Timeline
150 Years of Health Caring
Foundations of a Mission
1876
The Meharry Medical Department of Central Tennessee College was born in Nashville.
1876
Former U.S. Army corpsman George W. Hubbard and former C.S.A. surgeon Dr. J.W. Sneed are among the first instructors, with Hubbard serving as dean.
1886
The School of Dentistry opens, followed by the School of Pharmacy in 1889.
1877
James Monroe Jamison becomes Meharry’s first graduate at age 25.
1882
The graduating class grows to eight, including Robert F. Boyd, the first Black physician to open a private practice in Nashville and founding president of the National Medical Association in 1895.
1893
Dr. Georgia Esther Lee Patton Washington becomes the first female graduate and the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine and surgery in Tennessee. She is also Meharry’s first graduate to serve in Africa, returning in 1895 to practice in Memphis.
Growth and Independence
1910
The first operation is performed at the new George W. Hubbard Hospital. That same year, the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing is transferred to Meharry.
Oct. 13, 1915
Meharry is granted a separate charter, becoming autonomous and financially secure, with Dr. Hubbard as its first president.
Leadership and Expansion
1921
After 45 years of service, Dr. Hubbard retires and is honored with a $17,000 home that still serves as the Seay-Hubbard Methodist Church parsonage. Dr. John James Mullowney becomes Meharry’s second president, strengthening admission standards, expanding faculty and advancing research and hospital facilities.
1927
Dr. Daniel T. Rolfe, a renowned physiology professor, graduates with highest honors.
1928
The Board of Trustees devotes $1.5 million to a new campus. With foundation support and a campaign led by alumni and Nashvillians, construction begins in 1930.
A New Campus and New Leadership
1931
Meharry’s new North Nashville campus opens next to Fisk University.
1934
Dr. Matthew Walker, future NMA president (1953–55) and one of Meharry’s most distinguished alumni, graduates with honors.
1938
Despite producing 600 graduates, the Pharmacy Department closes due to declining enrollment. That same year, Dr. Edward L. Turner becomes Meharry’s third president. By the end of his first year, Black faculty members had assumed a greater role in the College than ever before.
Rising Standards and Wartime Service
1940s
Stronger student selection and distinguished faculty leads to a significant rise in graduates passing state and national medical licensing exams.
1941
With America’s entry into World War II, Meharry students pause their studies to serve in the armed forces, fighting for their country while calling for an end to discrimination at home.
1943
The U.S. Public Health Service establishes the Cadet Nurse Corps at Meharry’s School of Nursing.
1945
Dr. Marion Don Clawson becomes Meharry’s fourth president and the first dentist in U.S. history to lead a medical school.
Leadership and Diversity Emerge
1952
Meharry selects its first Black president, researcher Dr. Harold D. West, who launches a $20 million campaign and a plan to expand the campus.
Change, Advocacy, and Growth
1960s
Meharry students actively join national protest movements, reflecting a period of social transformation and advocacy on campus.
1962
Despite Dr. West’s efforts, financial challenges lead to the closure of Meharry’s School of Nursing.
1966
Dorothy L. Brown, M.D., Class of 1948, already the first Black female surgeon in the Southeast, makes history as the first Black woman elected to the Tennessee General Assembly.
1968
Dr. Lloyd C. Elam becomes Meharry’s sixth president, championing compassion, community partnership, and comprehensive care. That year, Meharry opens the Comprehensive Children and Youth Center, serving patients up to age 18 with a focus on whole-patient care. Dr. Elam’s administration oversees unprecedented growth, adding 14 new buildings and an amphitheater.
Medical Breakthroughs
1972
Dr. David B. Todd, Class of 1956, becomes Nashville’s first Black cardiovascular surgeon and leads the team that performed Meharry’s first open-heart surgery.
Transition and Transformation
1981
Dr. Elam resigns as president and becomes Meharry’s first chancellor. Dr. Richard Lester succeeds him as interim president, negotiating with the Reagan administration to place attendings, residents, and students at the Alvin C. York VA Hospital.
1982–1993
Dr. David Satcher serves as Meharry’s eighth president, laying the groundwork for the merger of Hubbard Hospital and Metro General Hospital. He later leads the CDC, becomes U.S. Surgeon General, and directs the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Building Partnerships and Strengthening Meharry
1994
Dr. Henry Foster serves as acting president, playing a key role in the Nashville General Hospital merger.
1994–2006
Dr. John E. Maupin, the first alumnus and second dentist to serve as president and CEO, oversees major facility expansions, unifies clinical staffs, and leads the landmark public-private partnership between Nashville General Hospital and Hubbard Hospital.
