History Timeline
A timeline of the formation of ETSU
- 1911
First faculty meeting held in the office of President Sidney G. Gilbreath.
East Tennessee State Normal School opens, 29 students register first day; two courses of study offered, a four-year high school curriculum and a two-year normal school curriculum. Normal School consisted of the departments of education, English, history, science, languages, industrial training, agriculture, and the training school.
Normal School dedication ceremony
Navy blue and gold chosen as school colors
Literary societies for men and women organized Pestalozzian for men and Sapphonian for women
Departments of music and art added Committee on Social Life establishes rules of social behavior for Normal School students
- 1912
Departments of Latin and domestic science added
Committee on Social Life establishes rules of social behavior for Normal School students
No young woman student in the normal school will be permitted to dine at a public hotel with an escort and without a chaperon; and no young woman student will be permitted to attend any public dance. Sidney G. Gilbreath
State Normal School Faculty Association formed
- 1913
The three state normal schools establish the Inter-Normal Debating Team
- 1914
President Gilbreath raises money for student loan fund
- 1915
Alumni Association organized
Model School building constructed
- 1916
First constitution of the United Student Body; first president of United Student Body Theodore R. Eutsler elected
First May Day festival held
New course added in piano, violin and voice
New departments added in methods expression, physical education, bookkeeping and penmanship
Mrs. Sidney G. Gilbreath organizes the Womens Faculty Club
- 1917
Practice Teachers Club organized
- 1918
Student Army Training Corps on campus during fall quarter
New departments added in biology, chemistry, geography, and physics
Womens basketball team completes 1917-18 basketball season undefeated, 6-0 record
- 1919
First yearbook, Old Hickory, published
Third year of courses added to curriculum
- 1920
The committee on commencement costumes reports in favor of caps and gowns for graduation
First football team fielded, the Normalites have 3-3 season
- 1921
The first party for the entire student body held
- 1922
The first gymnasium completed
Taylor Hall (men's residence) constructed
- 1923
First school newspaper, Chalkline, published
The structure now housing the B. Carroll Reece Museum constructed to house the library
- 1924
Normal School baseball team has undefeated season
- 1925
Name changed to East Tennessee State Teachers College
Dr. Charles C. Sherrod inaugurated as second president of East Tennessee State
Fourth year of courses added to curriculum
First homecoming held
First student handbook published
- 1926
East Tennessee State becomes an accredited member of the American Association of Teachers Colleges
First graduating class to receive four-year degrees from East Tennessee State
T-Club organized
Mathematics and Physical Science Departments added
- 1927
East Tennessee State becomes an accredited member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
- 1928
Training School, now University School (Alexander Hall), constructed
- 1929
First women awarded athletic letters: Florence Boum, Dorothy Whitlock
First radio for dormitories
State Board of Education turns over to East Tennessee State the new training school building
Biological sciences and directed teaching departments added
Educational tests given to all students for the first time
- 1930
Name change to State Teachers College, Johnson City
Enrollment at 1,420
- 1931
TC sweaters given to all football players
Sherrod Library constructed; at the time it was called the fireproof library; dedicated Aug. 27
- 1932
First full-time athletic coach, Gene McMurray, hired
- 1933
Social studies department added
Athletic relations with Milligan College reestablished after 1922 dispute
- 1934
WPA builds a football field on the site of the present-day science building
- 1935
First volume of the Alumni Quarterly published
East Tennessee State athletic teams first referred to as the Buccaneers
- 1936
The 25th anniversary of the founding of the college celebrated
The Amphitheatre completed
The Tennessee state legislature debates closing the college as an unnecessary luxury
- 1937
First Buccaneer yearbook published
Flagpole in triangle between administration building (Gilbreath Hall) and library building dedicated
- 1938
Freshman Rules (later called "Rat Week") begin during fall quarter
Bucs are football champs of Smoky Mountain Conference
- 1939
Library receives $6,000 for acquisition of books from the Carnegie Foundation
Civilian Pilot Training Program begins on campus
- 1940
Nearly 70 graduate in largest-ever graduating class
- 1941
College grill opens in cafeteria building
Second generation of students welcomed to Teachers College on schools 30th anniversary
Winter quarter registration numbers drop over 10 percent resulting from high numbers of enlistments in the armed services
- 1942
Business administration department added
Brown Hall (science building) constructed
- 1943
2205 Army Air Forces Air-Base Unit arrives on campus and stays until June 30, 1944
Name changed to East Tennessee State College
