Sen. Brenda Gilmore urges ‘suspension’ of Belmont-Watkins merger for public input, transparency
Lawmaker questions why Fisk, Tennessee State University were not offered $20 million windfall given to Belmont
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — State Senator Brenda Gilmore is asking Watkins College of Art leaders to suspend merger negotiations with Belmont University to allow the community to voice concerns about the deal.
In a letter to the Watkins board of trustees, Gilmore says a merger involving an institution, whose assets are managed by the state and leaders are appointed by the governor, deserves a “transparent, public process.”
The District 19 lawmaker writes, “As an educational institution that was established by the legislature, and, by state law, is overseen by Commissioners appointed by the Governor, it is troubling that I was not informed, nor consulted, prior to a deal being announced between your Board and Belmont’s Board on January 28.”
She also questions whether the pending deal to hand over Watkins assets to Belmont University, a private school, is best for the community. Citing the potential loss of an “invaluable independent educational asset” in North Nashville, Sen. Gilmore’s letter questions whether nearby historically-black colleges Tennessee State University and Fisk University were approached by the Watkins board with a similar proposal.
“I am hard-pressed to believe that, had either (Fisk or TSU) been approached with a $15 to 20 million dollar gift, or a move-in-ready satellite campus complete with dorms, or similar partnership opportunity, they would have declined to entertain such a generous gift,” Gilmore wrote.
The Belmont deal, as announced, would result in the closing of Watkins longtime Metro Center campus and the absorption of Watkins programs into Belmont. The deal would also provide Belmont an estimated $20 million windfall from the sale of Watkins-owned real estate and property, which Belmont announced would be deposited into an endowment fund to generate scholarships for future Belmont fine art students, under the moniker “Watkins College of Art at Belmont.”
Gilmore urges the Watkins College of Art commissioners and board of trustees to suspend the merger agreement and to appear at a public meeting to answer questions about the deal, including why other institutions may have been left out of the months-long closed-door negotiations.
Watkins leadership has described the takeover by Belmont as necessary and the best available outcome for the cash-poor, but land-rich school, which has been in continuous independent operation for 135 years.
“Save Watkins,” a coalition of Watkins alumni, faculty, staff, students, and community leaders, has opposed the deal, questioning whether a public trust like Watkins is allowed to liquidate its state-managed assets to a private religious institution. Objections are also being raised to Belmont’s controversial LGBTQ+ policies, and whether the terms of the will left by Samuel Watkins would be violated by converting property that he deeded to the State of Tennessee for the establishment of an independent school to a cash donation to an outside private party.
Watkins College was established by state statute in 1881, pursuant to the will of Samuel Watkins, a Nashville philanthropist. The institution is overseen by three commissioners who are appointed by the governor of Tennessee, and a board of 19 trustees, which includes officers and commissioners. In addition to property, Samuel Watkins’ will deeded $100,000 to be held in trust by the state for the purpose of establishing and running the school in his name.
