V150

The vocals of Brandi Carlili and the Alabama Shakes backed by SistaStrings washed over the crowd of nearly 2,000 concert attendees as Strengthening Ties: Vanderbilt @ 150 brought the Sesquicentennial celebrations to a joyous conclusion for the entire university community on Sunday, Nov. 9, at The Pinnacle. Read More

Eight decades of Vanderbilt University history are commemorated in a new exhibit at the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. Dare to Grow, 1945–2025 is on view in the Central Library fourth-floor lobby through mid-February 2026. The exhibit explores Vanderbilt’s remarkable growth in faculty, facilities, enrollment and the quality of its students amid national and international crises, recessions, pandemics and other disruptions from postwar to present day. Read More

Vanderbilt celebrated the 150th anniversary of its opening on the afternoon of Oct. 3 on Alumni Lawn. The Board of Trust, Vanderbilt leadership, deans, faculty, staff and students gathered to hear Sen. Lamar Alexander, Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier speak on the momentous occasion before celebrating with streamers, live music and various food trucks. Read More

V150 continues with a celebratory roster of events commemorating the university’s opening in 1875. The slate of fall festivities kicks off with Arthur Brooks’ Commodore Classroom on Sept. 19, continues with the V150 Sesquicentennial Ceremony and Celebration on Oct. 3 and culminates in a star-studded concert on Nov. 9 featuring headliners Brandi Carlile and Alabama Shakes. Read More

Embarking on a new research project often brings unexpected discoveries—some intriguing, some novel, but rarely a find of a lifetime. Such a remarkable discovery occurred when university archivist and associate director Kathy Smith stumbled upon a pile of plaster, hidden away for 60 years in a dim, cluttered closet of the Branscomb Quad basement. This plaster turned out to be the long-lost Crampton’s Plesiosaur Cast from the 1870s, missing for nearly six decades. Read More

What do a Commodore ID Card, a piece of the Bicentennial Oak, a baseball signed by two-time national championship-winning head baseball coach Tim Corbin, and a video of the 2019 Carmichael Tower implosions all have in common? They are among more than 150 items that future generations will discover in a Vanderbilt time capsule to be opened in the year 2174. Read More

As part of Vanderbilt’s Sesquicentennial celebration, a time capsule will be placed in Kirkland Hall. All university community members are invited to submit a digital note about your aspirations for Vanderbilt’s future for possible inclusion in the new time capsule. Read More

The Vanderbilt English Language Center recently launched “Let’s Keep Talking: Immersive Small Talk to Support Networking Skills," a pilot project created to offer guidance and experience in “professional small talk” for students and scholars who use English as an additional language. ELC applied for and was awarded a Vanderbilt University Sesquicentennial Grant to fund the project. Read More

As part of Vanderbilt University’s ongoing Sesquicentennial celebration, the university created and distributed a free commemorative V150 coffee table book chronicling its rich history to over 1,000 staff and faculty members on Dec. 15 and Dec. 18. Due to the response to the initial distribution, the university is excited to announce a second opportunity for faculty and staff to obtain their complimentary copy on Jan. 18. Read More

Vanderbilt University is hosting several giveaways and discounts to show our appreciation for our staff and faculty’s hard work this year. Here is a reminder of what’s coming up. Read More

A new portrait series that celebrates noteworthy Vanderbilt University community members is now on display in multiple locations across the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. V150: The Many Faces of Vanderbilt, funded by a spring 2023 Sesquicentennial Grant, features prominent photographs and short bios of alumni, faculty and others whose accomplishments and contributions have made a significant positive impact on the university and society as a whole. Read More

A new video celebrates Vanderbilt’s unique contributions to college athletics and American sports, with a special focus on the university’s leadership in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion. The project was supported by a Vanderbilt Sesquicentennial Grant, part of the university’s 150th anniversary celebration. Read More

See how more than 200 students and faculty came together through 19 interdisciplinary hands-on courses to turn the historic Vaughn home into a living laboratory, unveiling "hidden narratives" of Vanderbilt's and Nashville's past. Read More

Vanderbilt University continues to celebrate its Sesquicentennial with events and exhibits across campus, as well as with a new virtual platform and interactive photo mural that allow alumni, friends and fans of the university to celebrate the 150th anniversary from anywhere in the world. Vandyverse, a unique Vanderbilt experience best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer, lets users explore the Vanderbilt campus through virtual exhibits and engaging content that highlight key aspects of the university’s past and present. Read More

A new timeline highlighting key milestones in Vanderbilt University’s 150-year history has been added to the Sesquicentennial website. Read More

The Vanderbilt Fusion Project, an initiative involving 40 undergraduates from 22 majors across three schools, is seeking to build a miniature nuclear fusion reactor—and make history. Read More