Building a University: Vanderbilt's Second Decade, 1885-1895

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Vanderbilt’s second decade, 1886-1895, was a time of rapid change for the fledgling university. There was a rising population of female and international students, as well as broadening of extracurriculars such as athletics, Greek organizations, and student clubs. Figures such as Charles Soong and Stella Vaughn created lasting legacies at the university during this decade for their prolific and influential work. The longest running student publications, the Comet (later renamed The Commodore) and The Hustler, Vanderbilt’s student newspaper, were founded in 1887 and 1888, respectively. The first form of student government – the West Side Court – was established a few years later in 1891 to adjudicate disputes between young men living in the six dormitory cottages which made up West Side Row. Modern student life harkens back to the student experiences first witnessed during this decade.

P. Alphonso Rodriguez

Creator R. Poole

Date 1894

Source John Fulton Collection, Vanderbilt University Special Collections

Professor Rodriquez was originally from Mexico. He spent many years in Spanish translation in Nashville, Tennessee, and became the first international professor teaching the Spanish language at Vanderbilt University. He married twice, and his oldest son Alphonso Rodriquez attended Vanderbilt University as well.

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