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Preparatory Academies and Vanderbilt University
Headmaster
| 1908-1933 | James A. Tate |
Tate School
... Shelbyville, Tennessee
1908-1933
Know what you know, and Know you know it.
—Tate School motto
James A. Tate
The Tate School was established in 1908 in Shelbyville by James A. Tate and his wife. Tate was a veteran teacher, and created the school to prepare students for college entrance exams. The required curriculum consisted of math, English, ancient and modern languages — including Latin — and history. Tate and his wife were the school's main teachers as well as the sole administrators during its 25-year history. The school burned in 1928, but the Tates rebuilt the school from brick salvaged from the old building and continued to operate the school until 1933.