The paper presents a historical overview which begins in the year 1785, takes George Peabody through his life activities, and ends with Peabody College's becoming part of Vanderbilt University. The paper looks at a multifaceted history covering 217 years of 6 consecutive charter-connected educational institutions in Nashville, Tennessee, that culminate in the present institution, Vanderbilt University's Peabody College. It examines schooling in frontier Nashville before Tennessee became a state (1796) and before and after it became the Athens of the South; the relationship between Peabody College's predecessors and neighboring Vanderbilt University and the merger that occurred in 1979; and the philanthropic intent of George Peabody and Peabody College's continuing pursuit of his dream to uplift the U.S. South and advance the nation through professionally prepared teachers serving public schools. (BT)