Lambuth University officially became part of The University of Memphis with the recording of the deed on Dec. 20 and plans to celebrate with a flag-raising ceremony at noon today in Jackson, Tenn. on what is now The University of Memphis-Lambuth campus.
Expected to attend are Tenn. Gov. Bill Haslam, Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris, Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist, Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan and U of M President Shirley Raines.
The University began leasing the campus in August after Lambuth faced bankruptcy over a $2.5 million debt. The U of M is no stranger to the Jackson area, however. For the past 66 years, Memphis offered classes out of a single building at Jackson State Community College.
For English professor Ann Ecoff, Lambuth has been both her alma mater as well as her workplace for the past 20 years. She is thankful to still call it home.
"We knew something was wrong for like three years," Ecoff said. "The best part of The University of Memphis coming in is still having a job."
Students moved into their newly renovated on-campus dorms Tuesday. Some were greeted by resident adviser and senior organizational leadership major Casey Williams.
She transferred from Austin Peay State University to Jackson State Community College before finally donning Tiger blue as a junior at The U of M.
"We have our own campus now. We're not bumming one room anymore," Williams said of the services The U of M offers at Lambuth in contrast to JSCC.
U of M Provost Ralph Faudree said the biggest problem The University faced with Lambuth was the timing.
"We took over a couple weeks prior to the fall semester, so we had no chance to recruit," Faudree said. "Now that we officially have the campus, we can start."
Since August, the Lambuth campus has seen attendance grow about 33 percent, from nearly 300 students to almost 400 and has already received over 250 incoming freshmen applications for the fall semester.
Dan Lattimore, vice provost for extended programs and head administrator at the Lambuth campus, said Lambuth was on track to reach 1,000 students within four years.
"We're growing, and the response is very good," Lattimore said. "New degrees will be added, including English, entertainment music industries and communication, accounting, psychology and science."
U of M Counsel Sheri Lipman said the city of Jackson, Madison County Government, West Tennessee Healthcare and the Jackson Energy Authority each contributed $2 million to purchase the campus. It was then turned over to the State of Tennessee for use by the University of Memphis and, with the assistance of Gov. Haslam, the state legislature agreed to allocate state funding for operating costs.
"Their interest is to see that (Lambuth) remains a viable campus because it is an institute devoted to making the city work and they'd do whatever it took to continue to do so," said Lipman.
Ecoff said Lambuth University was often called the Lambuth bubble.
"We loved Lambuth. It was its own universe, and we all had a sense of community," she said.
That is a sentiment her fellow professors share even as the campus continues on under the umbrella of The U of M.
Former Lambuth University Vice President of Academic Affairs Lee Weimer, now the associate dean and professor of music at University of Memphis-Lambuth, said this has been a positive outcome for everyone, now giving the Jackson area the option of a four-year public university.
The transition was smooth because most of the original faculty remained and were joined by those who taught classes at JSCC.
"The biggest advantage to this was that with such a small campus, I know all the other faculty and virtually all the students," Weimer said. "The students get one-on-one, individual attention, but they also have access to the resources from The U of M."
Students at The U of M's main campus also have the option to take classes at the Lambuth campus if they so desired, and Lambuth professors encourage them to do so.
"Being from this area, it means a lot to me to see The U of M take care of the people here," said Williams. "And I know it means a lot to the people in Jackson and the surrounding area."
