Hiwassee College was a private liberal arts college in Madisonville, Tennessee. Founded in 1849, the college offered associate degrees as well as bachelor's degrees. The majority of its associate degree graduates went on to complete bachelor's degrees elsewhere. The college closed on May 10, 2019 due to financial issues.
History
Although closely tied to the Methodist Church since its founding, it was not until 1908 that the Trustees of Hiwassee College and the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South entered into an agreement for joint operation of the institution. Hiwassee College came under the complete control and ownership of the Methodist Church-South in 1937, shortly before its reunion with its northern counterpart in 1939. Prior to 1980, the three United Methodist-related colleges in the Holston Conference were governed by a unified Board of Trustees. In 1980, the Board of Trustees established a separate Board of Governors for each institution, and by 1990, each of the three colleges operated under a separate, independent Board of Trustees. Hiwassee College was accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, but in 2008 their accreditation was withdrawn. On November 3, 2009 it attained candidacy status for accreditation as a Category II institution by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. Full accreditation was obtained through TRACS in October 2013 and reaffirmed in 2018.
Closure and aftermath
The college closed on May 10, 2019 due to financial issues. Students and alumni protested the announcement of the closure and many parents of enrolled students raised concerns about the lack of communication from the board of trustees. Neighboring colleges, including Maryville College, Pellissippi State Community College, and South College offered students transfer assistance. The Hiwassee College Alumni Association Inc. submitted a non-cash offer for the college and its debt in July 2019 with hopes of reopening the college. The campus was put up for sale on January 2, 2020 for $8.6 million dollars. The offering Memorandum states, "The Trustees of Hiwassee College now intend to divest the real property owned by the college, and as such are offering the property for sale." In January 2020, a former trustee of the college, William Harmon, a Maryville, Tennessee doctor sued the college for return of his $100,000 donation earmarked for construction of a new library which was to be named in his honor. According to its website, Harmon was the college's board of trustees secretary. Harmon wants the Monroe County, Tennessee Chancery Court to find that the donation must paid back to him once the college sells.
Campus
Hiwassee College's campus grew from the original donated by Reverend Daniel B. Carter to a campus comprising 18 buildings situated on of a tract of land located one mile north of the town of Madisonville.
Hiwassee fielded 10 teams, known as the Tigers, and participated in the NCCAA'sDivision I. The school competed in the Mideast Region. The Tigers have made National Championship appearances in baseball, men's basketball, and women's basketball.
