You’re reading a story from Sidelines 100, a project showcasing a century of student storytelling at Middle Tennessee State University. Sidelines 100 plans to highlight 100 stories from the newspaper archives this fall and spring.
This story originally ran in the Oct. 5, 1960, edition of Sidelines. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of all things Sidelines 100.
The frequently published statement that Middle Tennessee State College is a center of area service is best illustrated in the cold statistics of a report compiled last week by Robert Abernathy, director of extension at the college.
In the past fourteen years, 537 off-campus classes in 29 Tennessee counties have been conducted by MTSC faculty members, some of whom had to travel two hundred miles round-trip to meet these classes. The majority of the classes meet at night for a two and one half-hour period. The average number in such classes has been about 26 persons, for a total attendance of 13,961.
Although no accurate figures can be compiled, it is estimated that these 13,961 persons represent between 3,000 and 4,000 different individuals since a minimum amount of work can be obtained through extension courses.
Forty-one different communities have organized such classes, the largest number having been held at Lawrenceburg (46), Jasper (39), Benton (36). Winchester (36), Tracy City (30), Columbia (30), Fayetteville (29) and Pulaski (24). The largest number enrolled in any one center is 14,860 at Lawrenceburg, 1,085 at Jasper, 1,137 at Winchester and 779 at College.
The largest single class was at Waynesboro and the highest class average of 50 in fourteen classes was maintained there. On the opposite peripher of the area of service, Hamilton county, 25 classes have attracted 513 students.
The range of offerings in these extension classes include agriculture (1); art (59), business (2), education (139), health and physical education (58), languages (49), mathematics (24), music (30), science (51), and social science (124).
The majority of those who take extension classes are in-service teachers. These usually come on the college to complete their work in residence for a degree. Others, especially in art, are housewives who study for relaxation or for a hobby.
The location and total number attending such classes are as follows: Benton 36, Carthage 14, Chattanooga 83, Cleveland 103, Collinwood 46, Columbia 779, Dayton 212, Dunlap 471, Evensville 16, Fayetteville 698, Franklin 360, Gainesboro 72, Gallatin 254, Hartsville 26, Hermitage Springs 98, Jasper 1,085, LaFayette 615, Lawrenceburg 1,468, Lebanon 454, Lewisburg 401, Lynchburg 117, Manchester 476, McMinnville 460, Pikeville 267, Pulaski 619, Red Boiling Springs 48, Sale Creek 15, Shelbyville 300, Smithville 3, Spencer 66, Smyrna 207, Soddy Daisy 273, Sparta 100, Spring City 117, Tracy City 773, Tullahoma 133, Waynesboro 699, Whitwell 136, Winchester 1,137, Woodbury 324.
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