Allen University

Last updated

Allen University
Allen University seal.png
Former names
Payne Institute
(1870–1880)
MottoWe Teach The Mind To Think, The Hands To Work, The Heart To Love
Type Private historically black university
Established1870
Affiliation UNCF
Religious affiliation
 African Methodist Episcopal Church
Endowment $459,000 (as of 2022) [1]
President Ernest McNealey
Administrative staff
530
Students677 (Fall 2023)
Location
Columbia
,
South Carolina
,
United States
CampusUrban
Colors   
Royal Blue & Gold
Nickname Yellow Jackets
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division II – SIAC
Mascot Yellow Jacket
Website www.allenuniversity.edu
Allen University logo.png

Allen University is a private historically black university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. It has more than 600 students and still serves a predominantly Black constituency. [2] The campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Allen University Historic District.

Contents

History

Allen University was founded in Cokesbury in 1870 as Payne Institute by ministers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, including John M. Brown. [3] Its initial mission was to provide education to freedmen, former African American slaves and their children.

In 1880, it was moved to Columbia and renamed Allen University in honor of Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The university remains connected to the denomination, which is related to other Methodist churches. As one of two black colleges located in Columbia, Allen has a very strong presence in the African-American community. Allen University initially focused on training ministers and teachers, who were considered critical to the progress of African Americans. Over the years, it has enlarged its scope to produce graduates in other academic areas.

In 1885, Joseph W. Morris became president of the university. [4] By 1898, the university reported having a total of 9 faculty, 304 students, and 208 graduates. [5]

Academics

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to offer Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. These degrees are awarded in the following divisions and departments:

In 2010, Washington Monthly reported in its annual College Guide edition that the school had a six percent graduation rate. [6] In 2018, Allen University launched its first graduate program, the Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary. [7] Under the seminary's founding dean, Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary gained member status with the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada to offer the Master of Arts in Religion and Master of Divinity degrees. [8]

Campus

Allen University
Chappelle Administration Building, Allen University (Columbia).jpg
Chappelle Administration Building
Location1530 Harden St., Columbia, South Carolina
Coordinates 34°0′38″N81°1′14″W / 34.01056°N 81.02056°W / 34.01056; -81.02056
Built1891
NRHP reference No. 75001705 [9]
Added to NRHPApril 14, 1975

Buildings such as Arnett Hall, the Chappelle Administration Building, Coppin Hall, the Joseph Simon Flippen Library, and the Canteen Building are included in what is designated as the Allen University Historic District, listed in 1975 on the National Register of Historic Places. [9] [10] [11]

In addition to its National Register of Historic Places status, Allen University Historic District falls within the boundaries of Waverly Protection Area, a Preservation District within the City of Columbia Urban Design and Historic Preservation District system. [12] This Preservation District is an expansion of Waverly Historic District.

Several of the district's buildings were restored, using $2.9 million in funds obtained through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Building Restoration and Preservation Act. Chappelle Auditorium's seating capacity of 700 has made it the site of countless organizations' and community events.

The auditorium was the site of the meeting of educators and lawyers to initiate efforts that led to the landmark US Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954) on school integration. Nationally known musicians and artists, including Leontyne Price, Brook Benton and Langston Hughes, have performed in the auditorium. Notable speakers include: Mary McCleod Bethune, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., [13] Muhammad Ali, Reverend Jesse Jackson, George Elmore, John H. McCray, and Senator Strom Thurmond. The auditorium was named in honor of Bishop William D. Chappelle, an Allen University President. On April 14, 1975, Chappelle Administration Building was recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.[ citation needed ]

Chappelle Administration Building was designed by John Anderson Lankford (1874-1946), who is known as the "Dean of Black Architects". It is a National Historic Landmark. Lankford also served as the official architect of the AME Church.[ citation needed ]

Student life

Allen University is the home of more than 15 on-campus student organizations.

National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations

Allen University has eight of the nine national black fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council present on campus.

