HARNED HALL
When Harned Hall was erected in 1927 at a cost of $ it contained the commercial department, a large assembly hall, teachers' rest rooms, recitation rooms, science laboratories for physics, chemistry, biology, agriculture and private study rooms for teachers. The building located east of the LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER when entered from the front has a beautiful entrance hall with marble trimmings. The interior of the building has terrazzo floors and trimmings of white marble. At the beginning of the Davis Administration, Harned Hall was remodeled to include proper balance between laboratories, lecture rooms, storage space and offices. It was also furnished with modern equipment and supplies. By 1949 the building was devoted entirely to Biological Sciences. In 1966, a $300,000 renovation took place. In the Fall of 1983 lower divisions of Biological Sciences moved to the JIM McCORD BUILDING while the upper divisions, graduate program and research remained in HARNED HALL, but in 1986-87 school year four rooms of the AVON WILLIAMS CAMPUS had to be devoted to biology.
Perry L. Harned became the first Commissioner of Education in the State of Tennessee. In 1923 the title of State Superintendent was changed to State Commissioner of Education, Professor P. L. Harned was appointed our first Commissioner. The Commissioner was made chairman of the State Board of Education and became the head of the public school system. Under the Commissioner's tenure the State Commissioner of Education was defined and expanded. President William Hale was quoted as saying, "Commissioner Harned is a Christian gentleman who towers above men and their petty schemes. He did much to make the building program and the program of the school in general possible." President Hale named his second son and third child Edward Harned in honor of the Commissioner.