White Church Boards Maintaining Colored Schools
The extent and character of the educational work done by the white churches are emphatic evidence that these churches have recognized the great opportunity for service in behalf of a struggling people. They have given their money to build and maintain the schools, they have sent their sons and daughters to teach in them, and they have rendered a service to humanity that is destined to receive recognition.
The following table presents the more important facts concerning the schools under white denominational boards:
| WHITE CHURCH BOARDS MAINTAINING SCHOOLS FOR COLORED PEOPLE. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denominational Boards | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | |||
| Total | White | Negr. | ||||||
| Total | 354 | 51,529 | 2,562 | 1,069 | 1,493 | $1,546,303 | $13,822,451 | |
| Baptist: | ||||||||
| American Home Missions Society | 24 | 5,536 | 419 | 139 | 280 | 304,861 | 3,870,744 | |
| Women’s American Baptist Home Mission Society | 1 | 125 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 7,746 | 16,500 | |
| Catholic Board of Missions | 112 | 13,507 | 404 | 384 | 20 | 146,821 | 491,000 | |
| Christian Woman’s Board of Missions | 5 | 440 | 37 | 15 | 22 | 29,910 | 184,602 | |
| Congregational American Missionary Association | 29 | 6,922 | 383 | 212 | 171 | 235,764 | 1,733,589 | |
| Friends Society and other Friends Agencies | 8 | 1,642 | 96 | 12 | 84 | 63,868 | 915,900 | |
| Lutheran Board for Colored Missions | 9 | 1,147 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 18,319 | 72,000 | |
| Methodist: | ||||||||
| Freedman’s Aid Society | 18 | 5,059 | 266 | 65 | 201 | 230,160 | 2,605,687 | |
| Women’s Home Missionary Society | 12 | 808 | 71 | 41 | 30 | 42,975 | 309,500 | |
| Presbyterian Board of Missions for Freedmen | 85 | 8,915 | 423 | 84 | 339 | 200,124 | 628,743 | |
| Protestant Episcopal Boards, American Church Institute, and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society | 24 | 2,988 | 176 | 12 | 164 | 118,526 | 2,151,321 | |
| United Presbyterian Church Boards of Freedman’s Missions | 15 | 2,870 | 166 | 44 | 122 | 88,512 | 455,600 | |
| Nine small church boards | 12 | 1,570 | 81 | 37 | 44 | 58,717 | 387,265 | |
The total number of schools under the direction of white church boards is 354. The annual income for current expenses of these schools is one and a half million ($1,546,303). The value of property is almost fourteen millions ($13,822,421.)
The attendance on these institutions was 51,529, of whom 43,605 were elementary, 7,188 were secondary, and 736 were collegiate. The number of teachers and workers was 2,562, of whom 1,069 were white and 1,493, or 58 per cent. were colored. On the basis of sex, 714 are men and 1,848, or 70 per cent. are women. Classification according to character of work shows that 1,916, or 74 per cent. of the teachers are academic, 339 industrial, 31 agricultural, and 276 administrative. Comparison with other groups of schools indicates that those under white boards still retain a considerable fraction of white teachers, that the number of women teachers is rather larger than in other groups, and finally that the proportion of academic instructors is higher than in any group except those under the colored boards.
There are ten denominational groups which own and maintain a number of institutions for the education of colored people. Nine other denominations are supporting one or two schools each. Very few of the churches represented by either the larger or smaller of these boards have any considerable proportion of Negroes in their membership. There are other denominations, notably the Unitarians, who have contributed liberally to colored schools without any thought either of increasing their church membership or their control over these schools. The primary purpose of practically all of these organizations has been the education of the Negroes in America, and their preparation for life in a democracy.
In this connection, it is interesting to note the religious preference of the Negroes in the United States as compiled by the United States census of 1904. According to this census there were 3,685,097 Negroes in the various denominations. Of these 2,354,789 were enrolled by Baptists, 1,182,131 belonging to various branches of Methodism, and the remaining 148,177, hardly 4 per cent of the total, were distributed among the Catholic, Presbyterian, Christian, and Congregational denominations.
The larger denominations maintain central offices and one or more traveling secretaries whose duties include both the supervision of the schools and the appeal for funds to the supporting churches. This personal supervision, together with regular reports of both financial and educational activities, has developed economy and honesty in the use of funds and thoroughness in the school work.
The American Baptist Home Mission Society.—The American Baptist Home Mission Society owns or supervises 24 educational institutions. All of these are large and important schools. These schools are effectively managed, and their general average of educational efficiency is very high. The following table shows the distribution of these schools by States:
| AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION SOCIETY. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 24 | 5,536 | 419 | 139 | 280 | $304,861 | $3,870,744 |
| Alabama | 1 | 268 | 21 | 1 | 20 | 9,479 | 83,000 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 313 | 18 | 18 | 15,109 | 90,000 | |
| Florida | 1 | 404 | 18 | 18 | 8,070 | 80,158 | |
| Georgia | 5 | 1,287 | 106 | 50 | 56 | 81,573 | 621,624 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 130 | 15 | 1 | 14 | 11,308 | 60,000 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 572 | 26 | 10 | 16 | 16,356 | 462,000 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 310 | 16 | 16 | 1,591 | 100,000 | |
| Missouri | 1 | 66 | 11 | 11 | 4,486 | 20,000 | |
| North Carolina | 3 | 419 | 46 | 14 | 32 | 41,051 | 433,251 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 507 | 30 | 18 | 12 | 21,384 | 635,744 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 242 | 31 | 31 | 9,942 | 117,500 | |
| Texas | 1 | 371 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 19,247 | 314,935 |
| Virginia | 3 | 537 | 36 | 21 | 15 | 37,684 | 630,354 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 110 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 17,581 | 222,178 |
The annual income for current expense of the 24 schools is $304,861, of which $150,637 is received from the board. On the basis of income five of the schools have incomes between $1,500 and $5,000; ten between $5,000 and $15,000; six between $15,000 and $30,000; and twenty have incomes of over $30,000. The total property is valued at $3,870,744, of which about three and a third millions are in plant and almost half a million is in endowment. According to property, only one school has a valuation under $10,000; three schools have valuations between $10,000 and $25,000; four between $25,000 and $50,000; seven between $50,000 and $150,000; three between $150,000 and $250,000, and six over $250,000.
