B eng ali ▁writers ▁Category : 1 9 5 1 ▁birth s <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Tennessee ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁State ▁Normal ▁School ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁Below ▁is ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁pres idents ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁Tennessee ▁State ▁University . ▁ ▁William ▁Jas per ▁H ale ▁( 1 9 1 2 - 1 9 4 3 ) ▁ ▁William ▁Jas per ▁H ale ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁head ▁of ▁T SU , ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁State ▁Normal ▁School . ▁The ▁original ▁ 2 4 7 ▁students , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁and ▁staff , ▁operated ▁as ▁a ▁family . ▁Every one ▁worked ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁institution ▁running ▁in ▁its ▁early ▁years ▁from ▁clear ing ▁rocks ▁and ▁har vest ing ▁cro ps ▁to ▁carrying ▁ch airs ▁from ▁class ▁to ▁class . ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁raised ▁to ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁a ▁four - year ▁teachers ' ▁college ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁and ▁became ▁emp ower ed ▁to ▁grant ▁the ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree . ▁Com men cement ▁exer cis es ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁college ▁class ▁were ▁held ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁award ing ▁degrees ▁to ▁seven ▁men ▁and ▁one ▁woman . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁the ▁school ' s ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁Tennessee ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁State ▁Te ach ers ▁College . ▁As ▁Tennessee ▁State ▁grew ▁in ▁scope ▁and ▁stat ure ▁throughout ▁the