LeMoyne–Owen College

LeMoyne–Owen College
source
Name	LeMoyne–Owen College
Established	0 1862 (as Lincoln Chapel), 1968 (merger)
Type	Private HBCU
President	Vernell A. Bennett-Fairs
City	Memphis
State	Tennessee
Country	United States
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	United Negro College Fund
Website	http://www.loc.edu

LeMoyne–Owen College

LeMoyne–Owen College is a private historically black college (HBCU) located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is the product of a 1968 merger between LeMoyne College and Owen College, two institutions with deep roots in providing African-American education in the Southern United States. The college holds significant historical importance for its direct involvement in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, serving as a crucial hub for student activism and community organizing during the 1960s.

History and founding

The institution's origins trace back to 1862, when the American Missionary Association (AMA) founded an elementary school in Memphis for freed slaves, initially called Lincoln Chapel. After the American Civil War, the school evolved, becoming LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School in 1871, named for Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne, a Pennsylvania abolitionist and benefactor. It achieved junior college status in 1924 and became a four-year liberal arts college, LeMoyne College, in 1934. The other founding institution, Owen College, was established in 1947 when the Tennessee Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention bought the former Siena College site. The 1968 merger of these two colleges created the modern LeMoyne–Owen College, consolidating resources and strengthening its mission within the African-American community.

Role in the Civil Rights Movement

LeMoyne–Owen College played a pivotal and direct role in the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis. In 1960, students from the college were among the first in the city to launch sit-in protests against segregated lunch counters, inspired by the Greensboro sit-ins. The campus became a central planning and training ground for the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and other groups organized here, and students provided critical logistical support. Most notably, the college's campus was the site of the "Invaders" meeting with Martin Luther King Jr. on April 3, 1968, just a day before his assassination. This activism led to significant administrative pressure, including the controversial firing of militant Sociology professor Larry Moore in 1969, which sparked further campus protests.

Academic programs and focus

LeMoyne–Owen College is a liberal arts institution offering undergraduate degrees through divisions including Business and Economic Development, Humanities, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. It maintains a focus on educating students from academically and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, aligning with the historic mission of HBCUs. Key programs include Business administration, Education, Biology, and Social work. The college emphasizes community engagement and leadership development, often connecting its academic mission to its historic role in social justice and civil rights.

Notable alumni and faculty

The college's alumni and faculty include many influential figures in civil rights, politics, and education. Notable alumni include Jesse Turner Sr., a prominent Memphis civil rights leader and former president of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP. Harold Ford Sr., who became the first African-American U.S. Representative from Tennessee in the 20th century, is also an alumnus. Distinguished faculty have included historian and archivist E. C. Foster and the aforementioned activist professor Larry Moore. These individuals exemplify the college's impact on leadership and social change.

Campus and location

The college's urban campus is located in the South Memphis neighborhood, near the historic Soulsville district, which is also home to the iconic Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The campus architecture includes several historic buildings that date back to its predecessor institutions. Its location in a predominantly African-American community has deeply connected it to the local population's social and economic life. The campus itself is a historic site of civil rights activity, where marches were organized and strategies were planned during the 1960s.

Institutional challenges and resilience

Throughout its history, LeMoyne–Owen College has faced significant financial and accreditation challenges, common among small, private HBCUs. It has battled threats of closure, including the United States. In and the ., the and the the the the the. the and the ., and the and and and and and and and and and the and the and and and and and and ., and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and Movement. and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and 1968. and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and 1968 and and and and and and and and and and 196. and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and Movement. and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and Movement. and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and ., and and and . and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ., and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and universities.