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Talladega College

Savery Library
Former names	Swayne School (1867–1869)
Motto	An Education of Distinction
Type	Private historically black college
Established	1867
Religious affiliation	United Church of Christ
President	Walter M. Kimbrough
Students	1,307 (fall 2020)
Location	Talladega, Alabama, United States 33°25′56″N 86°6′47″W / 33.43222°N 86.11306°W / 33.43222; -86.11306
Campus	Rural 50 acres (20.2 ha) main campus
Colors	Crimson & Sky Blue
Nickname	Tornadoes
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – HBCUAC
Mascot	Dear Ole' Dega, Dega, TC
Website	www.talladega.edu

Talladega College is a private, historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. It is Alabama's oldest private historically black college and offers 17 degree programs. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

History

The history of Talladega College began on November 20, 1866, when two formerly enslaved men William Savery and Thomas Tarrant of Talladega, met in a Freedmen's Bureau convention with a group of newly freed men in Mobile, Alabama. From this meeting came the commitment, "We regard the education of our children and youth as vital to the preservation of our liberties, and true religion as the foundation of all real virtue, and shall use our utmost endeavors to promote these blessings in our common country."

With this as their pledge, Savery, Tarrant, and a third freed man from the Talladega community, Ambrose Headen began in earnest to provide a school for the children of former enslaved members of the community. Their leadership resulted in the construction of a one-room school house using lumber salvaged from an abandoned carpenter's shop. The school overflowed with pupils from its opening and soon it was necessary to move into larger quarters.

Meanwhile, the nearby Coosa River Valley Baptist Academy, founded in 1852, was about to be sold under mortgage default. This building had been constructed using slave labor which included carpenter William Savery and laborers Thomas Tarrant, and Ambrose Headen. A speedy plea was sent to General Swayne for its purchase. Maj. Gen. Wager Swayne of the Freedmen's Bureau, was successful in getting the Freedmen's Bureau to commit to purchasing the land provided the American Missionary Association would buy the building and provide an organization structure for the new school. Eventually the building and the land were purchased for $23,000.

The AMA re-christened the college The Swayne School and it opened in November 1867 with about 140 pupils. It is remarkable that a building constructed before the American Civil War, constructed with slave labor, for the benefit of white students became the home of the state's first college dedicated to serving the educational needs of blacks. In 1869, Swayne School was issued a charter by the county and the school's named was changed to Talladega College by the Judge of Probate of Talladega County.

The former Coosa Valley Baptist Academy building, now known as Swayne Hall, has remained in service as the symbol and spirit of the beginning of the college.

Enrollment in 1909 included 21 men in the theology program; 20 men and 20 women in the college; 34 boys and 25 girls in high school college preparation; 2 boys and 55 girls in the high school normal program (for teachers); 63 boys and 86 girls in the grammar department (grades 6-7-8); 9 boys and 60 girls in the conservatory of music; 7 girls in nurse training; 20 men and 15 women in night school; and 142 boys and 228 girls in the Cassedy School (grades K to 5). The total enrollment was 797. Tuition ranged from 50 cents a month to $2.00 a month; room and board was $10.00 a month plus one hour a day of work. By 1937, total enrollment was 567, including 281 in the college and 120 in the high school.

Campus

Talladega College is located in the city of Talladega. The campus consists of 50 acres (200,000 m) with 17 primary buildings. 32 campus buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Talladega College Historic District. The Savery Library, completed in 1939, was built to replace a 1907 structure built with a donation from Andrew Carnegie. The library houses hundreds of thousands of serials, a Record Room, a fully equipped computer laboratory, a unique Archives Room, and the historic Amistad murals painted by Hale Woodruff. Embedded in the floor of the library is a mural of La Amistad – which school tradition says must never be stepped upon – referring to the mutiny by slaves, who took control of that ship and later won their freedom in a United States court, is depicted upon the surrounding walls. The mezzanine floor of the library houses the Galangue Room. This room contains an extensive collection of Angolan and Nigerian artifacts.

Andrews Hall, built in 1910, houses the Music Department and the Education Department. It is named for George Whitfield Andrews, D.D., Dean of the Theological Department from 1875 to 1908.

Arthur D. Shores Hall, constructed in 1974, is named for the late attorney Arthur D. Shores, Class of 1927, who served for many years as a member and chairman of the College Board of Trustees.

De Forest Chapel was built in 1903 in commemoration of the life and service of the Rev. Henry Swift De Forest, D.D., President of the college from 1879 to 1896. DeForest Chapel was renovated in 1996 and rededicated November 1996. De Forest was the father of inventor Lee De Forest.

Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art was founded in 2014 and opened in 2020. The showcase piece of the collection is the Mutiny on the Amistad murals by Hale Woodruff.

Fanning Refectory was built in 1928 from a legacy of David H. Fanning of Worcester, Massachusetts. The building contains the student and faculty dining rooms.

Juliette Derricotte House, built in 1940–41, was the gift of the Harkness Foundation and named for Juliette Derricotte, Class of 1918, who at the time of her death in 1932 was a member of the Board of Trustees. Formerly a staff residence and guest house, it was converted into a women's honors dormitory in 1988.

