Freed-Hardeman University - An Exceptional Institution of Rich Heritage

Freed-Hardeman University is located in the town of Henderson, Tennessee. After the establishment of the Henderson Male and Female Institute in 1869, the school officially opened on the Milan-Sitka property the following year. The institution maintains close ties to the Church of Christ, requiring all Trustees to be members.

During its early years, the University experienced several name changes. In 1877, the school’s name was formally changed to the Henderson Masonic Male and Female Institute. In 1885, the charter was amended and the name changed to West Tennessee Christian College. The name was changed again in 1897 to Georgie Robertson Christian College, under which it remained until its doors were closed at the end of the 1907 school year.

However, the school reopened the following year under yet another name, the National Teachers’ Normal and Business College. A newly elected Board of Trustees elected A.G. Freed president and N.B. Hardeman vice-president. Subsequently, the school was renamed in their honor in 1919 as Freed-Hardeman College.

From 1926 until 1974 the institution was designated junior college status, beginning to offer associate degrees in 1956. During this time period, the College underwent a long series of construction projects, including the opening of Oakland Hall (now known as Hall-Roland Hall), H.A. Dixon Hall in 1958, the Student Center in 1966, Thomas B. and Lavonne D. Scott Hall in 1971, and W.A. Bradfield Hall in 1973.

After the 1974 academic school year, the College began to incorporate junior level classes, then senior level classes the following year. The College continued to develop its curriculum throughout the remainder of the century, adding graduate programs in education and ministry in 1989 and in counseling and the New Testament in 1994. Freed-Hardeman was officially granted the title of university in 1990.

Although the majority of the current student body is of a residential, undergraduate nature, the institution also welcomes commuting, part-time students and offers an inclusive distance-learning program. With a student-to-faculty ration of 14:1, students at Freed-Hardeman University are guaranteed to receive the attention they require in and out of the classroom. Please visit us on campus or on the Web at (www.fhu.edu) to acquire more information. We would be happy to show you around our wonderful campus and welcome you to our family of learners.