MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - Middle Tennessee State University officials cut the ribbon on Tuesday (August 18th) to celebrate the grand reopening of Kirksey Old Main following extensive renovations. University administration joined dozens of alumni, elected officials, and community leaders for the ceremonial event just in time for the fall semester.
When the institution first opened as the Tennessee Normal School in 1911, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, the Ford Model T was a novelty, and most area roads were dirt or gravel. The original campus consisted of five buildings on 100 acres serving 125 students. The first structure was known as the Administration Building and affectionately called "Old Main." Designed by Nashville architect C.K. Colley in a Classical Revival style, its neoclassical look, grand columns, and symmetrical layout made it an instant symbol for the university.
In its early years, Old Main served as an all-in-one central hub housing administrative offices, classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, a bookstore, and the post office. In 1978, university officials renamed the facility Kirksey Old Main to honor Howard G. Kirksey, a pivotal administrator who served from 1960 to 1969 as director of the Graduate Division, head of the College of Education, dean of instruction, dean of faculty, and acting president. His son, Howard Graden Kirksey Jr., attended Tuesday's event in his father's honor, noting that his father and the building were both born in 1910.
More than 200 supporters gathered in a shaded area outside Peck Hall facing the south entrance for the ceremony. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Provost Mark Byrnes, College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Greg Van Patten, Computer Science Department Chair Medha Shukla Sarkar, Mathematical Sciences Chair David Chris Stephens, and computer science graduate student Gavin Liles all spoke to the crowd. On the south-facing steps, McPhee joined faculty, administrators, state lawmakers, and supporters to cut the blue ribbon.
The project began in the spring of 2024 after initial plans were unveiled on April 24th, 2024. Designed by Anecdote Architectural Experiences and built by Messer Construction Co. alongside the MTSU Campus Planning Department, the combined $54 million renovation upgraded both Kirksey Old Main and nearby Rutledge Hall. Architect Steve Johnson noted that understanding the 1911 structure's history was critical to overcoming the project's design challenges.
The updated space covers approximately 88,370 gross square feet and now houses the Computer Science and Mathematical Sciences departments along with Data Science programs. The facility features 14 classrooms, 94 offices, five computer labs, three tutoring labs, and four student lounges.
Structural changes include a new glass-paneled lobby on the north side facing Floyd Stadium, replacing the razed E.W. Midgett Building which stood attached to Kirksey Old Main for 65 years. The new entrance provides full accessibility while flooding the space with natural light. Builders restored original hardwood floors, exposed original steel trusses, added wooden trim wainscoting, and preserved original brick walls. The work also added modern HVAC, plumbing, electrical, IT systems, ambient lighting, and updated floor layouts.
