University School of Nashville

Referred to colloquially as USN, the school was founded in 1888 by the Peabody Board of Trustees.[http://www.usn.org/podium/default.aspx?t=113323&rc=0 The USN website's history page] The school was first founded as Winthrop Model School; in 1915, it became Peabody Demonstration School (PDS), a part of Peabody College intended to demonstrate the operation of a school. The school was founded by Richard Thomas Alexander.George W. Lucero (2012). Begin with the Child, the Story of New College, Unpublished manuscript, Illinois State University, Normal, IL. While it was Peabody Demonstration School, it became the second high school in Nashville to be desegregated, following Father Ryan High School, and the first one to be fully desegregated, meaning that extra-curricular activities were desegregated in addition to academics. The demonstration school was closed in 1974, several years before Peabody merged with adjacent Vanderbilt University. The students' parents bought the school; by a student vote, the school was established as University School of Nashville.{{Cn|date=April 2024}}

Historically, USN has been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program. In the class of 2011, with 91 students, there were 12 semifinalists and 13 commended students recognized by the program. In 2010, both Presidential Scholars for Tennessee were USN students. USN also produced a Presidential Scholar in 2012 and in 2017.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}}{{cite web |title=USN Presidential Honors |url=https://www.usn.org/page/news-detail?pk=532971 |website=USN.org |access-date=October 28, 2018}}

Perhaps the largest addition to the school in its history came in 1998, when an {{convert|80|acre|ha|adj=on}} external campus was purchased for the purpose of housing athletic facilities. The River Campus currently houses a baseball field, a softball field, a full-sized track, and five multi-purpose fields that are rotated between men's and women's soccer, lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee. Construction has recently finished on tennis courts. In addition, this site originally had a {{convert|15|acre|m2|adj=on}} sum of wetland, situated on the Cumberland River and Whites Creek. The original wetland was filled in for athletic fields and a new one of equivalent size was excavated and filled with water.

In 2003, USN opened the Christine Slayden Tibbott Center for the Visual Arts. The center also included a fitness center.[http://usn.org/FolderID/135/SessionID/{E81822B1-FF39-4C97-B2F3-33314999560E}/PageVars/Library/InfoManage/Guide.htm USN Facilities and Campuses]

The next year, the school opened the Hassenfeld Library. This {{convert|20000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} addition now houses 25,000 books, 2,400 educational videos, and 147 periodicals.[http://usn.org/Library/InfoManage/Guide.asp?FolderID=57&SessionID={E81822B1-FF39-4C97-B2F3-33314999560E} The Hassenfeld Library]

In 2012, USN revamped the cafeteria and dining area.{{Cite news|url=https://usn.myschoolapp.com/app/detail/video/1235425|title=Sperling Renovation, June 2011|access-date=September 27, 2017}}

In 2015, as part of its 100-year anniversary celebration, the school revamped a large part of the 19th avenue entrance.

• Jad Abumrad, radio host, composer, and producer
• Richard Thomas Alexander, educator and education theorist
• Jenny Boucek, WNBA coach and player, NBA coach (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2013[https://www.usn.org/alumni/alumni-association-nabv--distinguished-alumni Alumni Association, NABV, & Distinguished Alumni])
• Lucius E. Burch Jr., attorney, civil rights activist, and conservationist (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1984)
• Cheryl McKissack Daniel, civil engineer and businesswoman
• Ned Davis, financial analyst and company founder (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1999{{cite web|url=https://www.usn.org/alumni/alumni-association-nabv--distinguished-alumni# | website=USN | access-date=January 22, 2021 | title=Distinguished Alumni}}){{cite web | url=https://usn.planmygift.org/why-we-give/bright-futures-start-at-usn | website=University School of Nashville Alumni | title=Ned Davis: Alumnus Celebrates School’s Lasting Impact on His Life

| access-date=January 22, 2021 }}

• Gabe Dixon, musician {{Cite web |date=February 22, 2013 |title=USN Alumni Live On Stage |url=https://www.usn.org/news-detail?pk=656004 |access-date=January 31, 2024 |website=University School of Nashville |language=en}}
• John Early, comedian
• Phil Everly, singer
• Russ Freeman, jazz guitarist, founder of The Rippingtons (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1995)
• Rosalind S. Helderman, journalist [https://www.usn.org/news-detail?pk=876726 Alumna returns to campus for Buhl Lecture]
• Bruce Henderson, founder of Boston Consulting Group
• Huell Howser, television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, voice artist (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2002)
• Akiko Ichikawa, New York City-based multidisciplinary artist and art writer{{cite news|url=https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/lifeline-clyfford-still-dennis-scholl-abstract-expressionism-1202680523/|title=A New Clyfford Still Documentary Explores the Life and Work of the Enigmatic Abstract Expressionist|last=Ichikawa|first=Akiko|date=March 25, 2020|work=Art in America}}{{cite web|url=https://2020brownstudentexhibition.artcall.org/|title=2020 Brown Student Exhibition|website=artcall.org}}
• Shooter Jennings, country music singer {{Cite web |date=February 22, 2013 |title=USN Alumni Live On Stage |url=https://www.usn.org/news-detail?pk=656004 |access-date=January 31, 2024 |website=University School of Nashville |language=en}}
• Mark Levine, former broadcast journalist and host of the nationally syndicated radio/television show Inside Scoop on Washington; member of the Virginia House of Delegates
• Robert K. Massie, author, historian, winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1983)
• Stanford Moore, chemist and winner of the 1972 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1979)
• John Wilkinson Taylor, former president of the University of Louisville (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1990)
• William Tyler, folk musician and guitarist
• David Vise, journalist and author, winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1992)
• Susan Yeagley, actress [https://www.usn.org/news-detail?pk=651490 Susan Yeagley ′89 Skypes with High School]
• Gideon Yu, sports executive and high-tech investor and advisor (Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2011)

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.usn.org official website]
• [http://usn.org/Library/InfoManage/Guide.asp?FolderID=59&SessionID={493AE90C-C024-4E26-BF1E-7FCE606E6776} Homepage for USN news & publications]
• [http://internal.usn.org/wetlands/ The USN Wetland website]

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Category:Former university-affiliated schools in the United States

Category:Preparatory schools in Tennessee

Category:Private K–12 schools in Tennessee

Category:Schools in Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Educational institutions established in 1975

Category:Educational institutions established in 1915