Jerry Summers
According to all sources James Hervey Otey was a fine Christian educator, and first Episcopal Bishop of Tennessee.
He and his 11 older siblings were cousins of President James K. Polk.
Otey, along with Bishop Leonidas Polk, were two of the Founders of the University of the South on the Cumberland Plateau in 1857 after a meeting on Lookout Mountain, Tn. The initial meeting is memorialized by a state of Tennessee historical marker on East Brow Road in the small community on the Tennessee side.
After being baptized into the Episcopal Church in Warrenton, North Carolina, he became an ordained priest in 1825.
He would establish numerous churches and schools throughout the South and in 1829 created the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee at Nashville.
He devoted over 30 years setting up new congregations as both the first Bishop of Tennessee and the first Chancellor of The University of the South where the first building of the new liberal arts institution and initial place of worship was named Otey Hall.
Over the years the black and white residents on the Domain have co-existed with varying interpretations as to harmony and discrimination throughout the history of both the school and community.
Accounts in the Sewanee Messenger newspaper dated January 21, 2021, trace the history of both white and black parishioners following the tragic war fought primarily over the issue of slavery.
At the present-day site of Sewanee Elementary School a chapel was completed in 1875 which served both races but with services held at different times because of segregation.
The white church was called St. Paul’s On the Mountain. The black church was named St. Mark’s.
In 1891 a new stone church was built that was used by the Caucasian parishioners while the African-American church attendees were given the old building.
The Episcopal Diocese upon the recommendation of Bishop Quintard changed the name St. Paul’s to Otey Memorial Church.
Various opinions have existed as to how harmonious relations have been between the races on the mountain at Sewanee. For many years progressive members of the faculty and community have struggled with attempts to balance the contributions of the predominantly white, male student body (until 1968) and alumni from the old South in contrast to the changing advancements in the field of civil rights following the 1960s desegregation decisions by the United Supreme Court and other federal courts.
Numerous actions have quietly been enacted, some not so subtle but also hypocritical. Name changing committees, and other well intending individuals/groups have quietly/loudly taken steps that have earned both criticism and praise but are set apart in value from each other materially.
Other ideas such as changing the name of the University have been suggested but are not being actively pursued up to the date in 2024 of this article? The illegal student act of removing the bust of controversial Confederate general without University authorization of alleged founder of the KKK, Nathan Bedford Forest (NBF), removal of the processional mace and pictorial stain glass window bearing a small Confederate flag, while making no suggestion of razing the Jesse DuPont Library that was primarily erected with private funds a specific provision against integration is also hypocritical. (Said remarks in no way are intended to be in support or approval of NBF as a soldier or citizen.) Improving on any acts in the past rather than removing their history is a wiser path allowing the University to maintain its reputation of being great in the field of academics and advancement both in in the fields of diversity and civil rights.
Looking at the alleged genesis problem in the community from a narrow-distorted point of view may create further division in those that love and honor both the good and bad that has been and is now on Monteagle Mountain in 2024.
A new Vice-Chancelor (RP) took office on July 1, 2023. His resume demonstrates a long career of love for Sewanee as a student, professor, Dean of Students, etc. It is with a sense of optimism that a reasonable balance between history and diversity is all that is needed! Hopefully he will be able to bring the university and community closer together based on an accurate and balanced understanding of what has made The University of the South a superb liberal arts university since the beginning of its creation in 1857.
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You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com