Athletics

The Allen athletic teams are called the Yellow Jackets.

The university is a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) as a member since the 2020–21 academic year (achieving D-II full member status in 2022–23); which they were a member on a previous stint from 1947–48 to 1968–69. The Yellow Jackets previously competed in the Southeastern Athletic Conference from 1929 to 1947, the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2016–17 to 2019–20; as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2005–06 to 2015–16; and in the defunct Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) from 1983–84 to 2004–05.

Allen competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, football, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling.

Marching band

Following the reinstatement of the football program in 2018, the marching band, known as the Band of Gold, was reinstated under the direction of former Marching 101 director Eddie Ellis. [14]

Notable alumni

NameClass yearNotabilityReferences
Sam Davis 1967A retired American football player, who played for the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers from 1967 to 1979.
Hall Johnson 1908American composer and arranger
George Harold former professional American football player
Joseph DeLaine 1931minister and civil rights leader who worked with South Carolina NAACP on the legal case Briggs vs Elliot in 1952. It was one of the four cases argued under Brown vs. Board of Education
Dock J. Jordan 1892American lawyer, author, educator, civil rights activist; President of Edward Waters University and Kittrell College.
Lewis C. Dowdy 1939 American educator; Sixth president and first chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University [15]
Ralph Anderson 1949member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1991- 1996) South Carolina Senate, 19th District (1997)
DeWitt Williams 1950member of the South Carolina Senate, 102nd District (1983-1996-present) SC Senate (1996-1997) District 102nd
Kay Patterson 1956member of the South Carolina Senate, 7th District (1985-2008)
William Clyburn 1964member of Aiken City Council (1973-1980) (1983-1983) the South Carolina House of Representatives, 82nd District (1995-Present)
Clementa Carlos Pinckney 1995member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, 73rd District (1997- 2000) SC Senate District 45 (2000-2015)
Tywanza Sanders 2014victim of the Charleston church shooting

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensboro College</span> Private college in Greensboro, North Carolina, US

Greensboro College is a private college in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and was founded in 1838 by Rev. Peter Doub. The college enrolls students from 32 states, the District of Columbia, and 29 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loras College</span> Private university in Dubuque, Iowa, US

Loras College is a private Catholic college in Dubuque, Iowa. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students and is the oldest post-secondary institution in the state of Iowa. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is one of four four-year post-secondary institutions in the City of Dubuque, one of four Catholic colleges in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and one of six Catholic colleges in the state of Iowa. The campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Loras College Historic District in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barber–Scotia College</span> Historically black college in Concord, North Carolina, US

Barber–Scotia College is a private unaccredited historically black college in Concord, North Carolina. It began as a seminary in 1867 before becoming a college in 1916. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Presbyterian Seminary</span> Seminary in Virginia, US

Union Presbyterian Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, offering graduate theological education in multiple modalities: in-person, hybrid, and online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Missouri State University</span> Public university in Maryville, Missouri, US

Northwest Missouri State University is a public university in Maryville, Missouri, United States. It has an enrollment of 9,152 students. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, its campus is based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and is the official Missouri State Arboretum. The school is governed by a state-appointed Board of Regents and headed by President Lance Tatum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stillman College</span> Historically black private college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

Stillman College is a private historically black Presbyterian college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 22 programs housed within three academic schools. The college has an average enrollment of 728 students and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedict College</span> Historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina, US

Benedict College is a private historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1870 by northern Baptists, it was originally a teachers' college. It has since expanded to offer majors in many disciplines across the liberal arts. The campus includes buildings in the Benedict College Historic District, a historic area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia University of Lynchburg</span> Private HBCU in Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

Virginia University of Lynchburg (VUL) is a private historically black Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and offers instruction and degrees, primarily in religious studies, including a Doctorate of Ministry program. The campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livingstone College</span> Historically black college in Salisbury, North Carolina, US

