In 1889, in order to accommodate workingmen who could not attend during the day, a night school was established for which the college professors donated their time so no tuition was charged. Professor Stonewell Tompkins was principal. The sessions were held in the Mechanical Building on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings in January–April. Topics covered included language, English, mathematics, bookkeeping and penmanship (taught by Professor R. S. Collins of Knoxville Business College), freehand drawing, and mechanical drawing. A number of popular lectures on such subjects as chemistry, electricity, and political economy were delivered during the term.
In 1914 Engineering Dean Charles Ferris instituted holding night schools in Knoxville, Etowah, and Chattanooga. The night schools (which met once a week) and the correspondence courses of the college were the earliest organized efforts at extension. In 1921 a night school for engineers with sessions in steam engineering and engineering instruction began on October 10.
In 1927 the School of Commerce and the Division of General Extension launched a major drive to expand evening classes. Faculty received $160 for each extension class taught per quarter (an amount reduced to $144 a class during the Depression and not restored to $160 until 1944). Evening courses might be for credit or noncredit, on campus or almost anywhere in the state. Courses were established for workers at a given plant or locality—for example, ALCOA.