Program for the preparation of nurses and assistant health workers added with the cooperation of officials of the Appalachian Hospital in Johnson City
- 1944
Sam Wilson Hall (business) constructed
- 1945
85 World War II veterans enter ETSC as postwar enrollment climbs to 461
- 1946
Servicemen returning from World War II enter college on GI BILL® of Rights for first time; 225 enter ETSC during spring quarter
Bucs basketball team wins Smoky Mountain Tournament
- 1947
Enrollment reaches record as servicemen attend college on the GI BILL®
Rat Week revived
- 1948
Dean of Women Ella V. Ross named Johnson City's first Woman of the Year
10,000 fans watch Bucs and Milligan College battle to a scoreless tie in football
Power Plant begins operation
- 1949
Dr. Burgin E. Dossett Sr. inaugurated as the third president of East Tennessee State
Graduate school organized
Browning Hall (men's residence) constructed
- 1950
Teaching Aids Laboratory (now IMC) organized
ETSC offers first athletic scholarships
- 1951
East Tennessee State awards its first masters degree
- 1952
ETSC withdraws from the Smoky Mountain Conference and joins the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC)
Brooks Gymnasium and Carson Hall constructed
ETSC victorious in Burley Bowl
- 1953
Military science, religion, speech correction and audiology courses added to the curriculum
Stone Hall (women's residence) constructed
Football team wins Burley Bowl second consecutive year
- 1954
East Tennessee State adopts rules of compliance to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against racial segregation
Kappa Delta and Alpha Delta Pi become national sororities
First college museum opens at ETSC
- 1955
College organized into schools and departments; four schools: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration and Economics, Education and Graduate Studies
Old gymnasium (built in 1928) moved to become part of Mathes Hall (music and military science)
- 1956
First bookstore opens on campus
Dean of students post created
WETS begins broadcast as closed-circuit radio station
Fall quarter enrollment tops 4,000
- 1957
ETSC joins the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)
Yoakley Hall (women's residence) constructed
- 1958
Lambda Chi Alpha opens first fraternity house in Tennessee at 431 West Maple Street
ROTC forms Honor Guard at ETSC
- 1959
Kingsport Center opens
ETSC cagers win George Mikan Award; named most improved NCAA club for 1958-59 season
- 1960
Lamb Hall (health) and the student union building constructed
- 1961
East Tennessee State College celebrates its 50th anniversary; a telegram of congratulations received by President Dossett from President John F. Kennedy
Ellington Hall (men's residence), Powell Hall (women's residence) and Burleson Hall (English) constructed, and Carson Hall receives an addition
Student book exchange opens
Sidney G. Gilbreath dies on January 6, age 91
Enrollment tops 5,000
- 1962
Social Work program established
Upper and lower division requirements defined and placed in effect
Record 2,000 freshmen enrolled
- 1963
ETSC achieves university status, becoming East Tennessee State University
West Hall (women's residence) constructed
- 1964
Enrollment reaches 7,000
Undergraduate program in psychology established
Construction begins on B. Carroll Reece Museum addition
- 1965
Traffic regulations require registration of vehicles for the first time
University organized into four colleges and one school: Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration and Economics, Health, and Education and the Graduate School
Ross Panhellenic (women's residence) and Frank Clement Hall (men's residence) constructed
- 1966
Nell Dossett Hall (women's residence), Wilson-Wallis Hall (industrial education) and Ball Hall (art) constructed
University centers open in Bristol and Greeneville
First annual Folk Festival held
- 1967
Student body president Jerry S. Jones announces that freshmen will be welcomed on campus during School Spirit Week rather than being harassed as in previous years during Rat Week
First master of science degree awarded
McCord and Cooper halls (men's residences), Lucille Clement Hall (women's residence) and Hutcheson Hall (geography and geology) constructed
Sherrod Library addition constructed
- 1968
First faculty meeting held in the office of President Sidney G. Gilbreath
- 1969
First faculty meeting held in the office of President Sidney G. Gilbreath
- 1970
President Richard M. Nixon visits campus and makes address
Addition constructed on Lamb Hall (health)
- 1971
Kingsport University Center constructed
- 1972
Neil Cusack sets world record in marathon for 19-year-olds
ETSU placed under control of central Board of Regents
- 1973
The university placed under censure by the American Association of University Professors
Memorial Center (now called the Ballad Health Athletic Center) groundbreaking
Mack P. Davis Apartments constructed
Brown Hall (science) expanded
- 1974
WETS-FM begins broadcasting
The Tennessee legislature creates a free standing College of Medicine to be developed utilizing the Teague-Cranston Act
Cross-country All-American Neil Cusack of ETSUs Irish Brigade wins the Boston Marathon with third-fastest time ever
Women athletes join intercollegiate athletic program
Luntsford Hall (apartments) constructed
First Mockingbird student arts magazine published
- 1975
