HIWASSEE COLLEGE
t is the 60 acres of unmatched beauty
with magnificent trees and mountain
views that capture your attention, it is the
peace felt as you take in the surroundings...
it is a special place. Each building rich with
history. If they could talk, oh, the stories that
could be shared. Every square foot of this
historical land is deeply rooted in the people
of Monroe County. With a history that spans
over 170 years, it is Hiwassee College.
The name Hiwassee is derived from the
Cherokee word “Ayuhwasi”, meaning
“meadow place at the foot of the hills,”
which is reflective of the college location at
the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Hiwassee’s first president, Reverend Robert
Doak, also served as its senior professor and
the only college-educated staff member.
Students entered at around age fourteen
and graduated in their late teens or early
twenties. David M. Key, Hiwassee’s first
graduate, went on to be the Postmaster
General under President Rutherford B.
Hayes. The Honorable Albert H. Roberts,
graduate 1889, would later become the
Governor of Tennessee from 1919 to 1921.
Back in the day, Hiwassee College housed
an elementary school taught by the student
teachers. Charlie Brakebill was one of
those students. He fondly remembers the
three-room school and his student teachers.
Charlie has a lifetime of memories at the
Hiwassee campus. During his time at the
elementary school, he was rewarded with
a 1lb box of chocolate-covered cherries;
immediately consuming the sweets, it was
the box that remained on display in his
home until heading to college. “I walked
over 2 miles daily to Hiwassee for school,”
reflected Charlie, “coming home so hungry,
telling my Mom it was from the walking.”
Mrs. Brakebill didn’t believe her son’s
story, discovering that Charlie was sharing his
sandwich each day with a friend who never had
a lunch.“Mom never said anything to me,” said
Charlie. “From that day until I was finished with
school, there were always two sandwiches.”
The 93-year-old native of Madisonville entered
the U.S. Army at 18 and served three years
in Europe during World War II—including at
Omaha Beach, retiring as a lieutenant colonel
from the Air Force in 1967.
Hiwassee College is a fixture in the
community, with an impact that reaches
beyond the campus and the educational
offerings. The grounds of the campus and
buildings have always been available for
community events. The Barker Learning
Center held the commencement services for
Madisonville High School, and annually the
Monroe Area Council for the Arts presents
a world-class performing arts series at the
Hiwassee Performing Arts Center.
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10 MONROE LIFE SUMMER 2019