History: Garden Club memorial
This beautiful planting is a memorial to the Vanderbilt Garden Club, which for decades worked to beautify the campus. Photo by Steve Baskauf under a CC BY license
James Kirkland, who became chancellor in 1893, was an ardent gardener. He kept a large garden at the chancellor’s residence (the former home of Bishop McTyeire, at the current location of the Student Health Center) and became an ardent breeder of irises. He and several other figures associated with Vanderbilt won Dykes Medals for the varieties that they bred. Chancellor Kirkland’s wife, Mary Henderson Kirkand, was instrumental in founding the Vanderbilt Garden Club, a group of women who were interested in improving the appearance of the campus. The Club was founded in about 1927 and was limited by invitation only to 25 members.1 Despite Mrs. Kirkland’s involvement with the club, there were occasional conflicts when the Club’s plans clashed with those of the administration. Initially, the Club was focused primarily on planting flower beds and shrubs. In about 1928, Alieen Bishop suggested that the club should follow the example of Bishop McTyeire and add to the trees on campus. From that point through the 1990’s the club was instrumental in planting many trees on campus.2
The postwar Garden Club was revitalized by the arrival of Margaret Branscomb, wife of the new Chancellor Harvie Branscomb. The Branscomb administration presided over a massive building campaign and the Club was regularly involved in organizing the planting of trees to beautify the areas around the new buildings in consultation with Superintendent of Grounds Jack Lynn.3 Major tree-planting efforts included supporting the magnolia screen on the campus perimeter during the 1950’s and plantings around the new Branscomb Quadrangle during the late 1960s. By that time, the campus plantings were coordinated exclusively through Plant Operations and the Garden Club had evolved into a supporting role. The Garden Club continued to meet until the fall of 2006 when it decided to disband given that landscaping on campus was being done by professional crews.4
The beautiful circular planting here is a memorial in honor of the work done by the Garden Club, whose most lasting legacy is several of the interesting varieties of trees in the arboretum. The plaque by the memorial says “With Gratitude to the Vanderbilt Garden Club for Campus Beautification. This plaque is placed to express appreciation for the numerous contributions made by members of the Vanderbilt Garden Club for the enhancement of the campus landscape for almost 80 years from 1927 through 2006. The Vanderbilt Community, October 2006”.
Return to the historical tree tour page for the Garden Club memorial.
1 Hogge, Sharon. 1998. The Real Dirt: A History of the Vanderbilt Garden Club for Campus Beautification, The Vanderbilt Garden Club, Nashville, p.7-8
2 Hogge, 1998, p. 193. Quoting Aileen Bishop’s 1965 history of the Vanderbilt Garden Club.
3 Hogge, 1998, pp. 29-35.
4 Vanderbilt Garden Club Records, Vanderbilt University Special Collections Manuscript #473.