The attendance of these schools was 5,504, of whom 3,186 were elementary, 2,068 secondary, and 250 collegiate. All the schools maintain elementary classes, and all but two have secondary pupils. Seven of the institutions are offering instruction in college subjects. Two of the seven, however, had neither the equipment nor teachers to maintain college work. The number of teachers is 419, of whom 139 are white and 280, or 66 per cent. are colored; 148 are men and 271, or 65 per cent., are women; and 295, or 70 per cent., are academic teachers.
These percentages for the color, sex, and work of the teachers indicate that the Baptist Society is following an average course in the selection of its workers, and the arrangement of the school program. The high grade of colored officers and teachers now in charge of some of the Baptist Society schools indicates that the transfer from white to colored management has usually been made with considerable care. Of the 419 teachers and workers, only 42 are offering industrial courses and seven are teaching agriculture or gardening. For a people eighty per cent. rural, this proportion of agricultural teachers is evidently not adequate.
The history of the work of the American Baptist Home Mission Society in the south begins with the following resolution passed by its executive committee in 1862:
Resolved, That we recommend the society to take immediate steps to supply with Christian instruction by means of missionaries and teachers, the emancipated slaves—whether in the District of Columbia or in other places held by our forces—and also to inaugurate a system of operations for carrying the Gospel alike to free and bond throughout the whole southern section of our country, so fast and so far as the progress of our arms and the restoration of law and order shall open the way.
From that day to the present time the society has worked unceasingly for the education and religious development of the colored people. Some measure of the remarkable success achieved in these fifty years of service is given in the educational institutions described in this report. The efforts of the society have doubtless been strengthened by the consciousness of a certain responsibility for the colored Baptists, who constitute such a large proportion of the membership of all colored churches.
Most of the schools are well known. They number among their graduates some of the ablest leaders of the colored race. The most widely known schools are: Morehouse College and Spelman Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia; Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina; Virginia Union University, and Hartshorn Memorial College, Richmond, Virginia; Jackson College, Jackson, Mississippi; Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock, Arkansas; Roger Williams University, Nashville, Tennessee; Storer College, Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia; and Selma University, Selma, Alabama.
The names of the men and women who gave many years of faithful service would constitute a list too long to be entered here. Two of those whose wisdom has directed the policies in recent years should be mentioned. Dr. H. L. Morehouse belongs to the past as well as to the present. He began as secretary of the society in 1879, and has continued until the present time. Dr. George Sale was superintendent of education for several years until his death in 1912. His influence on the educational methods of the institutions under his direction was a valuable contribution to the education of the colored people.
The Woman’s Baptist Home Mission Society.—The Woman’s Baptist Home Mission Society owns and maintains Mather Academy, contributes liberally to the support of Spelman Seminary and Hartshorn College, and provides some aid for other schools. So far as the facts could be ascertained, the officers of the society supervise its contributions with considerable thoroughness, and it is to be desired that their activities in Negro education could be increased, especially in the education of colored girls.
Roman Catholic Board.—In recent years the work of the Roman Catholic Church in developing schools and churches for colored people has been very marked. The various orders of the church now own 112 schools of which seven are rated by the Bureau of Education as large institutions. While most of the colored schools are small they are rendering a needed aid to the meagre public schools in the places in which they are located. The following table is a summary of these schools:
| CATHOLIC BOARD OF MISSIONS. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property |
| Total | 112 | 13,507 | 404 | $146,821 | $491,000 |
| Alabama | 9 | 885 | 25 | 13,064 | 25,000 |
| Arkansas | 3 | 253 | 13 | 4,230 | |
| Delaware | 1 | 80 | 18 | 23,000 | 75,000 |
| Florida | 7 | 663 | 17 | 3,330 | |
| Georgia | 7 | 1,170 | 23 | 4,840 | |
| Kentucky | 6 | 506 | 10 | 2,510 | |
| Louisiana | 25 | 3,142 | 83 | 18,304 | |
| Maryland | 4 | 888 | 20 | 5,650 | |
| Mississippi | 13 | 1,440 | 42 | 8,952 | 56,000 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 407 | 12 | 2,700 | |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 65 | 4 | 750 | |
| South Carolina | 3 | 366 | 10 | 2,500 | |
| Tennessee | 2 | 281 | 9 | 4,350 | |
| Texas | 6 | 617 | 17 | 3,640 | |
| Virginia | 7 | 847 | 52 | 31,075 | 335,000 |
| Northern States | 9 | 1,387 | 38 | 15,094 | |
| District of Columbia | 2 | 510 | 11 | 2,882 | |
So far as they could be determined, the annual income for current expenses is about $150,000. The value of the property of the seven larger schools is about $500,000, of which $335,000 is in the two schools at Belmeed, Va. The total attendance is 13,507, of whom 13,443 are elementary and only 64 secondary. The number of teachers is 404, of whom the majority are white sisters of various Catholic orders. The proportion of teachers of simple industry is small and the number teaching gardening and agriculture is negligible.
