Tennessee State University (TSU) opened in 1912 as the first public institution of higher education for African Americans in Tennessee. In 1979, the University of Tennessee at Nashville merged with TSU. The original TSU campus, located in North Nashville, is designated as the Main Campus and the former University of Tennessee at Nashville campus was renamed in honor of Avon Nyanza Williams Jr. (1921-1994). Williams was a prominent African American lawyer, state senator, and member of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). He represented the plaintiffs in the 1972 case Geier v. Blanton, which centered on the accusation that two public universities in Nashville perpetuated a state of segregation in higher education. The court ultimately ruled in the plaintiffs’ favor.
Tennessee State University Avon Williams Campus
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Description
Tennessee State University (TSU) opened in 1912 as the first public institution of higher education for African Americans in Tennessee. In 1979, the University of Tennessee at Nashville merged with TSU. The original TSU campus, located in North Nashville, is designated as the Main Campus and the former University of Tennessee at Nashville campus was renamed in honor of Avon Nyanza Williams Jr. (1921-1994). Williams was a prominent African American lawyer, state senator, and member of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). He represented the plaintiffs in the 1972 case Geier v. Blanton, which centered on the accusation that two public universities in Nashville perpetuated a state of segregation in higher education. The court ultimately ruled in the plaintiffs’ favor.