History and Founder
O'More College of Design began with a handful of students studying under Mrs. Eloise Pitts O'More in 1970. The school has since grown, but in many ways it retains the qualities that made it unique from the very beginning, not least of which is the love of art and design at its foundation.
Born in 1906 in Fayetteville, Tennessee, Eloise Pitts developed a passion for architecture and design at an early age. At that time in America, however, only men were encouraged to enter the field. So, in 1925 and at the age of 18, Eloise traveled to Paris, France, where she attended Le College Feminin. The vision which became O'More College of Design began there.
While in Paris, Eloise studied interior design, ballet, and fine arts. After returning to the United States, she married, taught ballet, and dreamed of establishing an American school with the unique creative ambiance of a French design school.
In the 1940s, Eloise continued her design education at the prestigious Parsons School of Design. She also married her second husband, Colonel Rory O'More, a military man of Irish descent. While traveling with him, she often taught interior design courses for military wives and designed military officers' clubs.
Mrs. O'More made the move to Franklin, Tennessee, in the 1960s. Painting became her passion, and her work included a number of murals around Middle Tennessee. She became very involved with Franklin's cultural life and was one of the early leaders of the historic preservation movement in Williamson County.
Years passed, the world grew smaller, and Mrs. O'More's vision drew closer; her dream became reality in 1970 when she founded the O'More School of Design. Classes were held in her Victorian home on West Main Street in Franklin, and she taught all of the interior design courses herself. In 1979, the college moved to its present location, where it occupies seven formerly residential acres within walking distance of downtown Franklin.
By the 1980s the school had become a college and added to its program two new bachelor's degrees: Fashion Design and Merchandising and Graphic Design and Advertising. Mrs. O'More always felt it important to maintain contact with her students, so she continued teaching at least one class each semester until her retirement in 1994. She lived on campus and remained involved in the college's operations until her death in 2002, at the age of 95.
While the seed for the school may have been planted in Paris, its roots also extend to Ireland. This is the ancestral homeland of the O'More Clan, ancestors of Rory O'More. Our Abbey Leix Mansion, the school's administration building, is named for the Abbey Leix Manor in Ireland, built in 1769. The manor derives its name from an old abbey founded in 1183 by Conogher O'More.
O'More College of Design is now led by President K. Mark Hilliard, currently enrolls approximately 200 students, and operates on a semester system. Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degrees are offered in Interior Design, Fashion Design, and Visual Communications.