The two largest Catholic schools are located at Rock Castle, Virginia. Both of these schools receive the greater part of their support from Mother Catherine Drexel, of Philadelphia and her family. These schools are the St. Emma Industrial and Agricultural College and the St. Francis de Sales Institute. The literary works of these schools is low; but the industrial work is of high order. Other large Catholic schools are: St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Montgomery, Alabama; St. Joseph’s Industrial School, Newcastle, Delaware; Holy Ghost Catholic School, Jackson, Mississippi; St. Joseph’s Parish School, Meridian, Mississippi, and St. Mary’s Commercial College, Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The Christian Church.—The Christian Church began work among the colored people as soon as the Civil War was ended. The official body of the denomination is called The Christian Woman’s Board of Missions. The church had no organized plan until 1872, when a group of philanthropists formed a stock company to start a school in Mississippi. About 1890 the American Christian Missionary Society took over the property and work of the stock company. In 1900 all the property was finally transferred to the Woman’s Board. Through the efforts of this board the annual contributions have increased from $3,000 to $10,000, and four schools have been added to the one in Mississippi. A summary of the schools of this church is given herewith:
| CHRISTIAN WOMAN’S BOARD OF MISSIONS. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property |
| Total | 5 | 440 | 37 | $29,910 | $184,602 |
| Alabama | 1 | 93 | 6 | 2,512 | 8,875 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 196 | 18 | 21,006 | 160,491 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 61 | 4 | 1,730 | 3,750 |
| Texas | 1 | 14 | 3 | 1,712 | 3,000 |
| Virginia | 1 | 76 | 6 | 2,950 | 8,485 |
The Christian Woman’s Board maintains five schools, of which two are rated as “larger or more important.” The total income for current expenses is $29,910, of which $21,000 is for the Southern Christian Institute in Mississippi. The value of property is $184,602, of which $160,492 is also in the plant of the Southern Institute. The total income for current expenses is $29,910, of which $21,000 is for the Southern Christian Institute in Mississippi. The value of property is $184,602, of which $160,492 is also in the plant of the Southern Institute. The total attendance is 440, of whom 409 are elementary and 31 secondary. The number of teachers is 37, of whom 15 are white and 22 colored; 14 are men and 23 are women.
The general management of these schools is economical and the educational work is effective. This simplicity of organization and the genuine interest of the teachers are noteworthy. The other important school of this denomination is The Alabama Christian Institute, Lowndes County, Alabama.
Congregational Board.—No church denomination has made a greater contribution of the Negro than the Congregational church through the American Missionary Association.
The American Missionary Association owns and supervises 29 schools for Negroes in the Southern States. The Association also owns property in other schools and makes contributions to their work. As the management of these affiliated institutions has been transferred to independent boards of trustees, they are classified under other groups. Credit must here be given to this association, however, not only for such splendid affiliated institutions as Fisk University and Atlanta University; but also for a number of others now maintained independently.
No denominational schools surpass those of this group in educational standards or administrative efficiency. It is probable that no church board has equaled this association in the thoroughness of its self-examination. The following quotation from the 1914 report outlines several policies to which every church board should give serious consideration:
In the realm of educational policy we record a most important change of tendency, which it is better to state positively, as a movement toward concentration in order to greater efficiency. This has involved the discontinuance or radical limitation of five of our smaller schools, including some of long history and rich service. * * * The time had come when the socialized Christian conscience demanded such improved methods in missionary service as it requires—often by law—of educators, landlords, employers of labor and congregations of men anywhere. It has cost $1,000 for instance, literally to stop rat holes in mission buildings, and thus to save New Orleans and Porto Rico from danger from bubonic plague. We had to do better what we did at all, and our resources were insufficient. We simply had to close institutions. * * *
While these peremptory conditions have closed some of the schools nearest to the masses of the people, we are glad to record as the chief technical gain of the year, that the colleges have been made more available and useful to the masses. Their curricula have been broadened, and the conditions of entrance made more democratic and in harmony with those of the great middle western State universities. This is immediately manifest in the increased number of high-school pupils, and will affect the colleges tomorrow.
As to educational plant, last year’s survey touched upon the demand of the socialized conscience for better housing conditions in missionary institutions. Our response is in the fact that no year has ever spent so much for sanitation, that more fire escapes have been erected, and more bathtubs installed than any previous year. * * * As a class, they are more nearly fire-proof, they have more steel in their structure, more scientifically determined allowance of light and air, and more beauty than any previous group. * * * If the Lord’s work is attempted at all it shall be done under somewhat decent conditions. Nor do we feel that it is a substitution of the physical for the spiritual. To live up to plumbing is itself a training of character, health is a prerequisite of thought, and beauty an inalienable right of the spirit.
A summary of the schools is given below:
| AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 29 | 6,992 | 383 | 212 | 171 | $235,764 | $1,733,589 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,714 | 89 | 57 | 32 | 63,553 | 546,769 |
| Florida | 1 | 225 | 12 | 12 | 3,343 | 49,300 | |
| Georgia | 6 | 1,459 | 68 | 32 | 36 | 33,583 | 133,900 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 170 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 5,559 | 39,000 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 578 | 30 | 17 | 13 | 20,885 | 150,000 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 843 | 47 | 38 | 9 | 32,489 | 172,400 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 826 | 52 | 16 | 36 | 30,000 | 394,920 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 484 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 13,626 | 53,900 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 285 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 12,537 | 54,000 |
| Texas | 1 | 223 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 12,792 | 103,500 |
| Virginia | 1 | 115 | 13 | 13 | 788 | 35,900 | |
The total income for the current expenses of these institutions is $235,461, of which $129,429 is from the association. This includes the income from the Daniel Hand Fund, which is administered by the association. On the basis of income 5 of the schools are under $2,500, 7 have incomes between $2,500 and $5,000, 13 between $5,000 and $15,000, 3 between $15,000 and $30,000, and one has an income of over $30,000. The total property is valued at $1,733,589, of which about one and a third million is in plant and a third of a million in endowment. With the Daniel Hand Fund of almost two million dollars, the property of the American Missionary Association for work among Negroes aggregates over three and a half millions. According to property, four schools have a valuation under $10,000, ten schools have valuations between $10,000 and $25,000, nine schools between $25,000 and $50,000, five schools between $50,000 and $250,000, and two have a valuation over $250,000.