Livingstone College is a private historically black Christian college in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Livingstone College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philander Smith University</span> Historially Black university in Little Rock, Arkansas, US

Philander Smith University is a private historically black college in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is a founding member of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Philander Smith College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Voorhees University is a private historically black university in Denmark, South Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Morris College (MC) is a private, Baptist historically black college in Sumter, South Carolina. It was founded and is operated by the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland City University</span> Private university in Oakland City, Indiana, US

Oakland City University (OCU) is a private university affiliated with the General Baptist Church and located in Oakland City, Indiana. It is the only General Baptist Church-affiliated college or university in the United States. Founded in 1885, it has slowly grown to the present student enrollment of about 1,200 on the main campus and, counting all sites, about 2,000 total.

This is an incomplete list of historic properties and districts at United States colleges and universities that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This includes National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) and other National Register of Historic Places listings. It includes listings at current and former educational institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chappelle Administration Building</span> United States historic place

The Chappelle Administration Building, on the campus of Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, was designed by John Anderson Lankford, known as the "dean of black architects." The building name has been spelled Chapelle Administration Building in HABS and NPS reports. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, cited as one Lankford's most important works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John A. Lankford</span> American architect

John A. Lankford, American architect. He was the first professionally licensed African American architect in Virginia in 1922 and in the District of Columbia in 1924. He has been regarded as the "dean of black architecture".

William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards was an Atlanta-based American architect renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he designed in Florida, Georgia and his native South Carolina. More than 25 of his works have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waverly Historic District (Columbia, South Carolina)</span> Historic district in South Carolina, United States

Waverly Historic District is a national historic district located at Columbia, South Carolina. The district encompasses 132 contributing buildings in the first suburban development at Columbia. They were built between about 1898 and 1925, and the district includes examples of Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, shotgun, American Foursquare, and Craftsman/Bungalow style architecture. The community has evolved from a predominantly white neighborhood into a community of African-American artisans, professionals and social reformers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen University Historic District</span>

Allen University Historic District is a historic district in Columbia, South Carolina that includes buildings on the campus of Allen University, originally established as Payne Institute. Buildings in the district include Arnett Hall, the Chappelle Administration Building, Coppin Hall, the Joseph Simon Flippen Library, and the Canteen Building. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places April 14, 1975. The address is 1530 Harden Street. Originally in a suburb, the university is now near downtown.

References

  1. ↑ "Allen University | Data USA".
  2. ↑ "Southern Accreditor Clears Virginia, Fisk, Florida A&M". Inside Higher Ed . December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  3. ↑ Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p1113-1118
  4. ↑ [No Headline], Washington Bee (Washington, DC), 20 June 1885, p. 3
  5. ↑ Hawkins, John R., ed. (1898). "Our Schools from Latest Reports". The Educator. Educational Department of the A.M.E. Church. 1 (no. 1): 47.
  6. ↑ "Dropout Factories". College Guide 2010. Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Allen University launches Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary". Carolina Panorama Newspaper. August 2, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ "ATS members gather in Pittsburgh for 2022 ATS/COA Biennial Meeting" (PDF). Association of Theological Schools Commission on Accrediting. June 22, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "National Register Information System – (#75001705)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  10. ↑ Dixon, Nenie; Pat Landholt (January 26, 1975). "Octagon House" (PDF). Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Allen University Historic District, Richland County (1530 Harden St., Columbia)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  12. ↑ City of Columbia Preservation Districts". City of Columbia Planning and Preservation. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  13. ↑ "The past restored: Allen University opens renovated auditorium" . June 24, 2016. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Artists including Leontyne Price, Brook Benton and Langston Hughes performed there. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali are among the other celebrities who appeared at Chappelle Auditorium over the years.
  14. ↑ "A Marching Band at Allen University". Black PRWire. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Dr. Lewis Carnegie Dowdy Chancellor of North Carolina A&T University" . Retrieved May 20, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.