Southland College (Arkansas)

Last updated
Southland College
Type Normal School
Active1876 (1876)–1925
FounderAlida & Calvin Clark
Parent institution
Indiana Yearly Meeting
Religious affiliation
 Quaker
Location
Helena, Arkansas
,
Arkansas

34°35′57″N90°41′15″W / 34.5993°N 90.6876°W / 34.5993; -90.6876
CampusRural, 167 acres (68 ha)

Southland College, originally the Helena Orphan Asylum and eventually Southland Institute, was established in Helena, Arkansas for orphaned African American children [1] April 19, 1864 by Indiana Quakers Alida [2] and Calvin Clark and supported by various Quakers over several decades. [3] [1] [4] Established as an orphanage called the Helena Orphan Asylum within Helena, [4] the original request for the creation of an orphanage had come from General N. B. Buford who was the Federal Commandant at Helena during the civil war. [5]

Contents

In 1866, it was relocated further north in Phillips County, almost 4 miles east of Lexa, Arkansas. [4] [6] Each officer and private soldier of the 56th U.S. Colored Infantry, at the suggestion of Colonel Carl "Charles" Bentzoni, donated a days pay so that the new site could be purchased for the college. [6] Not long after an additional adjoining fifty acres was purchased by the Quakers to expand the site of the college. [5] Over the subsequent years the site was expanded to around 167 acres. [5]

In 1876, twelve years after its inception, it became Southland College and began to issue diplomas. [5] The first three students to obtain their diplomas were Chandler Paschal, Emma Lancaster and Jerry Cross. [5]

Although created for black children it was not until 1880 that the college employed its first black teachers, who were alumni of the college. [5]

An official from the school sued E. A. Fulton and editor Julian T. Bailey [7] of The Sun newspaper in Little Rock [8] for libel in 1885. [9]

George W. Bell was one of those who served as its president as well as a professor, [10] and had been a student at Southland himself before going on to graduate from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. [11]

Over the years of the college, hundreds graduated as teachers including Anna String who after graduating in 1903 had a career that included her becoming president of the Arkansas State Teachers Association as well as receiving many honors. [4] At its height in 1917 the enrolment had reached 500 students, [4] although in its final year of 1925 that had shrunk to 130. [11]

It closed in 1925 after several name changes and ongoing financial problems. [4] After the closure by the Quakers, the college was briefly run by the Masons and then the AME Zions. [5]

A series of private and parochial schools for African Americans succeeded it in Helena including a Peabody School and St. Cyprian's Day School. [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Southland College". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Archived from the original on 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  2. ↑ "Alida Clawson Clark (1823-1892)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  3. ↑ "A History of Southland College". University of Arkansas Press. Archived from the original on 2021-02-07. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Southland College Digital Exhibit". digitalcollections.uark.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Marianna Courier Index Archives, Dec 14, 1989, p. 12". NewspaperArchive.com. 1989-12-14. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 28 June 2021. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. 1 2 "School For Negroes". Newport Daily Independent, Newport, Arkansas. newspaperarchive.com. March 3, 1914. p. 2. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. ↑ "Prof. Julian T. Bailey, Editor The Littlie Rock Sun, the Hot Springs Sun and the Texarkana Sun, ( Texas,)". The Afro Texan Press. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  8. ↑ "Ayer Directory of Publications". Ayer Press. June 28, 1885. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022– via Google Books.
  9. ↑ "E. A. Fulton". Daily Arkansas Gazette. July 31, 1885. p. 8. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022– via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ The Higher Learning Commission. "Arkansas African American Legislators, 1868-1893". Magale Library. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  11. 1 2 Kennedy, Thomas C. (1983). "Southland College: The Society of Friends and Black Education in Arkansas". The Arkansas Historical Quarterly. 42 (3): 207–238. doi:10.2307/40030759. JSTOR   40030759. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  12. ↑ Hope, Holly (14 April 2018). "Walks through History - Columbia Street, Historic Helena" (PDF). Arkansasheritage.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2022.

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