About the TCAT //

The College

Facilities

TCAT Henry/Carroll main campus offers twelve full-time programs.  The McKenzie branch campus offers 7 full-time programs. Practical Nursing is also offered at our Camden and Dresden extension locations.

Campus History

The history of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll began with the consolidation of the seven Henry County High Schools for the 1969-70 school year. With one of the relatively new buildings, the Central High School building, being left vacant. Mr. W.J. Neese of Paris, a member of the legislature, secured a state appropriation to convert the building into an Area Vocational-Technical School.

When the State Department of Education and the Henry County Board of Education decided that the building would require too much renovation and would not be suitable for an area school, agreement was made that the Henry County Board of Education would construct a building which would be leased as a branch of the State Area Vocational-Technical School at McKenzie.

Construction began in October of 1970, and the building was occupied March 1, 1972. During the construction period, the school operated a limited program from the McKenzie School and a temporary office in Paris.

The Practical Nursing Program  was transferred from the Henry County Board of Education, January 1, 1969. Health Occupations was offered for secondary student for the school year 1970-71, using the facilities at Henry County High School. The Electronics program was transferred from Henry County High School on October 1, 1971. Small Gas Engine Repair and General Metals  were added to the curriculum and students were enrolled in the Fall of 1972.

The school continued as a branch of the Area Vocational-Technical School, McKenzie, until July 1, 1973, when it became independent by action of the State Board for Vocational Education.

Under the provisions of the 1973 Comprehensive Program of Vocational Education enacted by the General Assembly, the school was expanded with a 23,000 square foot addition. Construction was completed and students were enrolled in the new classes in 1976. Under the expansion new classes added were Auto Body Repair,Child Care and Guidance,Cosmetology,Farm Equipment Repair,Plumbing/Pipefitting, and Appliance Repair.

In July, 1983, the governance of the school was transferred from the State Board of Education to the Tennessee State Board of Regents. Beginning in 1983, the school changed the Farm Equipment Repair Program to Heavy Equipment Repair; Housewiring and Heating/Air Conditioning were added to Plumbing/Pipefitting; Appliance Repair was merged with Industrial Electronics; Basic Skills and Industrial Maintenance were added to the curriculum. Computer Operations Technology  was added in 1995 and Basic Skills was changed to Technology Foundations. In 1996, the Small Gas Engine Repair and Plumbing/Pipefitting programs were deleted from the curriculum. Machine Tool Technology and Business Systems Technology  were added to the curriculum in 1997 and the Precision Metalworking Program was changed to General Metals.  Nursing Assistant was deleted in 1998 and Robotics Manufacturing Technology was added in 1999.  Surgical Technology and two off-campus (Camden and Dresden, TN) Practical Nursing  programs were added in July, 2001.  Motorcycle/ATV Repair was added in September, 2007.  In 2008, Surgical Technology was placed on inactive status and Residential Building Maintenance was added in May.

By action of the State Legislature, the school's name was changed in 1994 from the Paris Area Vocational-Technical School to the Tennessee Technology Center at Paris.

In 1997-98, the Center experience a major renovation  and 6,000 square foot addition. The staff has increased from the original number of 12 in 1972 to 32 as of July 2013.  There are presently 12 program offerings  at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll with plans to expand. TCAT Henry/Carroll also offers supplementary evening programs  for the public and special requested programs for business and industry.

By action of the State Legislature, the school's name was changed in 2013 from the Tennessee Technology Center at Paris to Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Paris. In May of 2023, the school's name was changed to Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll