Saint Paul's College (Virginia)

Last updated

Saint Paul's College
ST. PAUL'S COLLEGE, BRUNSWICK COUNTY, VA.jpg
Former names
Saint Paul Normal and Industrial School
Saint Paul’s Polytechnic Institute
Motto"challenge by choice"
Type Private historically black college
Active1888–2013
Location, ,
United States

36°45′42″N77°50′58″W / 36.76167°N 77.84944°W / 36.76167; -77.84944
Colors    Black and Orange
Nickname Tigers and Lady Tigers
MascotTiger
Website saintpauls.edu
St. Paul's College
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationSt. Paul's College campus, Lawrenceville, Virginia
Coordinates 36°45′39″N77°51′0″W / 36.76083°N 77.85000°W / 36.76083; -77.85000
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1883
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 79003032 [1]
VLR No.251-0003 [2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 27, 1979 [2]
Designated VLRMarch 20, 1979 [3]

Saint Paul's College was a private historically black college in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Saint Paul's College opened its doors on September 24, 1888, originally training students as teachers and for agricultural and industrial jobs.

Contents

By the late 20th century, Saint Paul's College offered undergraduate degrees for traditional college students and distant learning students in the Continuing Studies Program. The college also offered adult education to help assist working adults to gain undergraduate degrees. Saint Paul's College had a Single Parent Support System Program that assisted single teen parents pursuing a college education.

The college had long struggled with significant financial difficulties, culminating in a court conflict in 2012 with its regional accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Throughout the 2012–2013 school year, the college sought to merge with another institution, but on June 3, 2013, the board announced the college would close on June 30, 2013. [4]

Campus

Saint Paul's eleven-building campus was situated on 185 acres (0.75 km2) of green hills. Older buildings were constructed by students and donated by friends of the College. The college has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [2]

History

The chapel at the school, built by students, c. 1910 St. Paul Normal and Industrial School.jpg
The chapel at the school, built by students, c. 1910

On September 24, 1888, James Solomon Russell [5] of the Protestant Episcopal Church founded the Saint Paul Normal and Industrial School, with fewer than a dozen students. The school was intended chiefly to develop African-American teachers, a critical and prestigious job in the late 19th and early 20th-century South. [6] In 1914 the school boasted that "The location of the school in the heart of the Black Belt of Virginia, with a Negro population of 100,000 almost at its very doors, is most favorable for the prosecution of uplift work." [7]

In 1941 the name of the institution was changed to Saint Paul's Polytechnic Institute when the state granted the school authority to offer a four-year program. The first bachelor's degree was awarded in 1944. In 1957 the college adopted its present name to reflect its liberal arts and teacher education curricula. [8]

In June 2012, the college's regional accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, stripped the college of its accreditation. Although the college had been on probation, it lost its accreditation for "violations concerning financial resources, institutional effectiveness in support services, institutional effectiveness in academics and student services, lack of terminal degrees for too many faculty members, and a lack of financial stability." [9] The college sued the accreditor, and two months later a court issued a preliminary injunction reinstating the college's probationary accreditation to protect it during further legal proceedings. [10] Although supporters worked on plans to have St. Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina, another historically black university of Episcopal heritage, acquire St Paul's, [11] the deal was abandoned in May 2013. [12] Shortly thereafter, St. Paul's College reported to SACS that it would close on June 30, 2013. [4]

In 2017 the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which had assumed ownership of most of the former campus, sold the property to a Chinese-related firm that has not announced its plans. [13]

Academics

The college focused on liberal arts, social sciences, education, business, mathematics, and natural sciences. It was committed to the development of "students who will be equipped to live effectively in a global society." [14]

Student support

Saint Paul's College developed the Single Parent Support System (SPSS), the only program of its kind in the United States. Initiated in 1987, the SPSS was an on-campus residential educational program designed for single parents with two or fewer children between the ages of two months to nine years old. [15]

The program required students to attend the college year round on a full-time basis and maintain a projected graduation progression of three to four years, with a 2.5 G.P.A. each year. A significant aspect of the SPSS was a faculty mentoring system that assisted participants with choosing a major. Tutorial assistance and counseling services were available, and the college provided seminars that focused on academic success, transition to college, career planning, and parenting. The college also provided child care assistance. [15]

