In 1952 the rooming house at 1215 White Avenue, operated by Mrs. B. C. Pruett, had its first international student boarder, Almado Garcia from Cuba. For the next decade, Mrs. Pruett’s rooming house was known as the “Little U.N.” as additional international students rented rooms. She began serving meals, and her specialties were the native foods of her boarders’ countries. Pruett also introduced her boarders to various Knoxville churches and civic groups, and she led tours across the country for them during winter breaks and summer holidays.
In spring 1962 the owner of the house, Mrs. Anne Adams, decided to return to Knoxville and remodel and live in the home that had housed over two hundred students from 66 countries and 28 states during the past decade. Mrs. Pruett moved to Washington.