Tennessee Wesleyan College (presently known as Tennessee Wesleyan University) was founded in Athens, Tennessee in 1854 as Odd Fellows Female College. Name changes and academic focuses for the institution are numerous. In 1857 the name changed to Athens Female College, in 1866 to East Tennessee Wesleyan College, in 1867 to East Tennessee Wesleyan University, and in 1886 to Grant Memorial University. In 1889 the name changed again as the school consolidated with Chattanooga University to become Grant University—one institution with two campuses. This arrangement lasted until 1906, when the Athens branch changed names to the Athens School of the University of Chattanooga. In 1925 the University of Chattanooga and the Athens School severed ties and at that time the institution's name became Tennessee Wesleyan College. Despite the separation in the 1920s, Tennessee Wesleyan College and the University of Chattanooga shared many commonalities for several decades, both being small liberal arts colleges in the South. Additionally, LeRoy A. Martin came to the University of Chattanooga in 1959 from Tennessee Wesleyan College, where he had served as president there since 1950. Under Martin's leadership, Tennessee Wesleyan College grew and became a four-year degree-granting institution. In 2016, the schools amended its charter for a name change to Tennessee Wesleyan University.