





Jackson State University has a distinguished history, rich in the tradition of educating young men and women for leadership, having undergone seven name changes as it grew and developed. Founded as Natchez Seminary in 1877, the school was established as Natchez, Mississippi “for the moral, religious and intellectual improvement of Christian leaders of the colored people of Mississippi and the neighboring states.” In 1882, the school moved to Jackson, and in 1899, was renamed to "Jackson College".
Notable alumni include Walter Payton, Hall of Fame football player; Carlton W. Reeves, federal judge; Rod Paige, US Sec. of Education; DeMarco Morgan, CBS News anchor for their west coast KCBS station, many more.
Tuskegee University was originally founded in 1881 as the school for Black students by American educator Booker T. Washington. At that time, it was called the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. In 1937 it was renamed as "Tuskegee Institute" and finally to Tuskegee University in 1985.
Notable alumni include the Tuskegee Airmen, fighter pilots who fought in World War II; Ralph Ellison, scholar, author of Invisible Man; Tom Joyner acclaimed radio host; Lionel Richie, R&B singer, Grammy Award winner; and many more.
Hampton University was originally established as the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute with a simple declared purpose, "to train selected Negro youth who should go out and teach and lead their people first by example". In 1930, Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute became "Hampton Institute," and eventually Hampton University in 1984.
Notable alumni include, Booker T. Washington, founded Tuskegee University; Robert S. Abbott, founder of Chicago Defender; Wanda Sykes, comedian, Sylvia Trent-Adams, First African-American nurse to serve as Surgeon General of the United States; and many more.
In 1969, what was originally known as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia State University changed to Norfolk State College. In that same year, Norfolk State College received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and had an enrollment of 5,400 students. Nearly 25 years later, the school's enrollment reached approximately 9,100 students.
Notable faculty and staff include Steve Riddick, Olympic gold medal winner and former Norfolk State University coach; Robert R. Jennings, current president of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Yacob Haile-Mariam, an elected member of the Ethiopian parliament and a former Senior Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; and many more.
Clark Atlanta University was originally founded as Atlanta University in 1865 just three months after the end of the Civil War, and is the first HBCU in the Southern United States. Atlanta University was the nation's first ever graduate institution to award degrees to African Americans and also the first to award bachelor degrees to African Americans in the South. Also worth noting is its four-year liberal arts program which became the first to serve African-American students.
Notable alumni include Federal judge Clarence Cooper; Ralph Abernathy who was a Civil rights activist; Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, former U.S Congressman for Georgia's 4th District; Louis Tompkins Wright, the first black surgeon to head the Department of Surgery at Harlem Hospital in New York City; and many more.
Lincoln University was originally established as "The Ashmun Institute", receiving its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on April 29, 1854, making it the first degree-granting HBCU.
Notable alumni include Langston Hughes ’29, world-acclaimed poet; Thurgood Marshall ’30, the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice; and many more.
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Clark Atlanta University was originally founded as Atlanta University in 1865 just three months after the end of the Civil War, and is the first HBCU in the Southern United States. Atlanta University was the nation's first ever graduate institution to award degrees to African Americans and also the first to award bachelor degrees to African Americans in the South. Also worth noting is its four-year liberal arts program which became the first to serve African-American students.
Notable alumni include Federal judge Clarence Cooper; Ralph Abernathy who was a Civil rights activist; Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, former U.S Congressman for Georgia's 4th District; Louis Tompkins Wright, the first black surgeon to head the Department of Surgery at Harlem Hospital in New York City; and many more.
Before the school became Clark Atlanta University, it was known as Clark College in 1869. Atlanta University was actually the nation's first graduate school to award degrees to African Americans, and Clark College was the nation's first four-year liberal arts college to serve African-American students. In 1988 the two consolidated to form what we know now as Clark Atlanta University.
