In 1890, two school principals from Philadelphia founded Belmont to help female students find their voices at a time before they even had the right to vote. The school that Susan L. Heron and Ida E. Hood launched has grown in countless ways since then, but its founding mission of empowering students to find their purpose through creativity, character development and innovative thinking remains the bedrock of our institution today.
Belmont Through the Years
1889
Susan L. Heron and Ida E. Hood chose the antebellum former Belle Monte estate site as the grounds for what is now known as Belmont University. The water tower with its windmill, which would later become Belmont’s now-famous Bell Tower*, inspired the duo to move forward despite the property’s dilapidated condition.
*The discinctive bells were added in 1928 to commemorate World War I. In 1986, a new set of carillon bells was installed in the historic Bell Tower, replacing the originals that had been sold years earlier for funding purposes.
Sept. 4, 1890
Belmont College for Young Women opens, bucking the traditional trend of sending girls to finishing schools by empowering students to lead lives of purpose through cultural, intellectual and social learning. 90 students enroll the first year, paying $60 in tuition. The innovative curriculum included 10 different subject fields – English, mathematics, natural science, philosophy, elocution, physical culture, art, music, as well as modern and ancient languages.
1913
Heron and Hood retire. By this time, their creative visions had grown Belmont College to 376 students from 28 different states. Graduated held the equivalent of a junior-college diploma and often went on to attend prominent four-year colleges like Vassar, Smith and Bryn Mawr.
Belmont Through the Years (1913-1951)
1913
Belmont College merges with Nashville's prestigious Ward Seminary for Young Ladies to form Ward-Belmont College. The merger combined Belmont's beautiful campus with Ward's administrative expertise, creating an institution that included a junior college, a preparatory school, primary school and a music conservatory.
1922
Ward-Belmont becomes home to the production of Nashville’s first radio broadcast — a concert by pianist Philip Gordon before a live audience of Ward-Belmont students and their families. That same year, it became the first junior college in the South to receive full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
November 17, 1934
In the wake of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visits campus with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Classes are suspended, and students welcome the presidential brigade to campus.
1950-1951
Facing financial challenges, Ward-Belmont's board explores new funding options, ultimately leading to the Tennessee Baptist Convention's purchase of the property in February 1951. Ward-Belmont finished the 1950-1951 school year, and Belmont College opened in the fall of 1951 as a four-year, co-ed institution.
Growth & Innovation (1951-1990)
April 27, 1959
Dr. Herbert Gabhart, pastor of McLean Boulevard Baptist Church in Memphis, accepts an offer to become Belmont’s next president. His transformative 23-year tenure would see enrollment grow from 365 to more than 2,000 students.
March 11, 1965
Belmont’s board unanimously passes a recommendation to admit any student who meets requirements, regardless of race. President Gabhart signs the Certification of Assurance of Compliance with Provisions of Civil Rights Act of 1964, reaffirming Belmont's commitment to character and ethical leadership.
1966-1968
Construction begins on the Jack C. Massey Auditorium and Fine Arts Center (1966), and Coach Betty Wiseman launches Belmont’s Women’s Basketball Program (1968), the first of its kind in the South.
Spring 1970
Fannie Delores Valree (Hewlett) is the first African American student to graduate from Belmont College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree.
1971
Based on a suggestion from music legend Roy Acuff, Professor Robert E. Mulloy starts teaching an Introduction to Music Business course — and the school’s music business program is born.
December 1972
A fire destroys Blanton Hall, a cornerstone of the campus, along with registrar records, in-progress faculty dissertations and the College’s library. Damages are estimated at $2 million.
1973-1975: Rising from the Ashes
In the aftermath of the devastating Blanton fire, Belmont demonstrated remarkable resilience by launching several key academic programs during this period of recovery and growth. The pioneering Music Business program launched in 1973, followed by the establishment of other foundational programs including Business and Nursing in the mid-1970s.
These programs, which recently celebrated their 50th anniversaries in the 2020s, exemplify Belmont's determination to not only rebuild but to expand its academic offerings during a challenging period. The Music Business program, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023-2024, would eventually grow into what is now the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business (renamed in 2003). The timing of these launches — emerging from crisis with innovation and growth — reflects the institutional character that continues to define Belmont today.
1982-1986
Dr. Gabhart retires after growing the budget from $480,000 to $8 million and is succeeded by Dr. Bill Troutt, the youngest college president in the U.S. at the time. In 1986, the historic Bell Tower's carillon bells return to campus after being sold years earlier for funds.
Belmont University Era (1991-2021)
1991
Belmont College becomes Belmont University.
1999-2000
Belmont joins NCAA Division I in 1999, gaining wider recognition for athletic programs. In 2000, Dr. Bob Fisher is hired as president, beginning his 21-year tenure that would see unprecedented growth and transformation.