The attendance on these schools was 6,922, of whom 5,448 were elementary, 1,380 secondary, and 94 collegiate. All the schools have elementary classes, all but three have secondary, and four offer instruction in college subjects. The number of teachers is 383, of whom 212 are white and 171, or 45 per cent. colored; 92 are men and 291, or 76 per cent. are women; and 270, or 70 per cent., are academic teachers.
Though the colored membership of the Congregational Church is almost negligible as compared with that of the Baptist and Methodist Churches, the American Missionary Association was probably the first to undertake educational work in behalf of the Negroes. In 1861 Rev. L. I. Lockwood, commissioned by the Association, wrote from Fortress Monroe:
“I ask especial interest in your prayers that I may be endowed with wisdom for these peculiar and momentous responsibilities. Parents and children are delighted with the idea of learning to read.”
The history of the American Missionary Association is a story of the patient and persevering efforts of hundreds of faithful men and women who have given themselves and their means for a people struggling upward from slavery.
The administration of the affairs of the association has always been in the care of strong men of broad education. Some of them were statesmen in power and vision. Dr. Beard, the honorary secretary, and secretaries Ryder and Douglass, are worthy successors of these able men.
The most far reaching work of the association was, perhaps, the founding of Fisk University, Atlanta University and Talladega College. The names of these institutions are inseparably connected with the higher education of the Negro. Fisk and Atlanta are now independent institutions; but the spirit of their founders still lives in them and the policies of the American Missionary Association are still maintained.
The names of the American Missionary Association schools and the States in which they are located are given below:
Alabama: Burrel Normal School; Cotton Valley School; Emerson Institute; Lincoln Normal School; Talladega College; Trinity College.
Florida: Fessenden Academy.
Georgia: Albany Normal School; Allen Normal School; Ballard Normal School; Beach Institute; Dorchester Academy; Knox Institute.
Kentucky: Chandler Normal School.
Louisiana: Straight University.
Mississippi: Girls’ Industrial School of Mississippi; Mount Bayou Institute; Mount Hermon Seminary; Tougaloo University.
North Carolina: Gregory Normal School; J. K. Brick Agricultural, Industrial and Normal School; Lincoln Academy; Peabody Academy; Washburn Academy.
South Carolina: Avery Institute; Brewer Normal Institute.
Tennessee: Le Moyne Institute.
Texas: Tillotson College.
Virginia: Gloucester High and Industrial School.
Friends Educational Boards.—The various societies of Friends maintain six schools rated as “larger and more important” and two smaller schools. All of these schools are owned and managed by independent boards composed largely of Friends. The names and locations of the six more important schools are as follows: Schofield Normal and Industrial School and Laing School, in South Carolina; Cheyney Institute, in Pennsylvania; Christiansburg Industrial Institute, in Virginia; High Point Normal School, in North Carolina; and Southland College, in Arkansas. The educational work and administrative management of these institutions compare favorably with those of other church schools. In proportion to their numbers no religious group has surpassed the Friends either in financial contributions or personal endeavor for the education of the Negroes. While none of these schools are of college grade, all of them are doing excellent work. Cheyney Institute, Christiansburg Institute and High Point Normal are presided over by colored men who rank high in educational circles.
A summary of the schools maintained by Friends is given herewith:
| FRIENDS SOCIETIES AND OTHER FRIENDS’ AGENCIES. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 8 | 1,642 | 96 | 12 | 84 | $63,868 | $915,900 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 352 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 4,115 | 79,400 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 408 | 14 | 14 | 12,366 | 39,000 | |
| South Carolina | 2 | 408 | 31 | 4 | 27 | 8,551 | 180,000 |
| Virginia | 1 | 225 | 13 | 13 | 8,798 | 157,500 | |
| Northern States | 3 | 249 | 22 | 2 | 20 | 30,038 | 460,000 |
The total income for current expenses is $63,868, and the value of property is $915,000, of which $378,900 is in plants and $537,000 in endowment. The attendance is 1,642, of whom 1,444 are elementary and 198 secondary. The teachers are 96 in number; 9 are white and 84 are colored; 19 are men and 67 women; and 57 are academic teachers. Only two of the schools are managed by white officers. The proportion of industrial teachers is fairly adequate. Instruction in gardening and agriculture is, however, not sufficiently emphasized to meet the needs of a rural people.
Lutheran Board of Education.—The Lutheran Board of Colored Missions owns and maintains two large schools and seven smaller schools. Luther College is located at Greensboro, N. C. While the name would indicate college grade, full college courses have not yet been provided. Luther College at New Orleans is also to be developed as a training school for colored leaders of the Lutheran faith. All of the smaller schools are located in Louisiana.
The total income for current expenses of these schools is $72,000. The attendance is 1,147, practically all of elementary grade. The total number of teachers is 26, of whom 13 are white and 13 colored; 21 are men and 5 are women. Some effort is made to teach secondary and theological subjects at the Greensboro school. The teachers devote practically all their time to academic instruction. There seems to be little effort to give instruction in gardening or simple industry.
The Lutheran work for Negroes was begun as early as 1879, and the board has expended considerable money and effort in the development of the schools.
Methodist Episcopal Church.—The Freedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church owns and supervises 18 educational institutions for Negroes in the United States. All of these schools are rendering valuable educational service to their communities and all deserve the support and interest of the church. In addition to these institutions, credit must be given to this society for the organization of Meharry Medical College, now managed by an independent board of trustees and classified with that group.