Notable alumni include Federal judge Clarence Cooper; Ralph Abernathy who was a Civil rights activist; Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, former U.S Congressman for Georgia's 4th District; Louis Tompkins Wright, the first black surgeon to head the Department of Surgery at Harlem Hospital in New York City; and many more.
Tuskegee University was originally founded in 1881 as the school for Black students by American educator Booker T. Washington. At that time, it was called the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. In 1937 it was renamed as "Tuskegee Institute" and finally to Tuskegee University in 1985.
Notable alumni include the Tuskegee Airmen, fighter pilots who fought in World War II; Ralph Ellison, scholar, author of Invisible Man; Tom Joyner acclaimed radio host; Lionel Richie, R&B singer, Grammy Award winner; and many more.
Founded in 1867 as the Centenary Biblical Institute by the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the school was renamed to Morgan College in 1890.
Notable alumni include, Kweisi Mfume, former President of the NAACP and U.S. Congressman; Earl G. Graves, Entrepreneur, philanthropist, founder of Black Enterprise magazine; and many more.
Jackson State University has a distinguished history, rich in the tradition of educating young men and women for leadership, having undergone seven name changes as it grew and developed. Founded as Natchez Seminary in 1877, the school was established as Natchez, Mississippi “for the moral, religious and intellectual improvement of Christian leaders of the colored people of Mississippi and the neighboring states.” In 1882, the school moved to Jackson, and in 1899, was renamed to "Jackson College".
Notable alumni include Walter Payton, Hall of Fame football player; Carlton W. Reeves, federal judge; Rod Paige, US Sec. of Education; DeMarco Morgan, CBS News anchor for their west coast KCBS station, many more.
Hampton University was originally established as the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute with a simple declared purpose, "to train selected Negro youth who should go out and teach and lead their people first by example". In 1930, Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute became "Hampton Institute," and eventually Hampton University in 1984.
Notable alumni include, Booker T. Washington, founded Tuskegee University; Robert S. Abbott, founder of Chicago Defender; Wanda Sykes, comedian, Sylvia Trent-Adams, First African-American nurse to serve as Surgeon General of the United States; and many more.
In 1934, the school changed its name from the Houston Independent School District to Houston College. Currently Texas Southern University is one of the largest and most comprehensive HBCUs in the nation with an enrollment of over 10,000 students and over 100 academic programs. The university serves as a strong economic resource for Greater Houston, contributing over $500 million to the region's gross sales and being responsible for over 3,000 jobs.
Notable alumni include Jennifer Holliday, a Grammy Award-winning entertainer and well-known cast member of Dreamgirls; Tray Walker, former Baltimore Ravens cornerback; Jim Hines, a former NFL player, two time gold medalist at the 1968 Olympics, and also the first sprinter to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters; Ron Reynolds, member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 27 since 2011; and many more.
Virginia State University was originally founded as Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute in 1923. It was renamed Virginia State College for Negroes in 1930, and named Virginia State College in 1946. In 1979, it received its present name, Virginia State University.
Notable alumni include, Reginald Lewis, businessman and owner of TLC Beatrice International; William H. Lewis, Former United States Assistant Attorney General; Deshauna Barber, Miss USA 2016; and many more.
In 1969, what was originally known as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia State University changed to Norfolk State College. In that same year, Norfolk State College received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and had an enrollment of 5,400 students. Nearly 25 years later, the school's enrollment reached approximately 9,100 students.
Notable faculty and staff include Steve Riddick, Olympic gold medal winner and former Norfolk State University coach; Robert R. Jennings, current president of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Yacob Haile-Mariam, an elected member of the Ethiopian parliament and a former Senior Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; and many more.
Alabama A&M University was founded in 1875, however it was not until 1969 that the school took its present name. Alabama A&M is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District.
Notable alumni include Jearl Miles-Clark, an Olympic Gold Medalist; Ruben Studdard, contemporary R&B, pop and gospel music singer; Don Calloway, attorney and politician from St. Louis, Missouri; and many more.