A History of The College of Communication and Fine Arts

1977-78
The College of Communication and Fine Arts (CCFA) composed of the Departments of Art, Journalism, Music, and Speech and Drama is formed. Dr. Richard R. Ranta, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, serves as interim dean the fall semester and is named dean the spring semester. The department chairs are Dana Johnson (Art), Lee Williams (Journalism), William Gaver (Music), and John Sloan (Speech and Drama).

The Department of Music begins offering a doctor of musical arts degree.

1978-79
The Department of Speech and Drama becomes the Department of Theatre and Communication Arts.

1979-80
Southwestern College at Memphis sells one of its two radio licenses to the university, and WSMS-FM 92 is created with jazz as the chosen music format.

The Newspaper Research Journal is founded at The University of Memphis.

The first annual Distinguished Achievement Award for the Creative and Performing Arts is established in memory of Elvis Presley.

The Dean's Student Creative Achievement Award is established to recognize outstanding creative achievement by a CCFA student.

The Dean's Academic Achievement Award is established to recognize the CCFA student graduating with the highest grade point average.

1980-81
Mississippi River Music Publishing Company, Music River Publishing Company, and High Water Recording Company are established within CCFA to preserve the city’s musical heritage and to promote new music.

The Helmsman is incorporated into the Department of Journalism and becomes a daily newspaper.

1981-82
The CFA building (including the dean's office and recording, dance, television, and art studios) and the University Gallery officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Neil Nokes African Art Collection is permanently housed in the University Gallery.

The Commercial Music Program begins.

The first annual college newsletter is published.

1982-83
The Annual Juried Student Exhibition begins.

The fine arts portion of the Dance Program is moved from the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department to the Department of Theatre and Communication Arts.

1984-85>
Mrs. Anwar Sadat, widow of the former Egyptian president, visits Memphis to celebrate the opening of the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology (IEAA).

1985-86>
The Department of Journalism begins a master’s program.

A community group SMSARTS (Support Memphis State Arts) is established to support MSU theatre.

The Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology (IEAA) becomes a Tennessee Center of Excellence.

1986-87>
IEAA co-sponsors the Ramesses Exhibition with the city, and its newly installed hall and library are dedicated.

The Dean's Faculty Advisor Award is established to recognize outstanding advising within the college.

1987-88>
The Dean's Creative Achievement Award is established to recognize outstanding creative achievement by a CCFA faculty member.

1988-89>
The Dorothy Kayser Hohenberg Chair of Excellence in Art History is established.

1990-91>
A dogwood tree is planted in front of the Communication and Fine Arts Building in memory of art major James Paul Humphreys.

1991-92>
The Federal Communications Commission approves WSMS-FM 92 increase in power from 250 watts to 25,000 watts allowing signal for all Shelby County and neighboring counties in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

1992-93>
CCFA adopts the Creative and Performing Arts Programs of Colonial Middle School and Overton High School.

1993-94>
The Muted Belles sculpture, a collaborative humanities project honoring notable southern women, is installed outside the Communication and Fine Arts Building.

IEAA is awarded an $85,000 archaeological research grant for a continuing project in Luxor, Egypt.

The Metro Memphis Attractions Association recognizes CCFA as “Attraction of the Month” for its programs.

WSMS-FM 92 becomes WUMR (University of Memphis Radio)-FM 92.

1994-95>
Memphis State University becomes The University of Memphis.

The University Gallery becomes the Art Museum of the University of Memphis.

The Jabie and Helen Hardin Chair of Excellence in Economic and Managerial Journalism is established.

The Department of Theatre and Communication Arts hosts its first annual Urban Communication Conference.

1995-96>
The Department of Theatre and Communication Arts becomes two separate departments - Department of Communication and Department of Theatre and Dance.

The dance ensemble Voices is formed.

Grammy in the Schools, sponsored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, comes to The University of Memphis.

The New Music Festival celebrates its 25th year and the name becomes IMAGINE.

The Suzuki String, Suzuki Piano, and the Music Prep Programs merge to form the Community Music School.

1996-97>
The Communication Ph.D. program is approved.

The Art Museum of the University of Memphis separates from the Department of Art and becomes a free standing unit within the College of Communication and Fine Arts.

Communication and journalism students produce a new television show called Insight.

1997-98>
Commercial Music studios undergo $300,000 renovation including the installation of an AMS NEVE Libra digital console, the first educational installation of this system in the world.

Department of Journalism is a co-sponsor of The Teen Appeal, the first citywide high school newspaper.

The Raymond M. Lynch Oboe Award is established in honor of Dr. Raymond N. Lynch who served as associate dean of CCFA and retired from the U of M after 31 years of services.

The College of Communication and Fine Arts celebrates its 20th anniversary.

1998-99>
The Department of Journalism establishes an exchange program with German television network ZDF.

1999-2000>
Renovation of the Harris Auditorium in the Music Building is complete, and the auditorium becomes Harris Concert Hall.

The Ann Dunn Staff Award is established to honor Ann Dunn who retired from the Department of Communicatoin after 35 years of service to the U of M.

2000-2001>
After a multimillion dollar gift from Rudi E. Scheidt, The Department of Music is renamed the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music.

"AMUM" is the word The Art Museum of the University of Memphis adopts as its other name.

The architecture program moves from the College of Engineering to the Department of Art within CCFA.

The Department of Communication holds its first Dr. Martin Luther King Speech Contest.

The Newspaper Research Journal relocates back to The University of Memphis where it was originally founded in 1979.

Union Planters Corporation and The University of Memphis announce the creation of the Union Planters Bank/Benjamin W. Rawlins Jr. Meritorious Professorship Recognition Award Program within the University's College of Communication and Fine Arts. The award program is named for the late Union Planters chairman and chief executive officer.

U of M alumnus Mickey Robinson donates $1 million to the University's Celebrate 2000 Legacy Scholarship campaign and establishes scholarships and fellowships for CCFA students.

2001-2002>
The Department of Theatre and Dance celebrates 51 years of theatre and 21 years of dance at The University of Memphis.

The Art Museum of the University of Memphis celebrates 20 years at the university and receives a $40,000 grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts to produce a collaborative project featuring Cuban-born sculptor Maria Elena Gonzalez.

Gallery 203 located in the CFA Building opens to provide experimental space for various artwork.

An Evening of Soul, Roots, Rhymes and Righteous Times, that was significant in integrating African-American students in the Department of Speech and Drama Department in the 1970s, has a 30^th anniversary reunion.

The Art Museum of The University of Memphis receives a $20,000 Rockefeller Foundation grant for its traveling exhibition, "Coming Home: Self-Taught Artists, the Bible, and the American South," scheduled to open in March 2004.

The Dean's Research Award is established to recognize outstanding research by a CCFA faculty member.

2002-2003>
The interior design program at The University of Memphis receives a six-year accreditation from the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER).The U of M program is one of only four in Tennessee to receive accreditation, and it is the only one accredited under stricter FIDER standards adopted in 2000.

Undergraduate Policy Manual, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, a publication created by the Department of Theatre and Dance, receives an Outstanding Publication Certificate of Merit as part of the 2002 National Academic Advising Association's National Awards Program.