A tabular view of the work of the Freedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church is given herewith:
| FREEDMEN’S AID SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 18 | 5,059 | 266 | 65 | 201 | $230,160 | $2,605,687 |
| Alabama | 1 | 190 | 11 | 11 | 5,657 | 42,500 | |
| Arkansas | 1 | 439 | 15 | 15 | 9,226 | 72,300 | |
| Florida | 1 | 408 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 9,387 | 101,578 |
| Georgia | 2 | 382 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 43,714 | 859,200 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 645 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 16,133 | 219,000 |
| Maryland | 1 | 81 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 16,419 | 96,874 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 504 | 23 | 5 | 18 | 21,850 | 146,200 |
| Missouri | 1 | 73 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 8,520 | 59,000 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 312 | 12 | 12 | 6,000 | 49,000 | |
| South Carolina | 1 | 814 | 27 | 6 | 21 | 39,547 | 362,035 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 365 | 42 | 24 | 18 | 25,084 | 274,000 |
| Texas | 2 | 761 | 43 | 43 | 25,223 | 293,000 | |
| Virginia | 1 | 85 | 5 | 5 | 3,400 | 35,500 | |
The annual income for current expenses of the 18 schools is $230,160, of which $105,835 is from the society. All of the schools have an annual income of $2,500 or over; two have incomes between $2,500 and $5,000; 12 between $5,000 and $15,000; three between $15,000 and $30,000; and one has an income of over $30,000. The total property valuation is $2,605,687, of which $1,824,778 is in the school plant and $742,874 in endowment. All of the schools have a property valuation in excess of $25,000, four have valuations between $25,000 and $50,000; five between $50,000 and $100,000; three between $100,000 and $150,000; three between $150,000 and $250,000; and three have valuations over $250,000.
The attendance on these schools is 5,059, of whom 3,263 are elementary, 1,600 secondary, and 196 collegiate. All but 2 of the schools have elementary pupils, all are maintaining secondary classes, and 8 are offering instruction in college subjects. The number of teachers is 266, of whom 65 are white and 201, or 75 per cent. are colored; 109 are men and 157, or 59 per cent., are women; and 191, or 72 per cent., are academic teachers.
The schools of the Freedmen’s Aid Society rank high in educational efficiency. Some of them are well known colleges for colored people. Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina; Wiley University, Marshall, Texas; Rust College, Holly Springs, Mississippi; Walden University, Nashville, Tennessee; Morgan College, Baltimore, Maryland; Morristown Normal and Industrial College, Morristown, Tennessee; Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Arkansas; Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina; Samuel Houston College, Austin, Texas, and New Orleans University, New Orleans, Louisiana. Of these Wiley University, Walden University, Philander Smith College, Samuel Houston College and Bennett College are ably managed by colored presidents. Other institutions under this board are: Central Alabama Institute, Mason City, Alabama; Cookman Institute, Jacksonville, Florida; Gilbert Industrial Institute, Baldwin, Louisiana; Haven Institute, Meridian, Mississippi; George R. Smith College, Sedalia, Missouri, and Virginia Collegiate and Industrial Institute, Lynchburg, Virginia. In addition to these credit must be given to this society for the organization of Meharry Medical College, now managed by an independent board of trustees; for the maintenance and support of Gammon Theological Seminary, the best training school for colored ministers, and of the Sarah Goodridge Nurse Training School and Hospital at New Orleans, Louisiana. Princess Anne Academy which receives a portion of land-grant funds through the Federal Government is also supervised by the society.
The proportion of academic teachers is about the same as that in most of the denominational schools. The emphasis on the literary courses is marked. It is evidently unfortunate that this large denomination with 18 educational institutions should provide only three gardening teachers for the education of a people so largely rural. The percentage of men in the teaching force is above the average of church schools. This is probably explained by the fact that the proportion of colored teachers in these institutions is also above the average. The substitution of colored for white teachers in these institutions in the Freedmen’s Aid schools has evidently proceeded with considerable rapidity. The indications are that the change has been too rapid for the good of the schools. While democracy in education requires the recognition of the colored teachers, it is equally true that these schools need not only the financial aid of white people; but also their personal influence.
The Freedmen’s Aid Society was organized in 1866 “for the purpose of aiding the recently emancipated slaves and their children in securing the benefits of a good common school education, and such other educational preparation as was necessary to provide Christian ministers, physicians, school teachers, and industrial leaders for the race.” The colored members of the various branches of Methodism are next to the colored Baptists in number. The number of colored members in the Northern Methodist Church represented by the Freedmen’s Aid Society and the Woman’s Missionary Society is about 350,000. These members contribute about a fourth of the total sums collected by the Freedmen’s Aid Society for the education of colored people.
Of the many notable persons who have rendered valuable service to this society, only two or three of those who are now in the service can be mentioned here. Reference is made in the school sketches to the long years given by the presidents of Meharry Medical College, Claflin University, and Morristown Normal and Industrial College. To these should be added the name of Bishop W. P. Thirkield, whose wisdom and energy in the various important positions entrusted to him have contributed greatly not only to the work of this society, but also to the general welfare of the colored people.
The executive officers of the society at present, are two corresponding secretaries and a school inspector. These three officers supervise the schools and appeal to the white and colored churches for funds to support the institutions.
The purpose of the Freedmen’s Aid Society to continue its splendid work of education is revealed in the report of the commission recently appointed by the Society to study the schools, which among other things, said:
“We are persuaded that in spite of the better rural schools now being provided for the Negroes, in spite of some growth in normal school and high school accommodations, the work of the Freedmen’s Aid Society is still an urgent need of the South. So far from sounding any retreat, we of the church should make a great advance, provide a large endowment, give more adequate facilities, pay better salaries, and, in general, strengthen the institutions we have established. They are needed to train a Christian leadership for the colored race, and while they can touch but a few out of the negro millions, they can do, as they have already done, great things through these selected leaders.”
