A few years prior to Tennessee's induction into statehood, two pioneering Presbyterian ministers, Hezekiah Balch and Samuel Doak, both educated at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), formed schools in the fledgling United States' southwestern frontier, now known as East Tennessee. Besides enriching the early Scotch-Irish settlers' spiritual life, Balch and Doak were also devoted to addressing their educational needs. Hezekiah Balch established...