Athletics

Saint Paul's athletic teams were known as the Tigers and Lady Tigers. The college was a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) from 1923–24 to 2010–11. [16]

Saint Paul's competed in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis and track & field; while women's sports included basketball, bowling, cross country, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

The college discontinued its athletic programs in July 2011 in an effort to alleviate financial difficulties. [17] The football team had costs of $300,000 to $400,000 annually. [18]

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John Fisher University</span> Private university in Pittsford, New York, US

St. John Fisher University is a private university in Pittsford, New York. It is named after John Fisher, an English Catholic cardinal and saint. It was named St. John Fisher College until July 1, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Northwestern – St. Paul</span> Private Christian college in Roseville, Minnesota, U.S.

University of Northwestern (UNW) is a private Christian university in Roseville, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loras College</span> Private university in Dubuque, Iowa, United States

Loras College is a private Catholic college in Dubuque, Iowa. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students and is the oldest post-secondary institution in the state of Iowa. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is one of four four-year post-secondary institutions in the City of Dubuque, one of four Catholic colleges in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and one of six Catholic colleges in the state of Iowa. The campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Loras College Historic District in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Leo University</span> Private Catholic university in St. Leo, Florida, U.S.

Saint Leo University is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts university in St. Leo, Florida. It was established in 1889. The university is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery. The university and the abbey are both named for Pope Leo the Great, bishop of Rome from 440 to 461. The name also honors Leo XIII, who was Pope at the time the university was founded, and Leo Haid, then abbot of Maryhelp Abbey in North Carolina, now Belmont Abbey, who participated in founding the university and served as its first president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma City University</span> Private university in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, US

Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe College</span> American for-profit college based in New York

Monroe College is a private for-profit college in New York City. It was founded in 1933 and has campuses in the Bronx, New Rochelle and Saint Lucia, with degree programs also available through Monroe Online. The college is named after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catherine University</span> Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota, US

St. Catherine University is a private Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was established as one of the first institutions of higher learning specifically for women in the Midwest and was known as the College of St. Catherine until 2009. St. Kate's offers baccalaureate programs for women as well as graduate and associate programs for women and men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluefield State University</span> Historically black university in Bluefield, West Virginia, US

Bluefield State University is a public historically black university (HBCU) in Bluefield, West Virginia. Despite being an HBCU, Bluefield's undergraduate student body is now over 80% white. The university is part of West Virginia's public university education system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Liberty University</span> Public university in West Liberty, West Virginia, US

West Liberty University (WLU) is a public university in West Liberty, West Virginia. Located in the state's Northern Panhandle, it is the oldest college or university in West Virginia. It offers more than 70 undergraduate majors plus graduate programs, including a master's degree in education, a physician assistant studies program, and an online MBA. WLU's athletic teams, known as the Hilltoppers, are charter members of the NCAA Division II Mountain East Conference with nearly 400 student-athletes participating in 16 intercollegiate sports, including football, basketball, wrestling, track, acrobatics & tumbling and baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem University</span> Private university in Salem, West Virginia

Salem University is a private for-profit university in Salem, West Virginia. It has about 250 students on campus and about 600 online students that are enrolled in undergraduate as well as graduate programs. The university was founded by the Seventh Day Baptist Church in 1888.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concordia University (Oregon)</span> Defunct private university in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Concordia University was a private Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) university in Portland, Oregon, that closed in spring 2020. One remaining program, the accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing, continues to operate under another Concordia University System school.

Maryville University of St. Louis is a private university in Town and Country, Missouri. It was originally founded on April 6, 1872, by the Society of the Sacred Heart and offers more than 90 degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels to students from 50 states and 47 countries. The school's name is derived from the shortening and altering of "Mary's Villa" when the school opened as an all women-school in the country outside of the order's original downtown St. Louis location in 1872. In 1961 it moved to suburban St. Louis and in 1968 began admitting men. Since 1972 the university has been governed by a board of trustees consisting mostly of members of the laity, although five of the trustees are always associated with the Society of the Sacred Heart. The school's athletic nickname is now the Saints.

