History

Burritt College was founded by members of the Church of Christ on the Cumberland Plateau of East Tennessee.  The school was named for Elihu Burritt of Worcester, MA.  The “learned blacksmith,” was a self-made man, who devoted his resources to projects for the betterment of mankind.  Burritt College opened in the fall of 1849 in the isolated village of Spencer, TN.  From the beginning, it was a co-educational in order that parents could send all their children to the same school.  Licensed to award the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1871, Burritt also included an academy and an elementary school.  Burritt College enforced strong discipline on students.  While both sexes attended school, they were not allowed to communicate with each other.  West reports that at the daily assembly, males entered from one side, females from the other, with a rope separating them.  The Burritt College Facebook reported that this practice was still in effect in the 1930’s. 

Initially the curriculum of Burritt College for both college and academy students was traditional and classical with courses in Latin, Greek, philosophy, mathematics, logic, natural philosophy, and evidences of Christianity.   Soon electives were added, and after 1890 students could elect either the classical or scientific courses.  After World War I, departments of commerce, agriculture, expression, and music were added, as well as a normal department.   In 1924 Burritt formally became a junior college.

Social and cultural life at Burritt came from the two literary societies—the Philomathesian (founded 1851) and the Calliopean (founded 1878).  Originally these were open only to male students, but women were admitted in 1885.  Each Saturday the societies held a debate.   Until 1920 the only library at Burritt was the book collections held by each of the societies.  After music and expression were added, the societies expanded activities to include drama and music.

From 73 students in 1849, enrollment increased to 213 by 1880, but began to fall off.  By 1887 enrollment was down to 35 students and the school temporarily closed in 1889.  Enrollment reached a high of 231 in 1899 but again began to tail off.  Burritt had received state funding as a provider of elementary and secondary education for Van Buren County.  However, the advent of public schools spelled doom for Burritt.  After 1936, the school no longer received public funding. The small junior college could not sustain the school after the elementary and high school students began to attend public schools.  Burritt College closed in 1939.