Silsby Science Hall, constructed in 1926, was named for E. C. Silsby, who was a member of the college faculty for 37 years. The building was a gift of the General Education Board and friends and alumni of the college. It contains the laboratories and classrooms for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

The Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center completed in 2020, was named after the 20th president of Talladega College. The 47,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility includes a 2,000-seat gymnasium, dining hall, full kitchen, concession stand, coffee lounge, convenience store, fitness area, and multipurpose rooms.

Undergraduate Admissions

Talladega College has an open admission policy, admitting all applicants so long as certain minimum requirements are met. For 2024, Talladega College's enrolled students had an average 2.4 high school GPA. No SAT or ACT scores were reported.

Rankings

In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Talladega College tied for No.72 out of 131 Regional Universities South, tied for No.55 in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and tied for No.22 in Regional Universities South Top Performers on Social Mobility.

Athletics

The Talladega athletic teams are called the Tornadoes. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the HBCU Athletic Conference, formerly the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC), since the 2023–2024 academic year. They also competed in the HBCUAC from 1999–2000 to 2001–0 and from 2011–12 to 2020–21. The Tornados previously competed in the Continental Athletic Conference from 2008–09 to 2010–11 and the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference until after the 2003–04 school year) from 2021–22 to 2022–23.

Talladega competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer and competitive dance. Former sports included men's & women's golf (1978–2005) and football (1909–1943, 1998–2017).

Marching band

The Talladega College Tornado Marching Band (The Great Tornado) was established in 2012. The marching band is the largest organization on campus, with over 200 members. The band is led by five drum majors and is accompanied by a danceline named "Dega Diamonds". The marching band made their debut appearance at the annual Honda Battle of the Bands in 2015 and performed at the 2017 U.S. presidential inauguration parade in Washington, D.C. The band has also performed halftime for the New Orleans Saints in 2016, 2017, & 2021. They are also expected to perform at the London New Years Parade on January 1, 2024.

Notable alumni

References

1. "Talladega College Announces 3rd Consecutive Record-Setting Enrollment Increase, HBCU Campaign Fund | Celebrating HBCUs Around the United States". 5 October 2020.
2. "Home | Talladega College". www.talladega.edu. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
3. "TC gets full SACS accreditation". The Daily Home. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
4. "Talladega College | Founded in 1867". www.talladega.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
5. Catalog of the officers and students of Talladega College: 1909–1910 (1909) pp. 13, 60–61. online
6. Negro Year Book 1937–1938 (1937) p. 204.
7. Bowman, Camille; Melanie A. Betz (March 1, 1990). "Talladega College Historic District". National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014. See also: "Accompanying photos". Archived (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
8. "Talladega College New Student Center Named After College President". weactv24. Mar 27, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
9. "Hawkins to be first Black president of Talladega College with building named in his honor". Aug 2, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
10. "State-of-the-Art Residence Hall Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Talladega College, First of three major campus facilities to open in 2019, HBCU Campaign Fund | Celebrating HBCUs Around the United States". 16 January 2019.
11. "Talladega College Admission Requirements". collegesimply.com. CollegeSimply | U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
12. "2024-2025 Best Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
13. "Talladega College". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
14. "School Search Results". www.playnaia.org. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
15. Lawler, Nicola (April 26, 2012). "The New Talladega College Marching Band". Talladega College (Press release). Retrieved January 4, 2017.
16. "The Talladega College Band Will Play in the Inaugural Parade". Time. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
17. "Dr. Celestine L. Smith (Published 1975)". The New York Times. 1975-12-19. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
18. Harrell, Sumner (Aug 16, 2020). "Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders graduates from Talladega College". WBMA. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
19. "George Crawford Black Bar Association". Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
20. Schwier, Ryan; Smith, Ravay (February 23, 2015). ""Thirst for Justice": Indiana's Pioneering Black Lawyers". Indiana Legal Archive. Retrieved 2023-04-11. a pioneer in the civil rights movement in Indianapolis
21. Bodnar, John E. (2001). Our Towns: Remembering Community in Indiana. Indiana Historical Society. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-87195-149-6.
22. Haskins, Shelly (March 11, 2018). "Talladega College grad wins 2018 Harper Lee award". The Huntsville Times. Retrieved February 11, 2021.

Further reading

• American Missionary Association. Talladega college (1900) online
• Catalog of the officers and students of Talladega College: 1909–1910 (1909) online

• Butler, Addie Louise Joyner. The Distinctive Black College: Talladega, Tuskegee, and Morehouse (ERIC, 1977). online

• Jones, Maxine D., and Joe M. Richardson. Talladega College: The First Century ( University of Alabama Press, 1990). online
• Jones, Maxine D. "Student Unrest at Talladega College, 1887–1914." Journal of Negro History 70.3–4 (1985): 73–81. online

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website

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• Talladega College
• Historically black universities and colleges in the United States
• Liberal arts colleges in Alabama
• Education in Talladega County, Alabama
• Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Church of Christ
• Buildings and structures in Talladega County, Alabama
• Schools supported by the American Missionary Association
• Schools supported by the Freedmen's Bureau
• Private universities and colleges in Alabama
• 1867 establishments in Alabama
• Universities and colleges established in 1867