2003-2015
Under Dr. Fisher's leadership, Belmont invests more than $1 billion in campus development, including the Beaman Student Life Center and Curb Events Center (2003); Gordon E. Inman Center (2006); McWhorter Hall (2010); Randall and Sadie Baskin Center for the College of Law (2012); Foutch Alumni House (2014); Janet Ayers Academic Center (2014); and R. Milton and Denice Johnson Center (2015).
November 2007
A lawsuit between Belmont and the Tennessee Baptist Convention reaches a resolution. With the settlement, Belmont honors its Baptist heritage but steps forward as an independent, ecumenical Christian university with no denominational ties.
2008-2020
Belmont was the first university in Tennessee to host a U.S. presidential debate, doing so in 2008 and again in 2020, positioning the campus as a national stagefor civic engagement and bringing worldwide attention to the University.
2013-2021
Bridges to Belmont program launches in 2013, demonstrating Belmont's ongoing commitment to character, community and access to education. In 2021, the program expands to reach 50 students annually from 10 local public high schools, supported by a $10 million endowment.
2018-2020
Belmont acquires O'More College of Design (2018) and Watkins College of Art (2020) and establishes Middle Tennessee's first Bachelor of Architecture degree.
October 15, 2020
Belmont announces its intent to start a new College of Medicine.
May 2021
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher retires after more than two decades of service to the University. Fisher’s tenure shaped Belmont into a nationally recognized, premier institution, leading the campus through extraordinary development with more than $1 billion invested in new construction, renovations and property acquisitions. The expansion was needed to serve the nearly tripled enrollment under his presidency, which makes Belmont the country’s largest ecumenical Christian university.
The University announces that the College of Medicine would be named in honor of health care icon Dr. Thomas F. Frist Jr., and the Crockett Center for Athletic Excellence opens as the primary training facility for Belmont's nationally regarded men's and women's basketball and volleyball programs.
Leading With Hope (2021-Present)
June 1, 2021
Dr. Greg Jones becomes president of Belmont University. The former dean of Duke Divinity School and provost and executive vice president of Baylor University, President Jones is a celebrated speaker, author, educator and business leader who is dedicated to forming leaders of character who are committed to helping people and communities flourish.
2021-2022
Belmont launches the Belmont Data Collaborative with a $60 million investment and opens the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, a $180 million venue designed to be the premier college performance space in the nation. Belmont Innovation Labs debuts in 2022, culminating in the inaugural Hope Summit.
In 2021, Belmont dedicates Freedom Plaza to honor the enslaved individuals who labored on the Acklen estate, with names inscribed at the campus fountain. In 2022, Belmont opens its Indigenous Garden near the Foutch Alumni House to recognize the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Shawnee and Yuchi peoples who once inhabited the land.
2022-2023
Belmont joins the Missouri Valley Conference in fall of 2022 after winning 67 conference championships and making 50 NCAA Tournament appearances. In spring of 2022, the Women’s Basketball team advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2023, Belmont opens the six-story Jack C. Massey Center, serving as the University's new "front door."
2023-2024
In late 2023, the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine earns preliminary accreditation and Belmont receives a $32 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to fund a nationwide initiative in Christianity and the arts. In April 2024, Belmont announces a historic $58 million lead gift from Mike Curb and the Mike Curb Foundation — the largest in University history — to expand the University's Music Row footprint, with renovations underway and a new 75,000-square-foot facility planned. In July 2024, the College of Medicine welcomes its inaugural class of 50 students, marking a significant expansion of Belmont's health sciences programs.
The 2023-2024 academic year also marked a significant milestone as Belmont celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Music Business program (established 1973), demonstrating how the program that emerged during Belmont's recovery from the 1972 Blanton fire has become a defining feature of the university. The Jack C. Massey College of Business also celebrated its 50th anniversary during this period.
2025
Belmont names three residence halls after distinguished alumni Betty Wiseman, Jack Benz and Fannie Hewlett. The University receives a $10 million gift for The CORD – Powerhouse entrepreneurship center and a $1 million Haslam Foundation scholarship for medical students.
Women's Basketball reaches the WBIT Championship and Softball wins its first MVC Championship. O'More College graduates its first architecture class, while the Fisher Center and Frist College of Medicine are recognized among Nashville's most influential buildings. New educational partnerships launch with Tennessee State, Fisk University, Queen's Belfast and Dolly Parton.
Today
Nationally recognized for high-quality academic programs and an innovative approach, Belmont is furthering its efforts to become the leading Christ-centered university in the world. With more than 115 areas of undergraduate study, 41 master’s programs and eight doctoral degrees and nearly 9,000 students from every state and more than 33 countries, Belmont aims to produce leaders who radically champion the pursuit of a life abundant for all people.
Further Resources
For more detailed information about Belmont's history and presidential leadership, visit the University Archives and Special Collections. These resources include comprehensive historical timelines and profiles of the leaders who have shaped our institution from its founding to today.