First meeting of Faculty Senate held
Cooperative Education Program added
Bond Building (physical plant offices) constructed
Shelbridge acquired as the presidential residence
Gilbreath Hall renovated
Family practice residency programs in Johnson City and Kingsport accredited
- 1976
Construction completed on the Clack Building (chilling plant) and the D.P. Culp University Center
Kingsport Family Practice Center opens under auspices of the department of family practice in the Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine
Family practice residency programs in Bristol, Veterans Administration Medical Center and Watauga Area Mental Health Center receive accreditation
Bristol Family Practice Center opens
- 1977
Dr. Arthur H. DeRosier, Jr., inaugurated as fifth president of East Tennessee State University
ETSU organized into seven colleges and schools; Colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health and Medicine. Schools: Graduate Studies, Continuing Education.
Residency program in internal medicine receives accreditation
Mini-Dome opens
- 1978
ETSU joins the Southern Conference after 21 years in the OVC
Student union building renovated to become part of the College of Medicine
Medical school enrolls its first class of 24 students
Schools of Public and Allied Health, Nursing, and Applied Science and Technology established
- 1979
First student representative serves on alumni board
Sherrod Library designated state document depository
- 1980
Dr. Ronald E. Beller becomes the sixth president of East Tennessee State University.
Residency program in surgery receives accreditation
Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine officially named by the State Board of Regents
ETSU parrot Pepper comes in a big egg and hatches during the homecoming festivities
ETSU goes on the semester system
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First NCAA riflery championships held at ETSU
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- 1981
State Board of Regents approves master of education degree at ETSU
Teresa Bowers selected as first distinguished alumna of the arts
Construction of WETS-FM transmitter tower and building on Holston Mountain begins
Entertainers Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, and Helen Reddy join Gov. Lamar Alexander at Johnson City's Freedom Hall to raise money for the Floyd Cramer Scholarship Fund in ETSUs Department of Music
- 1982
Perrier Fitness Trail, 1.3 miles, with 18 fitness stations, completed
Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine receives full accreditation from Liaison Committee on Medical Education
First M.D. degrees awarded by Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine
- 1983
Medical school facility opens on Veterans Administration grounds
Student Services Center established in the Culp University Center to meet special needs of commuting and nontraditional students
Residency program in pathology receives accreditation
Congressman James H. Quillen dedicates medical school facility at Veterans Administration
- 1984
Center for Appalachian Studies and Services (CASS) opens
Dr. Jack Higgs, Department of English, named one of the eight top university professors in the United States by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
Cooper Annex demolished
First dry (non-alcoholic) rush held by fraternities
Senators Albert Gore, Jr. (D.-TN), and Claude Pepper (D-FL) convene a senate subcommittee hearing on Alzheimer disease at the D. P. Culp University Center
ETSU Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology approved by State Board of Regents
CASE president James Fisher addresses the first university-wide convocation
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Brown Hall (science) renovated
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- 1985
First issue of Now and Then published by Center for Appalachian Studies and Services
Vice President George Bush visits ETSU to honor Congressman and Mrs. James H. Quillen at a reception to recognize the creation of the Cecile Cox Quillen Chair of Medicine
East Tennessee State University named a Homecoming 86 community by the State of Tennessee
Medical library dedicated at Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine
A proclamation ceremony held to kick off ETSUs 75th birthday celebration (ETSU President Dr. Ronald E. Beller presented a letter of congratulations from President Reagan on Oct. 23 1985 Homecoming proclamation ceremony)
Burleson Hall (English) renovated
Residency program in psychiatry receives accreditation
Environmental health departments baccalaureate and graduate programs reaccredited and declared best in U.S. by National Environmental Health Association
- 1986
ETSU celebrates its diamond anniversary 75 years of tradition and vision in East Tennessee
Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series begins; addresses delivered by Felix C. Lowe, Alex Haley, Wally Schirra and F. Lee Bailey
Ribbon cutting ceremony for the addition of bus shuttle system for campus transport with university and city officials, partners with the Johnson City Transit System
Joan Mondale, wife of former Vice President Walter Mondale, delivers the fifth talk in the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series in honor of former ETSU President Dr. Arthur H. DeRosier Jr.
