MTSU closed Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day; spring classes begin Jan. 20

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University will be closed Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.

All university offices will be closed, and no classes will be held. The Spring 2026 semester will begin Tuesday, Jan. 20.

University facilities, including Walker Library (closed Jan. 17-19), the Campus Recreation Center and the Student Union, will also be closed. Information regarding dining services and holiday hours is available at https://mtsu.mydininghub.com/en

**File photo of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Image from the Library of Congress)**

As part of the day’s observances, MTSU student organizations will host a candlelight vigil honoring the life and legacy of the slain civil rights leader and his wife, Coretta Scott King, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, in the Student Union Ballroom (Room 250). The event is hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and is open to the campus community and public.

Community members are also invited to participate in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March on Monday, Jan. 19. Participants are encouraged to gather at 11 a.m. at Central Magnet School, 701 E. Main St., for the noon start. The march will proceed to Patterson Park Community Center, 521 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., where it will conclude with a memorial tribute honoring King.

In conjunction with the march, a community blood drive will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the gymnasium at Patterson Park Community Center. Learn more here.

About Dr. King

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was inspired by his Christian faith and by civil disobedience tactics employed by Indian leader Mohandas K. Gandhi, led marches and demonstrations that promoted the dissolution of legally enforced racial segregation in public accommodations. His work and that of his followers prompted Congress to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

On April 4, 1968, after speaking to sanitation workers who were striking for better wages and working conditions in Memphis, Tennessee, King was assassinated as he stood on the balcony of the city’s Lorraine Motel.

President Ronald Reagan signed the law on Nov. 21, 1983, creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national celebration of King’s birthday. The first observance was on Jan. 20, 1986, and the holiday is observed on the third Monday in January.

— Karli Sutton (Karli.Sutton@mtsu.edu)