Woman’s Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.—The Woman’s Home Missionary Society owns and maintains 12 home schools for girls. Eight of them are connected with the various educational institutions of the Freedmen’s Aid Society. These homes usually provide home training for the girls at the larger schools of the Freedmen’s Aid Society. All of these homes are well managed. They are in charge of the best type of northern women and colored women, who have manifested unusual devotion and efficiency in their work. The important facts for these schools by States, are given below:
| WOMAN’S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 12 | 1,572 | 71 | 41 | 30 | $42,975 | $309,500 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 119 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2,257 | 14,300 |
| Florida | 1 | 224 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 6,281 | 73,000 |
| Georgia | 2 | 259 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 7,220 | 15,000 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 175 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3,171 | 45,000 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 55 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4,895 | 32,000 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 380 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 7,488 | 33,000 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 279 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 5,373 | 75,500 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 31 | 2 | 2 | 2,595 | 8,700 | |
| Texas | 2 | 50 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3,695 | 13,000 |
The total income for the current expenses of all the homes is $54,975, of which $38,502 is received from the Missionary Society. The value of all the property is $287,000. The total attendance is 1,572 girls, of whom 808 are in the homes not connected with the Freedmen’s Aid Society. The teachers and workers are 71 women, of whom 41 are white and 30 colored; 18 are academic and 42 are industrial teachers.
The names and locations of these homes are as follows: Adeline Smith Home, Little Rock, Alabama; Boylan Home, Jacksonville, Florida; Thayer Home, Atlanta, Georgia; Haven and Speedwell Home, Savannah, Georgia; Peck Home, New Orleans, Louisiana; Rust Home, Holly Springs, Mississippi; Kent Home, Greensboro, North Carolina; Allen Industrial Home and School, Asheville, North Carolina; Browning Industrial Home, Camden, South Carolina; New Jersey Home, Morristown, Tennessee; Eliza Dee Home, Austin, Texas, and King Industrial Home, Marshall, Texas.
The society began its work in 1881, when Thayer Home was built at Clark University, Atlanta, Georgia. The society is divided into “bureaus” consisting of a secretary and assistants who are white volunteer workers. “Each bureau has the responsibility in its own field of executing the plans and applying the funds as ordered by the general board of managers.” The central office is at Cincinnati, Ohio.
Presbyterian Board.—The Board of Missions for Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church owns and supervises 85 schools for colored people. Of these 32 are large important institutions. Through wise administration and fairly adequate equipment, they are meeting the needs of their communities or working successfully in that direction. Five of them are seminaries for colored girls. The educational work and general administration of these seminaries are excellent. They are among the best schools for colored people in the South. Two are boarding schools for young colored men, the others are boarding and day schools for boys and girls.
A summary table of these schools follows:
| BOARD OF MISSIONS FOR FREEDMEN OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 85 | 8,915 | 423 | 84 | 339 | $200,124 | $2,151,321 |
| Alabama | 3 | 391 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 10,116 | 55,000 |
| Arkansas | 8 | 774 | 28 | 28 | 5,911 | 40,350 | |
| Florida | 3 | 247 | 9 | 9 | 1,150 | 4,000 | |
| Georgia | 11 | 1,787 | 67 | 67 | 20,192 | 91,444 | |
| Kentucky | 2 | 98 | 9 | 9 | 3,000 | 11,050 | |
| Mississippi | 1 | 199 | 14 | 14 | 6,517 | 71,000 | |
| North Carolina | 15 | 1,879 | 93 | 15 | 78 | 47,346 | 478,665 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 93 | 6 | 6 | 1,976 | 8,000 | |
| South Carolina | 19 | 1,808 | 75 | 7 | 68 | 22,907 | 158,050 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 607 | 34 | 34 | 10,052 | 87,950 | |
| Texas | 1 | 115 | 13 | 13 | 10,979 | 60,000 | |
| Virginia | 12 | 701 | 36 | 10 | 26 | 11,915 | 44,400 |
| Northern States | 1 | 216 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 48,063 | 1,041,412 |
The total income for current expenses of the schools under the Freedmen’s Board, including Lincoln University, was $200,124. Of this $176,946 was spent in the 32 larger schools and $23,178 in the 53 smaller schools. According to income, 17 schools were under $2,500; 4 between $2,500 and $5,000; 9 between $5,000 and $15,000, and one between $15,000 and $30,000. Lincoln University has an income of $48,000.
The total value of property of the 31 schools directly under the board was $1,109,909, of which $1,038,729 was in the property of the larger schools and $71,180 in the property of the smaller schools. The inclusion of Lincoln University, would bring the property of the larger Presbyterian schools up to $2,151,321. On the basis of property valuation 14 schools were below $2,500; 5 between $10,000 and $25,000; 3 between $25,000 and $50,000; 8 between $50,000 and $100,000 and one over $30,000.
The attendance of all the schools under this board, including Lincoln University, was 8,915, of whom 7,833 were elementary pupils, 930 secondary, and 152 in college studies. Lincoln University had 130 students reported as of collegiate grade and Biddle University 22 in college subjects. The teachers and workers in these institutions are 423 in number of whom 84 are white and 339, or 80 per cent. are colored; 115 are men and 308, or 70 per cent., are women; and 373, or 88 per cent., are academic.
These percentages indicate that the schools under the Freedmen’s board have an usual proportion of colored teachers. As the secretary recently reported, “an overwhelming number of their workers belong to the colored race. There are only six white men in our employ.” White workers are now limited to the five girls’ seminaries and one other school. These comments do not refer to Lincoln University, whose teachers are with two exceptions white men.
