[Pocket watch case inscribed with University of Nashville initials belonging to Wickliffe Rose]

This pocket watch case once belonged to Wickliffe Rose (1862-1931), a graduate of the University of Nashville. Rose later went on to serve as a teacher and dean of the Peabody Normal School, general agent for the Peabody Education Fund, and director of the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission to eradicate hookworm, a scourge of the southern states. Pocket watches were a standard part of men’s attire before the invention of wrist watches brought their decline in the early 20^th century. This case is engraved with the school’s initials, reflecting the close bond between its owner and the school.