For more than a century and a half, Hiwassee College has been providing quality faith-based instruction to young adults who may otherwise not have the opportunity to further their education. Located in Madisonville, Tennessee, Hiwassee is a private, four-year residential college with a typical enrollment of approximately 400 students. This little college has been fulfilling big dreams since its inception in 1849.

Many of Hiwassee’s students are the first in their family to attend college. Eighty-eight percent come from Appalachia with 80% receiving some financial aid and 40% with full financial assistance. This is made possible with generous donations from alumni and a supportive community who recoginize the importance for students of all socio-economic backgrounds to further their education to become successful contributing members of society.

“Dedicated to Great Beginnings” is the Hiwassee College motto, but the words are more than just a slogan; they are a way of life for those who both teach and attend.

According to their website, www.hiwassee.edu, the mission of the college is to “provide quality education for all students in an atmosphere that promotes intellectual pursuit, spiritual growth, and social and personal responsibility.”

Hiwassee College is associated with the Holston Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. They offer students a holistic approach to learning and are committed to quality student-centered teaching. The student/faculty ratio at Hiwassee is a remarkable seven to one.

“My son, Brandon, is a student at Hiwassee,” said Corrina Ashe of Jenkins Realty in Tellico Plains, “He is studying to become a pharmacist and was concerned about his chemistry classes. Because of its small class size, the professors at the college are able to give Brandon the one-on-one attention he needs. When he graduates from Hiwassee, he will be ready for that next step in his education.”

“It is not unusual to see a Hiwassee student stopping by the office of our president,” said Mark Elam, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, “and later to see the two of them hunched over a computer searching for information together. That kind of familiarity is unheard of at most colleges.”

“Sowing Seeds for the Future” is the theme for Hiwassee’s annual fund raising campaign. Since tuition and fees pay only about 36% of the cost of a student’s education, the college is dependent on the generosity of area organizations, businesses, and residents. Both need-based and merit scholarships are offered to incoming students.

“Hiwassee made it possible for Brandon to attend school on an academic scholarship,” said Ashe, “plus, he is involved in a work study program – he is in charge of the weight room – that helps him out and is in line with his interests.”

Hiwassee doesn’t just open its doors to its students, it also opens doors to the community by donating the use of their facilities and services to more than 30 area organizations each year. One organization that makes regular use of the Butcher Auditorium at Hiwassee College for performances is the Monroe Area Council for the Arts (MACA), a non-profit local arts agency serving Monroe and the surrounding counties of East Tennessee. Throughout the year, the council hosts comedy, drama, musical, and other types of productions providing exceptional entertainment to the community.

The college supports the community by employing more than 100 people with an annual payroll of $2.4 million with an economic impact of $15 to $18 million in the region each year.

Chartered by the State of Tennessee in 1850, Hiwassee's history dates back to Tallugalla Academy’s inception in 1826. Opened as a school for boys, the academy was located in the Fork Creek Community approximately five miles from the site of the present campus.

During that time, a group of Methodists also founded Bat Creek Campground. Eventually, a church and other buildings were constructed on the site to be used by those who attended the annual camp services.

Twenty years later, the academy moved to the Bat Creek Campground, across from the present day Hiwassee campus, to accommodate the growing student body membership. In 1849, the college was organized to replace and expand the academy’s program. It was dubbed Hiwassee. The name was derived from the Cherokee word “ayuwasi,” which means “meadow place at the foot of the hills” denoting the valley region where the campus is located. A typical school of its era, Hiwassee was designed to provide young men with an affordable education. Although it was church-affiliated, the college did not have rigid denominational restrictions.

Hiwassee's first official staff consisted of three men. Twenty-five-year-old Rev. Robert Doak, a Presbyterian, served as both president and senior professor. David McKendree Key served as vice president while also attending as a student and Stephen Porter Hale was the mathematics teacher.

In 1850, Key became Hiwassee's first graduate. He went on to become the Postmaster General under President Rutherford B. Hayes and a Federal Judge of East Tennessee.

“It is not so much the College that gives character to the man,” said Key, “as the man to the College.”

Fellow graduate W. L. Eakin went onto to become a successful lawyer. Albert H. Roberts, an 1889 graduate of Hiwassee College, went onto to become governor of Tennessee.

Hiwassee’s influences aren’t limited to the immediate area, 10,000 plus alumni are contributing to communities in 44 states and 28 countries. Today's successful alumni include a prime minister of the country of Jordan, a retired president of American BMW operations, an Emory heart surgeon, and a Broadway performer.

Over the years Hiwassee College has offered training beginning with elementary school and continuing through the Bachelor’s degree. At some periods in its history, the College granted the Master’s degree. Currently, Hiwassee College offers programs of study leading to associate and baccalaureate degrees.

Its campus has grown from seven acres to a campus comprised of eighteen buildings situated on four hundred acres located a mile north of the town of Madisonville. The College offers a variety of university parallel and career/vocational programs leading to the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science degree.

In recent years, Hiwassee has received praise for its financial aid, academic, and athletic programs. Rated as one of five most affordable private colleges in Tennessee, Hiwassee professors, students, and athletic teams frequently receive statewide, national, and even international recognition.

Hiwassee College is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [PO Box 328, Forest, VA 24551; Telephone: 434.525.9539; e-mail: info@tracs.org] having been awarded Candidate status as a Category II institution by the TRACS Accreditation Commission on November 3, 2009; this status is effective for a period of five years.

TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).

Candidacy (pre-accreditation) indicates that the institution is in basic compliance with the Standards and Criteria, has been evaluated by an on-site peer team, and in the professional judgment of the evaluation team and the Accreditation Commission, the institution provides sound instruction and student services.

Hiwassee College is listed by the University Senate of The United Methodist Church. The senate is an elected body of professionals in higher education created by the General Conference to determine which schools, colleges, universities, and theological schools meet the criteria for listing as institutions affiliated with The United Methodist Church

Visit Hiwassee College at 225 Hiwassee College Drive in Madisonville, Tennessee or call 423-442-1222 for more information or to make a donation.