Sixth lecture in the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series featuring John Naisbitt, author of Megatrends, in honor of Dr. Ronald E. Beller, ETSU President since 1980.
Thirty-minute television documentary airs on WCYB: East Tennessee State University: 75 Years of Excellence
Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine receives three-year accreditation, the longest period in the medical schools history
- 1987
College of Business achieves accreditation of its bachelors and masters programs from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
Record year in research and sponsored programs support, with over $5 million received
ETSU rings the Unity Bell as well as the historic hand bell at the Reece Museum for Bells Across America, a 200-minute bell-ringing ceremony celebrating the signing of the Constitution
Record enrollment: 10,198
ETSU's Center for Adult Programs and Services opens
- 1988
ETSU adopts a new logo featuring a mountain range over the initials ETSU in Andover typeface, the work of 1973 art alumnus Richard D. Maxey
Dedication ceremony for Carl A. Jones Hall at the Quillen-Dishner College of Medicine, named in honor of the President and Publisher of the Johnson City Press
Record enrollment: 11,156, breaking the 11,000 mark for the first time
Masters program in Storytelling begins
Former President Jimmy Carter visits ETSU to participate in the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
- 1989
The inaugural George L. Carter Award is bestowed to Mr. Allen Harris, Jr
The ETSU medical school is renamed the James H. Quillen College of Medicine
WETS-FM goes to 24-hour programming
Professor Andrei Anikin, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachevs chief advisor on economic restructuring, is featured speaker in the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
- 1990
President Gerald R. Ford speaks as part of the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
College of Nursing opens Johnson City Downtown Clinic
Mountain City Extended Hours Health Center, which is managed by the ETSU College of Nursing, opens
ETSU Bluegrass Band participates in the Soviet Unions International Folk Festival in Moscow
U. S. Senator Albert Gore, Jr., is the keynote speaker for Earth Day
- 1991
Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks as part of the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
ETSU announces $6.1 million grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to initiate the Community Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program
Dr. Bert C. Bach named Interim President
Enrollment tops 12,000
- 1992
Men's basketball defeats No. 3 seed Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
Dr. Roy S. Nicks named Interim President and obtains the post on a permanent basis one year later
James H. Quillen College of Medicine dedicates the Palma L. Robinson Clinical Education Center
Hostage negotiator Terry Waite speaks as part of the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
- 1993
ETSU admits first class of students in Honors Program
Harry Smith from CBS News delivers talk in Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
- 1994
News conference announcing Alias|Silicon Graphics partnership with ETSU
Ribbon-cutting held for computer lab in Culp Center
- 1995
University School announces it will go to year-round schedule
Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series hosts Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller
- 1996
ETSU Homepage named 3-Star Internet site by the McKinley Group
ETSU Computer Science program ranked as national leader by Computerworld
Groundbreaking for new library
Dr. Roy S. Nicks retires
- 1997
Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr. becomes the eighth president of ETSU
Smoking ban enforced in ETSU buildings
Record year for research and sponsored programs: $14 million
Novelist William Styron speaks as part of the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
- 1998
ETSU Foundation records first $10 million year in private giving
ETSU tops $20 million for research funding
- 1999
The new Charles C. Sherrod Library opens
The Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series hosts Linda Wertheimer from National Public Radio
- 2000
Charles C. Sherrod Library recognized nationally as Outstanding Building in the 1999 Architectural Portfolio of American School & University magazine
ETSU receives $26.7 million in research funding
ETSU admits first class of students in the Roan Scholars Leadership Program
ETSU publishes Home and Away: A University Brings Food to the Table, a book of stories and recipes
- 2001
ETSU dedicates the Scott M. Niswonger Digital Media Center
ETSU Division of Theatre presents Hear That Whistle Blow Erwin Train A Coming at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
ETSU classes cancelled due to terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City
ETSU celebrates $90 million fundraising campaign total on 90th birthday
- 2002
James H. Quillen College of Medicine dedicates Stanton-Gerber Hall, basic sciences building, in honor of ETSU President Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr., and Dr. Carl J. Gerber, director of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Annual giving pushes Campaign for ETSU Tomorrow total to $105 million
Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist announces $8 million Tennessee Department of Transportation grant for development of visitor center at Gray Fossil Site
ETSU becomes the first institution in the Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee systems to create its own research foundation
- 2003
College of Business and College of Applied Science and Technology merge to form College of Business and Technology
ETSU football team plays final game, winning 16-13 over The Citadel
- 2004
Congressman James H. Quillen leaves ETSU over $14.6 million for two scholarship endowments
Rare red panda found at ETSUs Gray Fossil Site
ETSU unveils Center for Experiential Learning at the College of Medicine
ETSU names College of Education for Claudius G. Clemmer, a former teacher in a one-room school
The ETSU Alumni Gallery, which includes the George L. Carter and the Outstanding Alumni Walls, is dedicated in the D.P. Culp University Center.