The Presbyterian Church began work among Negroes as early as 1864. Two committees, with headquarters at Indianapolis and Philadelphia, were combined by the general assembly at Pittsburgh in 1865. In 1870 a committee doing similar work in New York was consolidated with the Pittsburgh committee. In 1882 this committee was incorporated under the present name of the board. The woman’s department of the board was organized in 1884. Through this department the women of the church rendered valuable aid to the schools.
The name and locations of the larger Presbyterian schools are given below:
Barber Memorial Seminary, Anniston, Alabama; Miller Memorial School, Birmingham, Alabama; Arkadelphia Academy, Arkadelphia, Arkansas; Cotton Plant Academy, Cotton Plant, Arkansas; Boggs Academy, Keyesville, Georgia; Gillespie Normal Academy, Cordele, Georgia; Haines Institute, Augusta, Georgia; Hodge Academy, Washington, Georgia; McClelland Academy, Newman, Georgia; Seldon Normal and Industrial School, Brunswick, Georgia; Union Point Normal and Industrial School, Union Point, Georgia; Bowling Green Academy, Bowling Green, Kentucky; Free Memorial Institute, Camp Nelson, Kentucky; Mary Holmes Seminary, West Point, Mississippi; Albion Academy, Franklinton, North Carolina; Biddle University, Charlotte, North Carolina; Mary Potter Memorial School, Oxford, North Carolina; Scotia Seminary, Concord, North Carolina; Alice Lee Elliott Memorial School, Valliant, Oklahoma; Andrew Robertson Institute, Aiken, South Carolina; Brainerd Institute, Chester, South Carolina; Coulter Memorial School, Cheram, South Carolina; Goodwill Parochial School, Mayeville, South Carolina; Harbison College, Irmo, South Carolina; Kendall Institute, Sumter, South Carolina; Mayers Industrial School, Knoxville, Tennessee; Newton Normal School, Chattanooga, Tennessee; Swift Memorial School; Mary Allen Seminary, Crockett, Texas; Danville High and Industrial School, Danville, Virginia; Ingleside Seminary, Burkville, Virginia; Lincoln University, Lincoln, Pennsylvania.
Protestant Episcopal Boards.—The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church has general supervision of all of the Episcopal schools. The American Church Institute for Negroes, a subordinate organization to the society, was incorporated in 1906, for the purpose of assisting in the religious education of Negroes. Its first secretary was the Rev. Samuel H. Bishop, whose faithful service was ended by death in 1914. The Rev. Robert W. Patton, the secretary of the Fourth Provincial Synod, now gives partial time to the raising of funds and the supervision of the eight schools receiving aid from the institute. These schools are as follows:
St. Augustine’s School, Raleigh, N. C.
St. Paul’s Industrial School, Lawrenceville, Va.
Bishop Payne Divinity School, Petersburg, Va.
St. Athanasius’ School, Brunswick, Ga.
Vicksburg School, Vicksburg, Miss.
St. Mark’s School, Birmingham, Ala.
St. Mary’s School, Columbia, S. C.
Fort Valley School, Fort Valley, Ga.
The church, through the Missionary Society, appropriates about $50,000 annually for the education of Negroes in the United States. These gifts are made on the suggestion and advice of the bishops of the various dioceses. Appropriations for the larger institutions are sent directly to their treasurers. The small parochial schools are aided through the bishops of their diocese. These are frequently only little groups of children taught in the church. A state summary of the Episcopal schools follows:
| AMERICAN CHURCH INSTITUTE AND THE EPISCOPAL BOARD OF MISSIONS. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property |
| Total | 24 | 2,988 | 176 | $118,526 | $628,743 |
| Alabama | 1 | 192 | 7 | 4,485 | 22,000 |
| Florida | 3 | 193 | 8 | 1,835 | 3,500 |
| Georgia | 5 | 685 | 38 | 18,204 | 66,500 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 121 | 5 | 2,514 | 5,000 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 640 | 39 | 30,069 | 211,500 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 607 | 15 | 3,976 | 12,000 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 32 | 4 | 1,182 | 4,000 |
| Texas | 1 | 73 | 4 | 2,500 | 25,000 |
| Virginia | 2 | 445 | 56 | 53,761 | 279,243 |
The Episcopal Board of Missions and the American Church Institute give aid to 24 schools, of which 10 are large institutions. On the basis of income one of the large schools has an income under $2,500, five have incomes between $2,500 and $5,000, two between $5,000 and $15,000, and two over $15,000. These four are St. Augustine’s School in North Carolina; Fort Valley School, in Georgia; St. Paul’s School, and Bishop Payne Divinity School in Virginia.
The total income of these schools is $118,536, of which $109,181 is for the ten “larger” institutions and $9,345 is for the fourteen “less important” schools. The total value of property is $628,734, of which $604,543 is the property of the larger institutions, and $24,200 is the property of the smaller schools. The larger institutions have an endowment of $106,835.
The total attendance comprises 2,988 pupils, of which 2,720 are elementary and 268 secondary. The fifteen students at Bishop Payne Divinity School are preparing for the Episcopal ministry. About a thousand of the pupils reported were in attendance at the “smaller” schools. The total number of teachers and workers is 176, of whom 12 are white and 164 are colored; 58 are men and 118, or 67 per cent., are women; and 118, or 68 per cent., are teachers of academic subjects.
The proportion of colored workers is very large. Only St. Augustine’s and Bishop Payne Divinity School have any white officers or teachers. In addition to the scholars under the American Church Institute, the St. Michael’s School at Charlotte, North Carolina and the St. Phillip’s School, San Antonio, Texas, are among the important schools.
