The Black Colleges of Atlanta

Rodney T. Cohen

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2000
• Print ISBN: 9780738505541
• eBook ISBN: 9781439610695
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Education General
• Index: History

Join Author Rodney T. Cohen as he reveals the history & beginnings of the Black Colleges of Atlanta and the distinguished alumni they shaped. By 1865, although Atlanta and the Confederacy still lay wounded in the wake of the Union victory, black higher education began its thrust for recognition. Some of the first of the American colleges formed specifically for the education of black students were founded in Atlanta, Georgia. These schools continue, over a century later, to educate, train and inspire. Through an engaging collection of images and informative captions, their story begins to unfold. Atlanta University was the pioneer college for blacks in the state of Georgia. Founded in 1865, it was followed by Morehouse College in 1867, Clark University in 1869, and Spelman and Morris Brown Colleges in 1881. By 1929, Atlanta University discontinued undergraduate work and affiliated with Morehouse and Spelman in a plan known as the "Atlanta University System." A formal agreement of cooperation including all of the Atlanta colleges occurred in 1957, solidifying the common goal and principles each school was founded upon-to make literate the black youth of America. Today, the shared resources of each institution provide a unique and challenging experience for young African Americans seeking higher education. The schools boast a long and distinguished list of alumni and scholars, including W.E.B. DuBois, James Weldon Johnson, Martin Luther King, Henry O. Tanner, and C. Eric Lincoln.

One

CAMPUS SCENES AND LANDMARKS

South of the North, yet north of the South, lies the City of a Hundred Hills, peering out from the shadows of the past into the promise of the future. I have seen her in the morning, when the first flush of day had half-roused her; she lay gray and still on the crimson soil of Georgia.

—W.E.B. DuBois

It was not until 1949, 17 years after its construction, that the administration building of Atlanta University received its name. Called Harkness Hall, it was named after the great benefactor Edward S. Harkness. It is pictured here, c.1940.

Shown on a typical school day, c.1950, are students from Clark College as they enjoy an autumn walk through the beautifully landscaped Thayer Quadrangle. The quadrangle takes its name from

Thayer Hall, shown in the background. James P. Brawley compared the cultural atmosphere and elegance of Thayer Hall to the Commons of Christ College at Oxford in England.

One of the most significant and progressive changes in the history of the Atlanta School of Social Work was when it affiliated with Atlanta University in 1938, thus becoming officially known as the Atlanta University School of Social Work.

In 1929, Atlanta University, Morehouse, and Spelman were formally affiliated in a university plan to become the Atlanta University System. As a result of this affiliation, the book collections of the three institutions were brought together to form the new Atlanta University Library. Shown is the University Library, c.1935, which was made possible by a gift from the General Education Board.

For years Graves Hall has served as the cultural, moral, and intellectual hub of Morehouse College. Named after President Samuel Graves, the structure was erected in 1889 on a historic plot of land. This land was marked by the Confederate Army, which offered stubborn resistance to the Union forces during the siege on Atlanta (Brawley, 1917).

This volleyball contest between the coeds of Clark College took place around 1950.

During the first eight years following Clark’s relocation in 1941, there were only two dormi...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• AKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• One - CAMPUS SCENES AND LANDMARKS
• Two - ADMINISTRATORS AND SCHOLARS
• Three - ALUMNI
• Four - FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES
• Five - CAMPUS CULTURE
• Six - POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
• Seven - ATHLETICS
• Eight - ACADEMIC LIFE
• BIBLIOGRAPHY