- 2005
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen issues a challenge that ETSU raise $5 million in 90 days for a proposed College of Pharmacy before going to the Tennessee Board of Regents and Tennessee Higher Education Commission for approval, and an additional $2.5 million before the arrival of the first class
ETSU Honors College is established
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission gives the final authorization for the ETSU College of Pharmacy
ETSU joins Atlantic Sun Conference
Dedication held for the ETSU Foundation Carillon and Alumni Plaza, which was the first gift to the university to celebrate ETSUs upcoming centennial
- 2006
East Tennessee State University is among nations first to receive accreditation from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP)
Dr. Maya Angelou gives lecture at ETSU
ETSU dedicates Roy S. Nicks Hall in the renovated building that formerly housed the Charles C. Sherrod Library
ETSU begins holding two commencement ceremonies
- 2007
Inaugural white coat ceremony for the College of Pharmacy is held in D. P. Culp University Center
U.S.News & World Report ranks Quillen College of Medicine third in nation for excellence in rural medicine
ETSU and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site opens to the general public
Governors Hall, new ETSU residence facility, dedicated
The ETSU PRIDE Walk is dedicated.
George L. Carter Railroad Museum opens
College of Public and Allied Health splits to become two colleges: College of Public Health and the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences
- 2008
ETSU celebrates Program of the Year award from the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), presented to the Community Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program
Nearly complete skeleton of fossil red panda discovered at ETSU Gray Fossil Site is only one in the world and the find of a lifetime
Pharmacy school named in honor of benefactor Bill Gatton
The William L. Jenkins Forensic Center is dedicated
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) awards Candidate Status to the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy
ETSU becomes a Tobacco-Free Campus
- 2009
Mary B. Martin School of the Arts established
ETSU enrollment tops 14,000
ETSUs College of Public Health receives accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health, becoming the first school in Tennessee, and the only one in South-Central Appalachia, to earn that designation
ETSU announces the nations first doctoral program in sport science and physiology
ETSU announces the worlds first major in Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music, offered through the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Appalachian Studies
- 2010
The Department of English and the Department of Foreign Language merge to create the new Department of Literature and Language
Eastman Chemical Co. donates 144 acres of its Valleybrook property near Eastern Star Road off I-26 to the ETSU Foundation; the property, which includes 72,000-square-foot research and office complex and a 30,000-square-foot warehouse and storage facility, will be leased to ETSU for research and educational purposes
ETSU's enrollment surpasses 15,000 for the first time, with 15,234 students enrolled for the fall 2010 semester
ETSU officially begins its 100th anniversary observance - "Partnerships, Promise, and Hope for 100 Years" - with a Centennial Opening Celebration in the ETSU/Mountain States Health Alliance Athletic Center (Minidome)
The ETSU College of Nursing and College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences announce a $6.8 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to build a comprehensive health care facility that will house the Johnson City Downtown Clinic and other allied health services
ETSU is dedicated as an All-Steinway School in a ceremony with university and Steinway & Sons Pianos officials prior to a Steinway Celebration Concert featuring The 5 Browns, capping a "Week of Musical Celebrations" commemorating ETSU's centennial
- 2011
The Department of Communication unveils its new, state-of-the-art radio, television and film studio, which has been converted to high definition and includes such amenities as a digital editing lab, studio cameras, graphics software, field equipment and other high-end technologies
A $75,000 renovation of the Hutcheson Hall planetarium is completed, featuring a state-of-the-art, full-dome digital projection system, as well as new seating, floor tiling, and more
The Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy receives the Outstanding Adaptive Reuse Award from The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia in honor of the excellence ETSU demonstrated in preserving, restoring and adapting the 100-year-old building on the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus at Mountain Home that now houses the college
President Dr. Paul E. Stanton Jr. proclaims the first Besse Brown Cooper Day, honoring the world's oldest living person on her 115th birthday. Mrs. Cooper graduated in 1916 from East Tennessee State Normal School.
