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Washington College

Tennessee's Oldest Educational Institute

Located only 7 miles west of Jonesborough, Washington College is Tennessee's oldest educational instiiution. The College was founded by Samuel Doak, Presbyterian minister and Princeton graduate, in 1780. It was chartered under the Old Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio as Martin Academy in honor of Josiah Martin, the Governor of North Carolina. The Academy was the first institution of learning west of the Allegheny Mountains.

In 1795, the Academy became Washington College by permission of the first president, George Washington. The first charterer was granted by North Carolina, the second by the lost state of Franklin. It served as a college located at the time in a wilderness.

For many years, the college remained the only institution of classical learning in the 'West". Students came from pioneer families to be educated for the professions. The Academy has graduated 22 college presidents, 28 members of Congress, 3 governors, 16 missionaries, 168 ministers, a chaplain of Congress, the only individual to be an Admiral of the Navy and General of the Army, and countless teachers, judges, lawyers, and legislators.

From its early founding, the school made available a classical education to talented and motivated students. The year Martin Academy became Washington College, Doak went back East. Friends gave him books for the school, and he traveled 500 miles with the books on his "flea-bitten grey" to establish the Academy library for his frontier students.

The college curriculum was dropped in the twentieth century to concentrate on a high school curriculum. Many pioneer students were unable to attend school at that time. To assist these students, the school established a self-help program. Students were able to defray expenses by performing work on campus. In 1953, the name was changed to Washington College Academy.

The Academy is governed by a Board of Trustees and is supported by a strong alumni. It is financed by annual giving, capital campaigns, and endowments.

Shown below are a few photos of the Washington College campus, the cemetery, and the adjacent countryside. Click the images to see a full size photo.