Chattanooga History Column: Southern Adventist University

Dedication, sacrifice and vision mark the beginnings of what is now Southern Adventist University. With nearly 3,000 students, this institution, located in Collegedale, Tenn., is a far cry from its humble beginnings. Established in 1892, the school was founded in Graysville, Tenn., by George W. Colcord.

With the dream of offering quality Christian education to the Southeast, Colcord was committed to the school’s success, using his own money to rent a temporary classroom on the second floor of J.W. Clouse’s General Store at the corner of Dayton Avenue and Shelton Street. Initially, 23 students attended his classes.

Though small, the school prepared its students to have a positive impact on the world for decades to come. One of the early graduates, Rochelle Kilgore, was born on a cotton plantation in Reynolds, Ga., in 1887. Shortly after graduating in 1904, Kilgore began a teaching career that would span 75 years, mostly spent in higher education. Instructing young people was more than an occupation for Kilgore.

Through the years she invited 94 students to live in her home and corresponded with hundreds of American service members around the world. When she died at the age of 105, she was remembered as an inspirational figure.

Moving the College to the Dale