Cumberland University will commemorate the opening of the new McClain Circle entrance with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 25, 2019, at 11 a.m. at the University. The entrance is the newest addition to the campus, funded by and dedicated to the McClain and Hatfield families.

The McClain and Hatfield families have been instrumental in the development and success of CU since its founding in 1842. Josiah Scott McClain was an original board member for 34 years, followed by his descendant Joe Hatfield, whose wife, Carrie McClain Hatfield, endowed many scholarships for nursing students. 

In 1892, fifty-five acres of the McClain Family Farm became the primary site for CU’s current campus. 

“The McClain Circle entrance is not only a significant improvement to our campus aesthetically but it also serves as an appropriate form of recognition of the McClain and Hatfield families,” said University President Paul C. Stumb. “CU would not have realized the success that it has over the last 125 years without the invaluable support of the McClain and Hatfield families.”

The circle will serve as the new main entrance into campus and will provide over 60 new parking spots for guests, faculty and staff. 

“McClain Circle will welcome countless generations of students as they pursue their college education at CU,” said Stumb. “Even 200 years later, the McClain and Hatfield families continue to make an impact on CU and the broader middle Tennessee community.”