When you walk through the stone archways of Rhodes College, shaded by oak trees whose roots stretch back to its earliest days in Memphis, it’s hard not to feel the weight of history and the energy of possibility colliding. For 100 years, Rhodes has stood in Midtown Memphis as a nationally recognized liberal arts college. It’s been a neighbor, a partner, and a source of leaders who carry the spirit of the 901 into every corner of the world.
As Rhodes marks its centennial in Memphis this fall, the milestone is a chance to reflect on how a college and a city have grown together, inspired one another, and shaped a legacy of impact that continues to ripple across neighborhoods, classrooms, courtrooms, clinics, and stages.
From Clarksville to the Bluff City
Originally founded in 1848 in Clarksville, Tennessee, Rhodes relocated to Memphis in 1925 under the vision of then-president Dr. Charles E. Diehl. With just 406 students and 16 faculty members, the move was a leap of faith.
Diehl chose the Collegiate Gothic architectural style for the new campus, believing that “appropriate and beautiful surroundings” would shape not only education but the very character of the institution. Today, those limestone towers, Arkansas fieldstone walls, and slate roofs have become iconic, landing Rhodes on countless “most beautiful campuses” lists.
Even the oak trees tell a story of continuity. They were grown from seedlings taken from the original Clarksville campus, planted to root the college’s history in its new Memphis home. A century later, they still stretch skyward, offering shade to students who are charting paths every bit as ambitious as those who came before them.
Students Who Shape Memphis and Are Shaped by Memphis
Today, Rhodes welcomes around 2,000 students each year, drawing from 45 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 60 countries. Yet, in every entering class, Memphis is well-represented. In fact, about 20% of the Class of 2025 comes directly from Memphis and Shelby County. That means a Rhodes is a homegrown opportunity for local talent to thrive without leaving the city they love.
The connection between Rhodes and Memphis runs deep. The college’s mission calls students to blend academic excellence with community action. Over the decades, Rhodes students have immersed themselves in every facet of the city by tutoring children in local schools, mentoring teens, volunteering in retirement communities, supporting residents without housing, and even planting gardens that feed families.
One of the longest-standing traditions is Souper Contact, a Tuesday soup kitchen at St. John’s United Methodist Church that Rhodes students have led since 1988. The Kinney Program, which dates back to the 1950s, continues to connect students with opportunities in the arts, healthcare, education, and beyond.
A Neighbor in Midtown Memphis
Located in the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood, Rhodes students actively engage with local associations and the Midtown/North Memphis community, forming partnerships that strengthen both campus and neighborhood.
And when you live across the street from the Memphis Zoo and Overton Park, the opportunities for collaboration are limitless. Rhodes faculty and students regularly conduct research on animal behavior, reproductive physiology, ecology, and conservation, bringing classroom learning directly into the city’s green spaces and cultural treasures.
Memphis as a Living Classroom
Memphis gives Rhodes students an edge you won’t find at many other selective liberal arts colleges. With FedEx, AutoZone, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Baptist Memorial Health Care, Methodist Le Bonheur, and the National Civil Rights Museum all within city limits, internships and fellowships aren’t abstract possibilities. They’re tangible opportunities that shape futures.
For students pursuing medicine or health sciences, Rhodes’ partnerships with Memphis’ major hospitals and clinics provide real-world training that consistently leads to acceptance rates above the national average for medical school and other graduate programs.
For aspiring lawyers, Memphis’ thriving legal community offers internships and mentorship that build on a strong Rhodes tradition of preparing graduates for law school. Two Rhodes alumni even rose all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, including Memphis native Abe Fortas, Class of 1930.
And for artists and creatives, Memphis’ cultural scene becomes both muse and stage. Rhodes’ own Clough-Hanson Gallery and Mike Curb Institute for Music provide platforms for students to create, while connections to the city’s broader arts community open doors to exhibitions, performances, and professional growth. Billboard even named Rhodes one of the nation’s top music business schools.
Looking Ahead: The Next 100 Years
As Rhodes President Jennifer Collins puts it:
“We are so incredibly grateful for our location in the wonderful city of Memphis and look forward to strengthening and deepening our partnerships with the city for generations to come.”
That gratitude is mutual. Memphis has given Rhodes the space to dream, to grow, and to build a legacy that intertwines with the city’s own evolution. In turn, Rhodes has given Memphis leaders, neighbors, and changemakers whose impact stretches across decades.
Why It Matters for Memphis
So why should Memphians outside the college gates care about this centennial? Because Rhodes’ story is Memphis’ story.
It’s about a city that embraced an institution a century ago and has been enriched ever since. It’s about students who don’t just learn here but invest here, giving their time, talent, and energy to schools, nonprofits, neighborhoods, and businesses. It’s about alumni who carry Memphis’ spirit into boardrooms, courtrooms, classrooms, and beyond.
And it’s about what comes next: the next generation of Rhodes students who will continue to shape Memphis, and the ways Memphis will continue to shape them in return.
As Memphis celebrates Rhodes’ 100th year in the 901, one truth is clear: this is more than a college anniversary. It’s a community milestone — and one worth celebrating together.
