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Weekly 150

McTyeire School

McKenzie’s First Educational Institution

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After last week’s edition on Bethel University, I felt it only right to build further on the educational institutions of McKenzie. So this week it’s the story of McTyeire School.
The story of McTyeire School dates back to 1858 in the Caledonia Community of Henry County. Started by Edwin H. Randal, it began as a boarding school and later chartered in 1860 as Caledonia College. The first and only graduates were G.W. Nowlin, J.R. Wilkins, Mattie Miller and Adelia Wall.
The onset of the Civil War closed the doors to Caledonia College. The building burned before the war ended and relocated to McKenzie in 1867. The new facility was known as the McKenzie Male and Female Institute.
The move to McKenzie left the school with limited funds forcing the school to open on the ground floor of the Masonic Building which had it roots in Caledonia. By 1871, Captain H.C. Irby purchased land on present-day McTyiere Street. Two buildings were constructed and chartered as McKenzie College. It became McKenzie’s first educational facility beating out the relocation of Bethel College from McLemoresville in 1872.
Irby resigned in 1874, and the property was purchased by Dr. A.P. Waterfield with Professor Randal taking over as president of the school. It was during this time, two interesting stories attached themselves to McKenzie College.
The first story is about a Scotsman known as Dr. Mundie. Hired to teach chemistry and Greek, Dr. Mundie claimed noble birth and to be the last surviving member of the distinguished family. Falling ill and near death, Mundie made out his will leaving the college 400,000 English pounds. The Scotsman failed to sign the will before his death, and Professor Randal could never locate the family.
Another story is that of painter and wanderer Ernest Schwarzwald. Arriving in McKenzie in the late 1870s, Schwarzwald lived above the Cannon Drug Store and was hired by Dr. Waterfield to paint the school. After being stabbed by a drunk and near death, from the recommendation of Waterfield, Schwarzwald left his money to the Methodist Church.
The church paid for his burial expense and remaining debts. He was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery with a modest headstone with the area enclosed by an iron fence. At the time of his death in 1878, Schwarzwald’s estate was valued at $4,000 (equivalent to $101,000 in today’s terms).
With the influx of capital, the Methodist Church looked to purchase the school and property from Waterfield. Believing the price was too high for the property, the church purchased a different lot further from town and constructed their own campus through the Schwarzwald Fund.
On April 10, 1882 McKenzie College changed its name to McTyeire Institute in honor of Holland Nimmons McTyeire, an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop McTyeire was responsible for co-founding of Vanderbilt University in 1873.
McTyeire initially granted degrees, but in 1879, the school became a preparatory school. Under the leadership of A. Grier Peoples, the name changed to the McTyeire School in 1899. McTyeire School curriculum followed the custom of the time, focusing on classics, English, math and history, aimed at the Vanderbilt entrance exams.
When Vanderbilt was established, there were few schools in Tennessee designed to prepare students for college. Only three preparatory schools were established before 1873. Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville) and the McTyeire School (McKenzie) were founded in 1867, followed by the Webb School (Culleoka/Bell Buckle) in 1870. These three schools set the standard for preparatory schools in the State of Tennessee.
Other principals of the school included Dr. Edwin B. Chappell (1879-1883), Granville Goodloe (1883-1886), Raleigh Williams (1883-1887), Joshua H. Harrison (1886-1898), Reverend Clough A. Waterfield (1898-1899), R. Grier Peoples (1899-1902), and James A. Robins (1899-1931).

By the arrival of James Robins, the McTyeire Institute was going by the McTyeire School and was accredited by the Southern Association of Secondary Schools. Serving as a four year preparatory school for colleges. Its students were allowed to enter any of the college and universities of the Southern Association. At the conclusion of Professor Harrison’s tenure, the McTyeire School housed 75 teenage boarding students (male and female) developing them academically and spiritually.
James Robins held the longest tenure at McTyeire with 32 years of service. In his own words Robins stated he regarded education, “not as a pouring in process, but rather as a drawing out, training, and developing of the highest impulses that come to boys and girls during a period when their standards and ideals are becoming fixed.”
One of the key principles of the McTyeire School during Robins’ time came from author John Phillips, “Goodness without knowledge is weak and feeble, yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous, and both united form the noblest character and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind.”
The school was operated as if the facility, staff, students were all part of “Mr. Jim and Mrs. Jim” Robin’s family. Informal morning chapel talks and Sunday afternoon walks through through the woods were key for Robins to develop life philosophies for his teenage students.
As the Great Depression took hold in 1929, McTyeire School was greatly effected by the economic crisis. Limited funds prevented families from sending their children to the preparatory school. The end of 1931 academic year saw the closure of the once great school.
In 1936, Professor J.L. Seets and McKenzie Mayor Glen A. King worked to purchase the 30 acres and five buildings of the abandoned McTyeire School. The once great school for white students became the great school for African-Americans, Webb School.
Much of the research of this edition comes from McKenzie’s History (1869-1969), the papers of Mrs. Parnell, Vanderbilt University and the Gordon Browning Museum and Genealogical Library.

Jason R. Martin
B.S. • M.A.Ed • MLS
Councilman, Ward II
Executive Chairman, McKenzie 150th Celebration
E: jmartin@mckenziebanner.com  P: 731.352.3323

Jason Martin is a life-long resident of McKenzie. He graduated from McKenzie High School in 2000; earned a Bachelor of Science in History from Bethel College in 2004; a Masters in Education from Bethel University in 2009 and a Masters in History and Humanities from Fort Hays State University in 2011.

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