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Johnson C. Smith University

Seal of Johnson C. Smith University
Former names	Biddle Memorial Institute (1867–1876) Biddle University (1876–1923)
Motto	Sit Lux
Motto in English	Let There Be Light
Type	Private historically black university
Established	1867
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)
Endowment	$51.1 million (Beneficiary of the Duke Endowment, 1924)
President	Valerie Kinloch
Academic staff	159
Students	1,306
Undergraduates	1,191
Postgraduates	57
Location	Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. 35°14′35″N 80°51′22″W / 35.243°N 80.856°W / 35.243; -80.856
Campus	Urban, 105 acres (42 ha)
Colors	Gold and navy blue
Nickname	Golden Bulls
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Mascot	The Golden Bull
Website	www.jcsu.edu
Biddle Memorial Hall, Johnson C. Smith University
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Beatties Ford Rd. and W. Trade St., Charlotte, North Carolina
Coordinates	35°14′37″N 80°51′25″W / 35.2435°N 80.8569°W / 35.2435; -80.8569
Area	less than one acre
Built	1883
Architectural style	Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	75001281
Added to NRHP	October 14, 1975

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a private historically black university in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The university awards Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of Social Work degrees.

History

Johnson C. Smith University was established on April 7, 1867, as the Biddle Memorial Institute at a meeting of the Catawba Presbytery in the old Charlotte Presbyterian Church. Mary D. Biddle donated $1,400 to the school. The school was then named after her late husband, Henry Jonathan Biddle, who had died after the Battle of Glendale in 1862. The corresponding women's school was Scotia Seminary (now Barber-Scotia College).

In 1876, the charter was changed by the legislature of the State of North Carolina and the name became Biddle University, under which name the institution operated until 1923.

In 1891, Biddle University elected Daniel J. Sanders as the first African-American as president of a four-year institution in the south.

From 1921 to 1922, Jane Berry Smith donated funds to build a theological dormitory, a science hall, a teachers' cottage, a memorial gate, and an endowment in memory of her late husband, Johnson C. Smith. She later donated funds for five more buildings and a campus church. In recognition, Biddle University's president Dr. H. L. McCrorey announced on February 3, 1922, that the institution would refer to itself as The Johnson C. Smith University. A newspaper at the time noted that "While the name will be used at once, unofficially, an application for the charter changes necessary cannot be accomplished until the meeting of the next general assembly," and the charter was amended to make the name change official on March 1, 1923.

In 1924, James B. Duke established the Duke Endowment. While the largest share of that the endowment's earnings are allocated to support Duke University, Duke's donation required that 4% of its earnings be given to the university.

In 1932, the university's charter was amended, providing for the admission of women. The 65-year-old institution for men then became partially coeducational. The first residence hall for women, named in memory of James B. Duke, was dedicated in 1940. In 1941, women were admitted to the freshman class. In 1942, the university was a fully coeducational institution.

JCSU joined the United Negro College Fund in 1944 as a founding member. This fund was organized primarily to help church-related schools of higher learning to revamp their training programs, to expand their physical plants, to promote faculty growth and to create new areas of service.

Biddle Memorial Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Academics

Johnson C. Smith University offers 25 degree programs to undergraduate students and one to graduate students. These are typically organized into three colleges: the College of Business and Professional Studies; the College of Liberal Arts; and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The Robert L. Albright Honors College is also available to qualified high-achieving undergraduate students at JCSU. The college is named after the 11th president of the university.

Metropolitan College offers accelerated undergraduate degree programs to adults with courses available on-campus and online.

James B. Duke Memorial Library

The James B. Duke Memorial Library was built in 1967 in memory of James Buchanan Duke, a major benefactor to the university. Carnegie Library, the existing library at that time, was not large enough to meet the expanding academic programming and increasing enrollment. In 1998, the library completed a $7 million yearlong modernization and reconstruction to allow the building to serve as an information hub in a digital age.

The James B. Duke Memorial Library is also the home of a 8.5 by 20 feet (2.6 by 6.1 m). mural created by Philadelphia artist Paul F. Keene Jr. Keene. The mural illustrates the university's founding and development.

Student life

The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) oversees the Student Government Association (SGA), Royal Court, Greek Life Organizations (National Pan-Hellenic Council and United Greek Council), Golden Bulls Activities Committee (GBAC), and over 30 Student Clubs and Organizations. The JCSU Intramural and Recreation Program offers opportunities for students to participate in intramural sports, club sports, fitness programs, and informal recreational activities.

Fraternities and sororities

All nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Johnson C. Smith University.

Athletics

Student-athletes currently compete in 13 NCAA sports. JCSU is a member of Division II, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Its intercollegiate sports programs include basketball, bowling, cross-country, football, golf, softball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field. Its teams are nicknamed the Golden Bulls.

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

Bibliography

• Parker, Inez Moore (1975). (A Historical Narrative) The Biddle - Johnson C. Smith Story. Charlotte, NC: The Observer Craftman Company.
• "Founders' Week Observance - History of the University". jcsu.edu. Johnson C. Smith University.

References

1. "Johnson C. Smith University". Archived from the original on 2006-05-14. Retrieved 2006-05-29.
2. "Instructional Faculty and Class Size" (PDF). Jscu.edu. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
3. "Enrollment and Persistence" (PDF). Jscu.edu. Retrieved 2016-12-13.
4. "National Register Information System – (#75001281)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
5. "The American Missionary Volume 0033 Issue 11 (Nov 1879)". Cornell.edu. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
6. "Johnson C. Smith president announces retirement in 'bittersweet moment' at the HBC". Charlotte Observe. January 3, 2023.
7. "Dr. Valerie Kinloch Appointed President of Johnson C. Smith University". Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
8. Moore, Evan (June 21, 2023). "Johnson C. Smith University names new president. She's a familiar name to Charlotte HBCU". Charlotte Observer.
9. "University to Change Name— 'Biddle' to Be Known as 'Johnson C. Smith University'— Mrs. Smith, Having Given $115,000, Promises Make Bequest in Her Will", Charlotte (NC) Observer, February 4, 1922, p.5
10. "Trust Indenture" (PDF). Dukendowment.org. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
11. "United Negro College Fund". UNCF.org. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
12. "Johnson C. Smith University - Honors College". Jcsu.edu. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
13. ^ Moore 1975.
14. ^ jcsu.edu.
15. "Charlie Dannelly's Biography". Votesmart.org. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
16. "Former provost JoAnn Haysbert returning to Hampton University". tribunedigital-dailypress. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
17. "Woman Gets Degree Doctor of Pedagogy" Pittsburgh Courier (July 5, 1941): 18. via Newspapers.com

External links

• Official website
• Johnson C. Smith Athletics website

• Johnson C. Smith University
• Private universities and colleges in North Carolina
• Historically black universities and colleges in North Carolina
• Universities and colleges in Charlotte, North Carolina
• Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA)
• Universities and colleges established in 1867
• University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
• Presbyterianism in North Carolina
• Liberal arts colleges in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
• 1867 establishments in North Carolina