Ferrum College is a private college in Ferrum, Virginia. The college was established in 1913 as the Ferrum Training School for primary and secondary education to serve the mountain communities of rural Southwest Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Augustine's University (North Carolina)</span> Historically Black Christian college in Raleigh, North Carolina

Saint Augustine's University is a private historically black Christian college in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was founded by Episcopal clergy in 1867 for the education of freed slaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern New Hampshire University</span> University near Manchester, New Hampshire, US

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with national accreditation for some hospitality, health, education and business degrees. SNHU is one of the fastest-growing universities nationwide with 135,000 online students and 3,000 on campus.

Edmonds College, formerly Edmonds Community College, is a public community college in Lynnwood, Washington. More than 17,000 students annually take courses for credit toward a certificate or degree at the college. The college employs more than 1,300 people, including 126 full-time and 283 part-time instructors and 267 students.

St. Paul VI Catholic High School is a Catholic college preparatory school in Chantilly, Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris–Stowe State University</span> Historically black public university in St. Louis, Missouri

Harris–Stowe State University (HSSU) is a public historically black university in St. Louis, Missouri. The university offers 50 majors, minors, and certificate programs in education, business, and arts & sciences. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. It is immediately east of the Saint Louis University campus. The school enrolled 1,098 students in 2023.

Dominican College of Racine was a college in Racine, Wisconsin founded in 1864 as St. Catherine's Female Academy and later known as St. Albertus Junior College (1935–1946), Dominican College (1946–1957), Dominican College of Racine (1957–1972), and College of Racine (1972–1974).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen G. Edmonds</span> American scholar (1911–1995)

Helen Grey Edmonds was an American historian, scholar, and civic leader. She was the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate from Ohio State University, to become a graduate school dean and the first to second the nomination of a United States presidential candidate.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Virginia Landmarks Register, National Register of Historic Places: Updated Through DHR March 21, 2013 and NPS June 6, 2013 Announcements" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  3. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Hawkins, Denise (May 31, 2013). "After 125 Years of Service, St. Paul's College Shutting Down June 30". Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  5. https://www.thevablacklifestylemagazine.com/post/virginia-s-6th-hbcu-saint-paul-s-college
  6. James D. Brown, Black Education in the South, 1860–1935. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1988, pp. 244–245
  7. Margaret Jefferys Hobart, Then and now (1914) p 51.
  8. "History of Saint Paul's College". Saint Paul's College. 2013. Archived from the original on November 8, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  9. Scott Jaschik (June 22, 2012). "Saint Paul's Loses Accreditation" . Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  10. "Saint Paul's College Wins Court Order to Regain Accreditation". The Chronicle of Higher Education . August 31, 2012.
  11. B. Denise Hawkins (November 20, 2013). "St. Augustine's University, St. Paul's College Plan to Merge". Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  12. "St. Aug's drops plans to acquire Virginia college"
  13. "With sale, what's next for St. Paul's College?". SoVaNow.com. 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  14. "Mission of The College". Saint Paul's College. 2009. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "The Single Parent Support System Program". Saint Paul's College. 2013. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  16. "St. Paul's College". National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  17. Eric Kolenich (May 10, 2011). "Saint Paul's to end athletics program". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  18. "Historically black Va. College sees hope in sale". March 29, 2014.
  19. "Billy Eckstine "Mr. B and His Band"". Big Band Library. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  20. 1 2 Leslie Hurt (September 24, 2010). "Edmonds, Helen Grey (1911-1995)". Black Past . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Helen G. Edmonds Papers, 1936-1995". The James E. Shepard Memorial Library. North Carolina Central University . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  22. Mike Millner (April 18, 2013). "CCC Progress Update: Helen Grey Edmonds Papers completed". Publishing the Long Civil Rights Movement. University of North Carolina . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  23. Frey, Jennifer (August 2, 1998). "TO A DEGREE, DARRELL GREEN HAS FILLED THE LAST HOLE IN HIS LIFE". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved August 25, 2021.