Rhodes College Celebrates 100 Years in Memphis

Rhodes College, established in 1848 in Clarksville, TN, and a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences institution, is celebrating 100 years in Memphis, TN. The college moved to its current location under the leadership of then president Dr. Charles E. Diehl, and classes began on Sept. 24, 1925, with 406 students and 16 faculty. In recent history, Rhodes has enrolled approximately 2,000 students each year. Students admitted for fall 2025 hail from 45 states plus the District of Columbia and 64 countries, with 20 percent of this year’s entering class coming from Memphis and Shelby County.

Alumni Spotlight: Steve Ash ’06 Develops Technology for Good

After graduating with a degree in computer science at Rhodes College, Steve Ash ’06 earned an M.S. and Ph.D. and now works at Amazon in Seattle. He recently was one of sixty-five professionals who participated in the Tegan and Sara Foundation's Queer Health Hackathon, one example of his belief that technology can be used for good.

Professors Tackle Midterm Elections in Courses

With this fall’s midterm elections quickly approaching, some Rhodes students are following day-to-day news coverage, particularly of Tennessee’s Senate and Governor’s races, in their political science courses. One of those courses is Campaigns and Elections, taught by Prof. Amy Jasperson. 

“We are focusing on the fundamentals of campaigns, the ‘rules and reality’ that shape them, and the factors that influence the choices of voters,” says Jasperson. 

Q&A: Meet Aretha Milligan, Rhodes' New Director of Residence Life

After thirteen years moving up the ranks of residence life at The University of Memphis, Aretha Milligan has joined the Rhodes College community as the new director of residence life. She hopes to create more on-campus programming and revitalize the residential common areas in order to bring students together and make living on campus an integral part of the student experience.

Rhodes College Hosts Jazz Night at the Levitt Shell

Rhodes College and the Mike Curb Institute for Music hosted Rhodes Jazz Night at The Levitt Shell on Sept. 15 as part of Family Weekend celebrations. The annual event featured acts like legendary Memphis jazz vocalist Joyce Cobb, the Rhodes Faculty Players, the Rhodes Jazz Band, and the Stax Academy Jazz Ensemble.

Jackie Paiz ’20 Prepares to Help Fulfill Demand for Bilingual Psychologists

The psychology and Spanish double major wants to one day travel throughout Latin America providing psychological care to those who may be affected by trauma, neglect, or violence, and she is preparing herself to do so by taking advantage of the resources available at Rhodes, whether they be mentoring, courses, or internships. 

Seniors Shine at Summer Start-Up Competition

Over the summer, Andrea Hargrove ’19 and Seabelo John ’19 participated in an entrepreneurial competition at The University of Memphis known as Imagine U. Backed by a collegiate and community partnership, Imagine U is an 80-day start-up accelerator.