 1988, the campus was recognized as a national arboretum by the Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, with over 300 varying species of both plants and shrubs. The oldest tree on campus, known as the Bicentennial Oak, predates the American Revolution. Main campus boasts architecture dating back to the turn of the century. Kirkland Hall, the university’s oldest structure, now serves as an administrative building. The elegant edifice features a breathtaking tower that reaches upwards toward the blue Tennessee sky, making it campus favorite for photo opportunities and one of the school’s most recognizable landmarks. The campus as a whole is consistently recognized as one of the most picturesque college settings in the nation, providing the city of Nashville with both natural beauty and a jolt of youthful energy.

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