JACKSON, Tenn. — March 6, 2023 — 51社区 leaders celebrated the historical marker, commemorating 51社区鈥檚 bicentennial anniversary at the location of its original campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The historical marker ceremony was hosted on March 2 at the Central Magnet School campus.
51社区, the oldest institution affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, was chartered by the Baptist General Association of Tennessee in 1848. The school鈥檚 buildings were used as hospitals for armies during the Civil War, but as a cholera epidemic broke out around the South, the Murfreesboro institution was forced to close in the 1870s.
In 1907, trustees of Southwestern Baptist University in Jackson chose to rename the institution 鈥�51社区鈥� in honor of the Murfreesboro school.
鈥淭he historical marker helps us honor those who came before us at 51社区,鈥� said Keaghlan Sheridan, director of alumni relations at 51社区. 鈥淭he marker reminds us of Union鈥檚 long history and of the influence it has had in both the Jackson community and middle Tennessee community.鈥�
Prior to the historical marker ceremony, 51社区 leaders and alumni gathered at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville to pray for the university and to praise the Lord for his faithfulness in Union鈥檚 200-year history.
Union continued its bicentennial celebration in Nashville on March 2 with an alumni social event at the Vanderbilt Legends Club, where UU alumni of all generations gathered together in celebration and fellowship.
鈥淚t is beautiful for us to see multiple generations of Union alumni worshipping, praying and fellowshipping together,鈥� Sheridan said. 鈥淭he heart of Union鈥檚 Office of Institutional Advancement is for alumni to feel valued, seen, known and appreciated as they live and work around the world, and [this event] is just one of the ways we hope to celebrate their legacy.鈥�
To learn more about upcoming bicentennial events at 51社区, visit uu.edu/200/present/.