United Presbyterian Church.—The Board of Freedmen’s Missions of the United Presbyterian Church owns and maintains 15 schools for Negroes in the United States, of these eleven are rated as “more important,” and four as “less important.” While eleven schools are regarded as “important,” or essential parts of the educational activities of their community, the average income per school is only about six or seven thousand dollars a year. Knoxville College, with an income of $25,470, is the central institution of the system. The colored teachers of all these schools are largely prepared at Knoxville. The good work of this institution is seen in the high type of graduates who are employed in the smaller schools.
| BOARD OF MISSIONS OF THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 15 | 2,870 | 166 | 44 | 122 | $88,512 | $455,600 |
| Alabama | 6 | 1,022 | 58 | 58 | 20,648 | 753,650 | |
| North Carolina | 1 | 375 | 18 | 18 | 8,500 | 50,400 | |
| Tennessee | 5 | 635 | 50 | 24 | 26 | 33,820 | 196,950 |
| Virginia | 3 | 838 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 25,544 | 134,600 |
The total annual income for current expenses is $88,512, and the value of property is $455,600. The attendance is 2,870, of whom 2,470 are elementary, 370 secondary, and 30 collegiate. All the schools have elementary pupils, and seven schools maintain secondary classes. Only Knoxville College offers instruction of college grade. The total number of teachers is 166, of whom 44 are white and 122, or 73 per cent., are colored; 46 are men, and 120, or 72 per cent., women; and 108, or 65 per cent., are teachers of academic subjects.
The proportion of colored teachers is large; but, in view of the location and type of these schools, it is probable that the present division is necessary. Any increase in the proportion of colored teachers should be seriously questioned. It is suggested that the experience of other church boards should be consulted on this problem. The percentage of women teachers is above the average. The emphasis on industrial courses is somewhat more marked than in other church schools. The provision for instruction in gardening and agriculture is by no means sufficient, however, for the rural masses of the communities in which those schools are located.
Much of the success of the colored schools of the United Presbyterian Church is due to the ability and faithfulness of Dr. Witherspoon, whose long service forms a notable contribution to religious and educational work. In 1915 the Board of Freedmen’s Missions published the Fifty-fifth Annual Report of its activities. The time and consideration which this board of conscientious business men and ministers devote to the management of the affairs of the school under their care are....
In educational work and administration the United Presbyterian institutions compare favorably with the best church schools. While the majority of them are not large, they are managed with economy and their activities are conducted with considerable regard for thoroughness. With the exception of two or three in eastern Tennessee, they are all well located. The six schools in Alabama are all in Wilcox County, forming a county system of private schools. The influence of these schools has transformed the conditions in the county. The unusual development of these schools in this one county is probably due to the interest and ability of a Scotchman, member of the United Presbyterian Church, who settled in the county soon after the Civil War.
Miscellaneous Denominational Schools under White Boards.—There are a number of miscellaneous denominational schools maintained by white boards. These boards are not discussed separately, because there are so few schools under each board as is indicated in the table below.
Many of the schools of this group represent churches with considerable wealth. Of special interest are the two institutions maintained by white church boards of the South. Paine College of Augusta, is maintained by the Methodist Episcopal Church South. This institution is the largest of the group. The other school owned by the South is Stillman Institute, maintained by the Presbyterian Church South. Both of these schools are taught by Southern white people who are genuinely interested in the colored. It is especially significant in this connection to mention the fact that it is the announced purpose of the Methodist Church to make Paine College an institution of higher education in every sense of that term. Stillman Institute, at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is also of importance as it touches of point of most vital concern to the development of the race, the development of trained ministers. While the institution has not reached its highest point of development, there is every hope that it too will eventually be a higher institution for the training of ministers.
The figures for schools under these miscellaneous boards are herewith presented:
| MISCELLANEOUS DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS—WHITE BOARDS. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | Number of Schools | Counted Attendance | Teachers | Income for Current Expenses | Value of Property | ||
| Total | White | Negr. | |||||
| Total | 12 | 1,570 | 81 | 37 | 44 | $58,717 | $387,265 |
| Christian Advent Church | 1 | 60 | 3 | 3 | 1,500 | 2,500 | |
| Christian Alliance | 1 | 71 | 9 | 9 | 1,476 | 33,900 | |
| Christian Convention (miscellaneous) | 3 | 194 | 12 | 12 | 4,187 | 75,000 | |
| Methodist Episcopal Church South | 1 | 202 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 23,050 | 125,000 |
| Presbyterian Church South | 1 | 51 | 5 | 5 | 7,300 | 51,000 | |
| Reformed Episcopal Church | 1 | 95 | 2 | 2 | 300 | 2,000 | |
| Reformed Presbyterian Church | 1 | 705 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 7,300 | 52,500 |
| 7th Day Adventist Church | 2 | 136 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 12,404 | 42,765 |
| Universalist Church | 1 | 56 | 3 | 3 | 1,200 | 3,500 | |
The total number of schools under these boards is twelve. Of these, six are rated by the United States Bureau of Education as large or important institutions. The total income of the 12 schools is $58,717, of which the largest sum provided by any one denomination is $23,050, the income of Paine College, Augusta, Georgia, supported by the Methodist Episcopal Church South; the total number of teachers is 81, of whom 37 are white, and 44 are colored; the value of property is $387,265, of which $125,000 is for Paine College.
Of the six large schools under these boards Paine College and Stillman Institute have been mentioned, Stillman being maintained by the Presbyterian Church South. The other four are: Boydton Institute, Boydton, Virginia, maintained by the Christian Alliance; Franklinton Christian College, Franklinton, North Carolina, maintained by the Christian Church; Knox Institute, Selma, Alabama, maintained by the Reformed Presbyterian Church, and Oakwood Manual Training School, Huntsville, Alabama, maintained by the Seventh Day Adventist Church.