Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIN : Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University in Pennsylvania is a four-year university on 350 acres in southern Chester County and a Center for Graduate Studies in Philadelphia. Founded in 1854 as the Ashmun Institute after Jehudi Ashmun a religious leader and social reformer, it was renamed Lincoln University in 1866 to honor President Abraham Lincoln. It currently provides undergraduate and graduate coursework for approximately 2,000 students. As Horace Mann Bond noted in his book, "Education for Freedom" (A History of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania), "This was the first institution founded anywhere in the world to provide a higher education in the arts and sciences for "youth of African descent." Lincoln University is the oldest HBCU and is located on its original site. Today, Lincoln University accepts students of every race and nationality. Lincoln is a state-related university, meaning it receives public funds and offers reduced tuition for Pennsylvania residents but is under independent control. Lincoln is the only HBCU and second oldest behind the University of Pittsburgh of Pennsylvania's four state-related universities (Penn State, Temple University).
Lincoln University has the unprecedented distinction among the nation's colleges and universities of having two distinguished alumni honored with commemorative first-class stamps by the United States Postal Service. Thurgood Marshall in January, 2003 and Langston Hughes in February, 2002.
Lincoln University has many distinguished alumni, including Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall, Hildrus Poindexter, Horace Mann Bond, Roscoe Lee Browne, Robert L. Carter, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrumah, and Melvin B. Tolson. From 1854-1954, the university was a leader among colleges in providing opportunities for African-Americans, graduating 20% of all African-American physicians and 10% of all African-American attorneys in the United States. It is home of the Barnes Foundation.
Lincoln was the first college or university in the United States to produce an alumni publication in November 1884. Early noted writers for Lincoln's "Alumni Magazine" included abolitionist, orator, and educator Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was the first Black university to become affiliated with the College Entrance Examination Board, in 1950.
Lincoln University alumni have held key leadership positions at more than 35 colleges and universities and scores of prominent churches. Seven Lincoln alumni founded the following U.S. or foreign universities: South Carolina State University , Livingstone College , Albany State University , Texas Southern University , Ibeme Memorial College, Nigeria, Ibibio State College, Nigeria, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Scuience and Technology, Ghana. Ten Lincoln University graduates have served as United States ambassadors and mission chiefs.
Lincoln University has often been referred to as the Princeton University of HBCU due to it close ties to Princeton. Issac Norton Rendall, who was an early president of Lincoln and graduate of Princeton University, and it's Seminary developed Lincoln's early curriculum based on his experiences at Princeton. The similarities also extend to the colors of the two schools and their mascots (Lincoln’s Orange and Blue Lions to Princeton Orange & Black Tigers.
Presidents
- 1854–1856 John Miller Dickey, Founder and President of the Board of Trustees Ashmun Institute and Lincoln University
- 1856–1861 John Pym Carter
- 1861–1865 John Wynne Martin
- 1865–1906 Issac Norton Rendall
- 1906–1924 John Ballard Rendall
- 1924–1926 Walter Livingston Wright (Acting President)
- 1926–1936 William Haddock Johnson, Ph.D
- 1936–1945 Walter Livingston Wright
- 1945–1957 Horace Mann Bond '23, Ph.D (First Alumni President)
- 1957–1960 Armstead Otey Grubb, Ph.D (Acting President)
- July 1960–June 1961 Donald Charles Yelton (Acting President)
- 1961–1969 Marvin Wachman, Ph.D
- January 1970–July 1970 Bernard Warren Harleston (Acting President)
- October 1970–1985 Herman Russell Branson, Ph.D
- 1985–1987 Donald Leopold Mullett '51, Ph.D (Acting President)
- 1987–1998 Niara Sudarkasa, Ph.D
- October 1998–August 1999 James Donaldson '61, Ph.D (Acting President)
- 1999–Present Ivory V. Nelson, Ph.D
Notables
- Harry W. Bass Class of 1866, First African American elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1910.
- Oscar Brown, Jr. Class of 1940, renowed singer, actor, playwright, and director in the 1960's.
- Cab Calloway left Lincoln in 1930 to become a world renowed entertainer and bandleader.
- Lillian E. Fishburne, Class of 1971, First African American woman promoted to the rank of rear admiral in the U.S. Navy in 1998.
- Archibald H. Grimke Class of 1870, lawyer, journalist, public speaker and a member of the Niagra Movement, a precursor to the NAACP.
- Francis J. Grimké , Class of 1870, Pastor of the 15th Street Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C. , and member of the Niagra Movement , a precursor to the NAACP.
- Gil Scott-Heron Activist, Singer Song Writer attended Lincoln in the Early 1970's.
- Robert L. Ireland Class of 1966, First African American associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 1997.
- Congressman Robert N.C. Nix, Sr. First African American Elected to Congress from Pennsylvania (Class of 1921).
- Montford "Monte" Irvin Former New York Baseball Giants attended Lincoln University.
- Robert Walter "Whirlwind" Johnson Class of 1924, noted educator and tennis instructor (including tennis greats Althea Gibson & Arthur Ashe).
- Sibusio Nkomo Class of 1981; Chairperson, National Policy Institute of the Republic of South Africa.
- Charles L. Preston, Jr. Class of 1950, First African American U.S. Postal Inspector (1962).
- William Drew Robeson I Class of 1876, Minister, and father of Paul Robeson.
- Rev. James Robinson Class of 1935, Founder of Crossroads Africa (the model President John F. Kenedy based the Peace Corps on).
- Wilbert "Bill" Tatum Class of 1958-Publisher Emeritus of The New York Amsterdam News.
- James L. Usry Class of 1946, First African American Mayor of Atlantic City NJ
- Hon. Herb J. Wesson Jr. Class of 1999, Electer speaker of the California State Assembly in 2002.
- Hon. Bruce M. Wright Class of 1942, Retired Judge in New York & Connecticut, and author of "Black Robes, White Justice".
- Kwame Nkrumah founder and first president of the modern Ghana.
External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.