After fire at historically Black Knoxville College, leaders speak out on school’s status
Elnathan Hall at Knoxville College, a historically Black college, burns on Nov. 4, 2024. (Photo: Angela Dennis)
On Monday night, a devastating fire engulfed an abandoned building at Knoxville College, reducing it to ashes for the second time in its storied history and throwing another obstacle in the path of school leaders working to academically and physically restore the college.
Originally built in 1893 as a girl's dormitory, Elnathan Hall later served as an administration building and classroom facility. It first burned down on the campus of East Tennessee's only historically Black college 126 years ago, in 1896, before being rebuilt in 1898.
Frank Shanklin, a member of Knoxville College's Board of Trustees, said that Elnathan Hall was included among several campus buildings that were boarded up and had not been occupied for more than 40 years. He said the fire is another step backward for the institution as it continues to seek accreditation.
"Despite efforts by someone to destroy this building, we remain positive about the future of Knoxville College and have committed to keeping the campus safe and have been working with the city to make sure these buildings are secure," said Shanklin.
Not the first fire
According to Knoxville Fire Department spokesperson Mark Wilbanks, fires have been an ongoing occurrence on campus over the years and the structure was demolished Tuesday morning for safety reasons. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blaze.
"It is highly likely this was a set fire and that this was not accidental," said Wilbanks.
Wilbanks reported that the fire department has responded to eight fire-related calls on the campus in 2024, surpassing the five calls they received in 2023 and 2024.
A spokesman for the Knox County Fire Department says the fire that destroyed Knoxville College's Elnathan Hall was almost certainly deliberately set. (Photo: Angela Dennis)
Fire trucks water the smoldering ashes of Elnathan Hall on the campus of Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo: Knox County Fire Department)
Future hinges on accreditation, and addressing compliance violations
The private, historically Black institution, founded in 1875 by the Presbyterian Church, has faced significant challenges in recent years, with reaccreditation being a crucial goal for securing the college's future.
The loss of national accreditation in 1997 dealt a heavy blow to Knoxville College, accelerating a decline in student enrollment and intensifying its financial struggles. Without accreditation, students became ineligible for federal financial aid, making it difficult for the college to attract students and retain faculty.
Classes have not been held on campus since 2017 due to concerns about building safety. Currently, the college offers all of its courses online. Several of the buildings remain unused and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
School leaders submitted their application for accreditation in August to the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS).
According to records, TRACS has provided the school with a list of 23 compliance violations that must be addressed in order to meet Institutional Eligibility Requirements (IERs) for accreditation. The items include addressing issues related to leadership clarity, financial stability and reporting accurate enrollment numbers.
Shanklin said that the school is working to address those issues so that they can continue with the application process.
"Our application has been turned in but this is going to be a long process," he said. " We were in a good enough state that we were invited to be at (a recent) TRACS conference so we sent our team down (to the conference in Florida.)"
Knoxville College's latest Form 990, filed with the IRS for tax-exempt entities, shows that the school is $1.8 million in debt. Additionally, the city of Knoxville's property tax records indicate the college owes over $28,000 in unpaid property taxes.
Following submission of application, the college will embark on a self-assessment, evaluating its organizational structure, effectiveness, and areas for potential growth. Following this, a TRACS evaluation team conducts an on-site visit.
If the institution meets the necessary standards, representatives appear before the Accreditation Commission, which may grant candidacy status. To achieve candidacy status, institutions must demonstrate sound planning processes, have the resources to operate, and be able to achieve accredited status within five years.
Institutions that don't achieve accredited status within five years are removed from candidacy and must wait at least one year before reapplying.
Leaders say community support vital for the success of the struggling HBCU
Renee Kesler, president of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, a Knoxville museum dedicated to the history and culture of Black East Tennesseans, said she was overwhelmed by a rush of emotions when she heard about the blaze on campus. The destruction is not simply about losing a building but its connection to the past, she said.
"The pictures of flames billowing from Elnathan Hall, a beloved place, evoked a deep sense of the erasure of history. Preserving history is paramount to the mission of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center," said Kesler.
State Rep. Sam Mckenzie of Knoxville said he community must come together and rally behind the school at a critical time.
"There remains a mission for KC to survive and thrive for the benefit of the underserved and underrepresented," said McKenzie "They remain on the path of regaining certification which will allow them to restart bachelor's programs in this city. So I encourage everyone in our community to gather around KC by giving their time, talents and treasures."
The pictures of flames billowing from Elnathan Hall, a beloved place, evoked a deep sense of the erasure of history.
– Renee Kesler, Beck Cultural Exchange Center
After Monday's fire, college officials remain hopeful that community members and city leaders will remain committed to helping to assure the college's success, by not only providing financial support in order to bring students back to campus, but also by being intentional in recognizing the significant history the college has had in producing successful African American professionals throughout its149 year history.
"The community needs to become a stakeholder in this institution. This college carries the name of Knoxville and has done a great job of producing graduates who have stayed in Knoxville and who have been productive in building up this community," Shanklin said. "We also want to be intentional about who we work with and make sure these are people and organizations committed to this college and who have its best interest at heart."
Presidential search underway
In August, the board of trustees appointed Harris to serve as interim President, according to Shanklin.
Harris previously worked for HBCU Clark Atlanta University where she served as Associate Vice President of Internal Audit Grants and Contracts Accounting.
In June, former President Leonard Adams announced his resignation. He became interim President in 2021, before taking on the full role in 2022.
School officials initially laid out a timeline for Knoxville College's presidential search, beginning on June 10, with recruitment and screening to continue through July 15. The plan included virtual candidate interviews in late July, followed by on-campus meetings with semifinalists in early August, giving them a chance to connect with the campus community. By mid-August, the search committee was scheduled to recommend finalists to the board of trustees, who would then make a selection and extend an offer by late August.
But Shanklin said that the process has taken longer than expected and that the school is on track to name a new president in December.
In a statement on the college's Facebook page, Harris expressed her gratitude to the community for its support in the aftermath of the fire.
"Are our hearts broken, absolutely. Is our resilience broken? Absolutely not," Harris wrote. "We are asking the community to join us in taking a deep breath, grieving and moving on. In the tradition of our ancestors we have built from ashes before, and we will build from ashes again."