ETSU closes its Centennial Celebration with a ceremony in the ETSU/Mountain States Health Alliance Athletic Center with the musical number "Mountain Memories," the presentation of the Student Choice Awards, and a special tribute to George L. Carter, who donated the land on which the university now stands, and Besse Brown Cooper, a 1916 East Tennessee State Normal School graduate and the oldest living person in the world at the age of 115
A bronze portrait bust of George L. Carter, the entrepreneur and philanthropist who donated the land on which ETSU now stands, is unveiled in front of Carter Hall, the women's residence hall named in memory of Carter's wife, Mayetta. The sculpture was created by Virginia artist Richard Pumphrey, whose portrait sculptures of the World War II Allied Leaders are on display at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va.
WETS-FM, ETSU's public radio station, becomes the first station in the Tri-Cities region to offer high definition radio, with three HD signals in addition to its regular analog signal at 89.5 MHz
- 2012
ETSU's eighth president, Dr. Paul E. Stanton Jr., retires, and is succeeded by Dr. Brian Noland, former chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
ETSU is officially designated as a U.S. Olympic Training Site for weightlifting by the United States Olympic Committee
The James H. Quillen College of Medicine dedicates its new Student Study Center, a $1.4 million, state-of-the-art facility funded entirely by medical students and private donors, with study rooms of various sizes, a kitchen and café area, an outdoor porch and a 1,000-square-foot terrace
The center part of campus is permanently closed to traffic to allow the creation of more green space and walkway areas
Ground is broken for a 20,000-square-foot expansion of the Wayne G. Basler Center for Physical Activity, just 10 years after the facility's opening
Ground is broken for a Student Parking Garage, which will provide 1,224 parking spaces on four levels, as well as food services and office space for the Department of Public Safety and Office of Parking Services
Johnson City Community Health Center opens, replacing and building on the legacy of the Johnson City Downtown Clinic.
Bucky's Food Pantry, a food bank for ETSU students and employees in need, opens its newly refurbished quarters in the ETSU/Mountain States Health Alliance Athletic Center (Minidome).
- 2013
ETSU launches a major arts initiative to raise funds for a new Fine and Performing Arts Center.
The Memorial Fountain and Tennessee Historical Marker at Borchuck Plaza were dedicated in honor and memory of the five students who desegregated East Tennessee State College: Eugene Caruthers, Elizabeth Watkins Crawford, Clarence McKinney, George L. Nichols and Mary Luellen Owens Wagner.
Surgical Chloe, the worlds first full-body, high-fidelity surgical simulator designed for training medical students and physicians in OB/GYN procedures, is introduced by faculty from the Quillen College of Medicine and College of Business and Technology.
ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland announces plans to start a football program, with the new team slated to take the field by the fall of 2015.
The 40th edition of The Mockingbird, ETSUs annual student literary and artistic magazine, is released.
ETSU at Kingsport Downtown opens its doors.
- 2014
WETS-FM/HD, ETSUs public radio station, celebrates 40 years on the air.
ETSU is designated as an official Olympic training site for the U.S. Canoe and Kayak slalom team by the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Canoe/Kayak.
The new ETSU parking garage opens, providing 1,224 spaces for student use.
ETSU is designated as an official Olympic training site for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
ETSU's James H. Quillen commemorates its 40th anniversary.
- 2015
The new Buccaneer football team takes the field for the first time at Kermit Tipton Stadium against Kennesaw State University. In addition, the new ETSU Marching Bucs take the field for both pregame and halftime programs with 165 band members, a full year ahead of schedule.
ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland announces the inaugural class of Presidential Fellows: Dr. Daryl A. Carter, Dr. Wallace Dixon, Dr. Bethany Flora and Dr. David Linville. This new fellowship is designed to develop and enhance leadership skills among university faculty and staff.
