Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University (APSU) (/piː/) is a public university in Clarksville, Tennessee. Standing on a site occupied by a succession of educational institutions since 1845, the precursor of the university was established in 1927 and named for then-sitting Governor Austin Peay, who is further honored with "Governors", the name of the university's athletic teams. Affiliated with the Tennessee Board of Regents, it is now governed by the Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees as of May 2017. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and, in 2012, was the fastest-growing university in Tennessee.[6] In 2019, Austin Peay officially hit 11,000 students enrolled.

![]() | |
Former name | Austin Peay Normal School (1927–1943) Austin Peay State College (1943–1967) |
---|---|
Type | Public university |
Established | 1927 |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
Endowment | $22 million[1] |
President | Michael J. Licari[2] |
Academic staff | 550[3] |
Administrative staff | 629[4] |
Undergraduates | 9,835 |
Postgraduates | 888 |
Location | , , United States |
Campus | Urban, 182 acres (0.74 km2) |
Colors | Red and white[5] |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I – ASUN Conference |
Mascot | Governors |
Website | www |
![]() |
Presidents
- Philander Claxton, 1930–1946
- Halbert Harvill, 1946–1962
- Alisa White, 2014–2020[7]
- Michael Licari, 2021-Present
Organization
Academics at Austin Peay are organized into six colleges, two schools, and 28 subordinate departments and offices:
College of Arts and Letters
- Department of Art and Design
- Department of Communication
- Department of History and Philosophy
- Department of Languages and Literature
- Department of Music
- Department of Theatre and Dance
College of Behavioral and Health Sciences
- School of Nursing
- Department of Health and Human Performance
- Department of Military Science and Leadership
- Department of Political Science
- Department of Psychological Science and Counseling
- Department of Sociology and Community Development
- Department of Social Work
- Department of Criminal Justice
College of Business
- Department of Accounting, Finance, and Economics
- Department of Management, Marketing, and General Business
Martha Dickerson Eriksson College of Education
- Department of Teaching and Learning
- Department of Educational Specialties
College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Allied Health Sciences
- Department of Applied Sciences
- Department of Biology
- Department of Chemistry
- Department of Computer Science and Information Technology
- Department of Geosciences
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
- Office of Pre-Professional Health Programs
- Geographic Information Systems Center
School of Technology and Public Management @ Fort Campbell
- Department of Public Management and Criminal Justice
- Department of Engineering Technology
- Department of Professional Studies
Buildings on the Campus
Buildings Prior to Austin Peay Normal School
The Castle Building was an impressive "three-storied structure of red brick, with towers, fretted battlements, and casement windows set in paneled wood...".[8]
Athletics

Notable alumni
- Eli Abaev (born 1998), American-Israeli basketball player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Tatiana Ariza, Colombian women's soccer player, international
- Major General Ronald Bailey, United States Marine Corps Commanding General, 1st Marine Division
- David Bibb, Deputy Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration
- Riley Darnell, former Tennessee State Senator and former Tennessee Secretary of State
- A.J. Ellis, MLB former MLB catcher, current Special Assistant to the general manager for the San Diego Padres
- Jeff Gooch, former NFL player, Tampa Bay Buccaneers '96–'01,'04–'05 Detroit Lions '02–'03
- David Hackworth, United States Army Colonel and author
- William J. Hadden, Protestant minister and politician
- Bob Harper, personal trainer who gained fame on The Biggest Loser.
- Trenton Hassell, NBA basketball player, New Jersey Nets
- Tommy Head, former member, Tennessee House of Representatives and brother of basketball coach Pat Summitt
- Chris Horton (born 1994), basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Otis Howard, former NBA player, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons
- Percy Howard, former wide receiver for the NFL Dallas Cowboys
- Douglas S. Jackson, Tennessee State Senator, D-Dickson
- Shawn Kelley, pitcher, MLB San Diego Padres
- Greg Kinman, gun reviewer on YouTube (aka Hickok45)
- Kyran Moore, wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
- John G. Morgan, former Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents and former Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee
- Chonda Pierce, Christian comedian and performer
- Drake Reed, basketball player, international
- Matt Reynolds, pitcher, MLB San Francisco Giants
- Josh Rouse, singer-songwriter
- George Sherrill, relief pitcher, MLB Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Bonnie Sloan, former NFL player, first deaf player in the NFL.
- Jeff Stec, entrepreneur who formed Peak Fitness
- Jamie Walker, relief pitcher, MLB Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles
- Bubba Wells, former basketball player, NBA Dallas Mavericks
- Verner Moore White, landscape and portrait artist
- James "Fly" Williams, 1970s basketball player; later in the original American Basketball Association
- Jack Zduriencik, former general manager of the Seattle Mariners MLB team
- Ben Dean Chancellor 19th Judicial District (Montgomery County And Robertson County)
References
- "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2013 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2012 to FY 2013" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers. June 30, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2014.
- "APSU Board of Trustees names Dr. Michael Licari as University's 11th president". www.apsu.edu. December 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- As of Fall 2009 semester. "Faculty By Gender, Tenure Status, and Ethnicity" (PDF). 2009 Faculty Data. Austin Peay State University Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- As of Fall 2009 semester. "Total Employees By Employment Status, Gender, and Ethnicity" (PDF). 2009 Employees Data. Austin Peay State University Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- "APSU Governors Brand Identity" (PDF). May 30, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- Green, Tavia. "Austin Peay State University continues growth, Nashville State opens doors". The Leaf Chronicle. Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- Canning, Rob (January 3, 2014). "APSU's Tim Hall Accepts Presidency at Mercy College". wkms.org. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- "The Old Distinctive Castle Building Has Romantic And Varied History" (PDF). The All State. November 22, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved February 23, 2022.