Elliot Hall, Women's Building, and Van Gordon Art Gallery

During the Great Depression, most construction projects were put on hold. But here at TSU, one of the most architecturally significant buildings was completed in the early 1930s. The Women’s Building opened in 1932, signaling an era of significant growth at Tennessee A&I. This growth was due, in part, to the university’s expanded degree program—with the first bachelor’s degree awarded in 1926. For decades, Elliot Hall housed the school’s cafeteria, laundry, and Commercial and Home Economics Departments. Students and faculty renamed the building after their beloved matriarch, Jane Elliot, in 1949. Jane Elliot, the grandmother of syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner, established the first dining hall program at A&I in 1924. Elliot was adamant that students attending TSU receive well balanced meals in a clean and pleasant environment. The cafeteria was a place for fellowship and good food. Fraternities, sororities, and other groups sat together to greet, meet, and eat. Today the Women’s Building houses the Departments of Social Work, Art, Africana Studies, and the Hiram Van Gordon Art Gallery.

Hiram Van Gordon was an artist, military cartographer, and longtime chair of the university’s Art Department. Art jamborees, Design Spectrums, and other artistic programs were common features of the art program under Gordon's leadership. Today’s students continue to exemplify Gordon’s passion for art, and many of their works adorn the walls of the art gallery and buildings on campus and in the Nashville community. For example, murals painted by TSU students, alumni, and art faculty are featured at the Jefferson Street Gateway to Heritage Plaza, the Elks Lodge on Jefferson Street, and in other spaces around North Nashville.

After looking at Elliot Hall and the Van Gordon Art Gallery turn to your RIGHT and walk up the stairs or take the sidewalk to reach the Averitte Amphitheater as well as two other historic buildings located on the perimeter of the sunken amphitheater.