ETSU's Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy commemorates its 10th anniversary.
Ground is broken for construction of the Buccaneers new football stadium, to be located on the west end of campus adjacent to the Basler Center for Physical Activity, intramural fields and Physical Plant.
As the 2015 digging season wraps up, ETSU paleontologists announce the discovery of a huge, mastodon-like elephant at the Gray Fossil Site.
- 2016
A long-awaited Multicultural Center opens its doors in the D.P. Culp Center to provide students of all cultural backgrounds with educational support programs and services, a place to meet, opportunities to discuss issues that affect their lives, and more.
ETSU paleontologists announce discovery of a cluster of up to four mastodon specimens at Gray Fossil Site location where one of the giant creatures was found in 2015.
ETSU becomes the first higher education institution in the nation to be designated an Indoor Tan-Free Skin Smart Campus by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention.
ETSU opens its new, state-of-the-art Basler Team Challenge and Aerial Adventure Course, with 21 unique challenges, and its 44-foot Veterans Tower.
ETSUs postal services becomes Postal and Passport Services with the addition of the capability to accept passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
The Buccaneer football team started its second season 2-0 with a win over Western Carolina University in front of a record-setting crowd inside Bristol Motor Speedway. Attendance was 13,863, marking a new single-game record for ETSU football.
The ETSU School of Graduate Studies announces a record high enrollment of 2,354 students for the fall semester.
ETSU establishes the Center for Community College Leadership, which brings a multidisciplinary approach to addressing complex issues that face post-secondary education, particularly those facing community colleges. The center is directed by Dr. Richard Rhoda, former executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and interim dean of ETSUs Claudius G. Clemmer College of Education and Human Development.
Gov. Bill Haslam announces the eight appointees to the new Board of Trustees, which will govern ETSU starting in the spring of 2017 under the new higher education governance structure formed as part of the FOCUS Act approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. The inaugural members of the ETSU board are Janet Ayres, Steven DeCarlo, David Golden, Dorothy Grisham, Dr. Linda Latimer, Scott Niswonger, James Powell and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. Dr. David Linville of the Quillen College of Medicine, chair of the ETSU Governance Transition Committee, is appointed by ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland to serve as secretary to the board.
The ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band becomes what is believed to be the first university bluegrass band to make the national airplay charts when Did You Hear Me Say Goodbye, a song penned by band member Max Etling and his father, B. Etling, and recorded in the ETSU Recording Lab, debuts at number 12 on the Bluegrass Today chart.
Ground is broken on a multimillion-dollar renovation of Building 60 on the Mountain Home Veterans Affairs campus, which will be transformed from the VAs former Quartermasters Storehouse and fire station into a new Interprofessional Education and Research Center for ETSUs Academic Health Sciences Center.
- 2017
The ETSU Board of Trustees holds its inaugural quarterly meeting on March 24, 2017.
The ETSU football team returns to campus for the inaugural game at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium, opening its third season with a historic 31-10 win over Limestone College in front of a sold-out crowd.
ETSU breaks ground on the long-awaited James C. and Mary B. Martin Center for the Arts, projected to be a $53 million facility with performance, instructional and teaching space, including a 1,200-seat performance hall.
ETSU opens the Center for Teaching Excellence, a “one-stop shop” providing faculty with tools to successfully instruct classes and conduct research in their fields of study.
The College of Public Health is recognized nationally with the Delta Omega Award for Innovative Public Health Curriculum for Project EARTH (Employing Available Resources to Transform Health), which helps prepare public health students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work in low-resource environments through hands-on training at the Niswonger VILLAGE at Valleybrook.
ETSU is designated a Military Friendly® School by Victory Media for the eighth consecutive year, increasing from the bronze to gold ranking.
- 2018
ETSU receives the Military Spouse Friendly ® School designation for the first time from Victory Media, a ratings organization and publisher of Military Spouse Magazine.
ETSU paleontologists publish the discovery of the world’s oldest wolverine (Gulo sudorus) at the Gray Fossil Site. Based on this discovery, the group provides a new estimate of the age of the Gray Fossil Site – between 4.9 and 4.5 million years old – placing it in the early Pliocene Epoch. Previously, the site was thought to be from the late Miocene (between 7 and 4.5 million years old).