125 Years of Impact
2001
Meharry celebrates its 125th anniversary with a yearlong series of events and campaigns to renovate campus buildings and secure the College’s legacy.
A New Era of Growth
2007–2013
Dr. Wayne J. Riley becomes Meharry’s 10th president and CEO, strengthening partnerships with the NIH, earning accreditation for the first master’s degree in public health, and securing a $18 million gift from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Major new construction begins, including the Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education and the Henry A. Moses, Ph.D., Alumni Hall.
Breaking Barriers in Leadership
2013–2015
Dr. Anna Cherrie Epps becomes Meharry’s 11th president and the only African American woman with a Ph.D. to serve as both dean and president of an HBCU.
Innovation and Discovery
2015–Present
Dr. James E.K. Hildreth becomes Meharry’s 12th president and CEO. A leading HIV/AIDS researcher with over 90 publications and 11 patents, he previously directed Meharry’s NIH-funded Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research and now leads the College into a new era of innovation.
Meharry and the Pandemic
2020
In March 2020, just days after a tornado struck near campus, Meharry pivots to confront COVID-19, launching a drive-through testing site and later overseeing all three Nashville testing locations. Match Day was canceled, and Commencement was held virtually as Meharry continued serving Nashville’s underserved communities during a global crisis.
A Bold Vision for DNA Research and Global Health
January 2023
Meharry launches the Global Health Equity Institute, now known as the School of Global Health, in the first step toward creating the nation’s first school of global public health at an HBCU, set to open by 2026. Led by national health equity leader Daniel Dawes, the initiative expands education and research to address structural inequities in public health.
October 2023
Meharry further advances its mission with the launch of Together for CHANGE (T4C), the inaugural project of the new Diaspora Human Genomics Institute (DHGI). In partnership with leading pharmaceutical companies, T4C will create the world’s largest genomic database of people of African ancestry, driving equitable research and groundbreaking treatments for diseases disproportionately affecting Black communities.
A Expanding Access to Health Care Through Investment and Innovation
August 2024
Bloomberg Philanthropies awards Meharry Medical College a $175 million gift—the largest in its history—to strengthen the College’s endowment, diversify the health care workforce, and advance health equity worldwide. The investment, part of a $600 million commitment to historically Black medical schools, builds on previous Bloomberg support and addresses systemic funding inequities to ensure Meharry’s continued leadership in eliminating health disparities.
2024
Meharry was selected as one of four national sites for Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development (EQBMED), a partnership led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Yale. Supported by PhRMA, EQBMED aims to increase Black and Hispanic participation in clinical research through community partnerships, innovative trial design, and industry collaboration—further advancing Meharry’s mission to build a more equitable future in health care.
2024
Meharry Medical College and Oracle Health announced a collaboration to expand health care access, education, and innovation across Middle Tennessee and beyond. The partnership aims to create a health technology education and research collaborative, a health innovation hub, and a community care and wellness center in Nashville.
Through Oracle’s cloud, AI, and clinical tools, students and providers will gain hands-on training and develop skills to shape the future of health care. The collaboration will also advance research in precision medicine, health informatics, and population health — strengthening Meharry’s mission to improve health equity and deliver compassionate, community-centered care.
A Strengthening Community Care and Dental Education
June 2025
Meharry Medical College opens its Office of Memphis Programs on the campus of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, strengthening its impact across Tennessee and beyond. The new office supports medical students during clinical training, introduces STEAM programming for K–12 students, and deepens partnerships with local health systems and faith-based organizations to expand care in underserved communities. This expansion follows Meharry’s acquisition of four Memphis medical clinics, now part of the Meharry Health Network.
July 2025
Meharry’s School of Dentistry celebrates the grand opening of its CRET Innovation Suite, a state-of-the-art training center designed to prepare students for modern clinical practice. Made possible through the 2023 CRET Innovation Center Award, the suite features fully equipped operatories with advanced dental technology, enabling students to train in real-world environments. The center strengthens Meharry’s mission to address oral health disparities and continues its legacy of producing dentists who serve in underserved communities nationwide.
October 2025
Meharry Medical College launches the T4C GREAT Health Study, a 10-year initiative to build the world’s largest genetic database from 500,000 people of African ancestry. Announced as President Dr. James E.K. Hildreth became the first donor, the project aims to close major gaps in genetic research, where only about 2% of existing data represents people of African descent.
The study will improve disease understanding, risk assessments, and targeted treatments, with outreach through physicians, churches, and community partners. All DNA samples will be de-identified to protect privacy, and advanced AI tools will help unlock discoveries to benefit future generations