Mound Bayou Normal Institute

Mound Bayou Normal Institute
Students at Mound Bayou Normal Institute, c. 1910
Mound Bayou, Mississippi, U.S.
Information
Other names	Colored School of Mound Bayou Mound Bayou Normal and Industrial Institute
Established	1892 (1892)
Affiliation	American Missionary Association, Daniel Hand Fund

Mound Bayou Normal Institute was an elementary school and normal school for African American students founded in 1892, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. It was also known as Mound Bayou Normal and Industrial Institute, and the Colored School of Mound Bayou.

History

When the town of Mound Bayou was founded in 1887, students attended classes at the local Green Grove Baptist Church. ^[1] Mound Bayou Normal Institute was founded in 1892, and funded by the American Missionary Association and the Daniel Hand Fund. ^[2] The land for the campus was donated by Isaiah T. Montgomery and Benjamin Titus Green. ^[1]

In 1908, the school had 5 teachers and 155 students. ^[2] Former principals of the school included Fannie P. Ware, ^[3] Minnie S. Washington–Jordan, ^[1] Rev. B. F. Ousley (Benjamin Forsyth Ousley), ^[2] and Frederick Madison Roberts. ^[4] Notable former teachers included Mary Booze. Alumni included Benjamin A. Green. ^[5]

References

1. "Article clipped from Jackson Advocate". Jackson Advocate . November 9, 1963. p. 45. Retrieved October 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. Hartshorn, W. N. (William Newton) (1910). An Era of Progress and Promise, 1863–1910. Boston, MA: Priscilla Pub. Co. p. 156 – via Internet Archive, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Library.
3. "Colored School of Mound Bayou". The Commercial Appeal . May 30, 1897. p. 2. Retrieved October 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. California Secretary of State (1928). California Blue Book, Or State Roster. California State Printing Office. p. 257 – via Google Books.
5. "Ernest Wright Principal Speaker at Mound Bayou". The Louisiana Weekly . July 6, 1968. p. 2. Retrieved October 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.