IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 563 

Honoring the accomplishments of the 9 historically Black colleges and universities that celebrated their sesquicentennial the week of September 24, 

2017. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 10, 2017 

Ms. ADAMS (for herself, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Ms. 

PLASKETT, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 

KELLY of Illinois, Mr. BYRNE, Ms. LEE, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, 

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. EVANS, Ms. HANABUSA, 

Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. MEEKS, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, 

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, 

Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. TED LIEU of California, 

Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. COSTA, Ms. 

SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. CRIST, Ms. MAXINE

WATERS of California, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. 

JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. AL

GREEN of Texas, Ms. BASS, Mr. WALKER, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. 

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. 

MCEACHIN, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. HILL, Ms. JAYAPAL, and Mrs. 

DEMINGS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the accomplishments of the 9 historically Black 

colleges and universities that celebrated their sesquicentennial the week of September 24, 2017. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 563 IH 

Whereas in 1867, 9 historically Black colleges and universities were established in 4 southern States, Alabama, 

Georgia, Maryland, and North Carolina, as well as the 

District of Columbia, the largest number of historically 

Black Colleges and Universities founded in any single 

year before or after; 

Whereas the 9 historically Black colleges and universities 

that celebrated their sesquicentennial the week of September 24, 2017, trace their founding to rather modest 

beginnings, but, in the course of a century and a half, 

have established records of significant achievement and 

legacies of devotion to academic excellence; 

Whereas the 9 institutions celebrating their sesquicentennial 

anniversaries include Alabama State University in Marion, Alabama; Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North 

Carolina; Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, 

North Carolina; Howard University in Washington, DC; 

Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina; Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia; Morgan 

State University in Baltimore, Maryland; St. Augustine’s 

University in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Talladega 

College in Talladega, Alabama; 

Whereas in the case of Alabama State University, on July 17, 

1867, 9 freed slaves incorporated Lincoln Normal School 

in Marion, Alabama, to educate Black children; 

Whereas Lincoln Normal School was founded with $500 used 

to purchase the land and lay the foundation; 

Whereas Lincoln Normal School was converted from a junior 

college into a four-year college in 1928; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 563 IH 

Whereas in 1969, the former Lincoln Normal School was formally granted a name change by the Alabama State 

Board of Education, becoming Alabama State University; 

Whereas notable figures of the civil rights era attended and 

graduated from Alabama State University, including the 

Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, attorney Fred Gray 

and the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth; 

Whereas in the case of Barber-Scotia College, Scotia Seminary was founded in Concord, North Carolina, by the 

Reverend Luke Dorland in 1867 and chartered in 1870 

to educate newly freed female slaves; 

Whereas Scotia Seminary was the first historically Black female institution of higher education established in the 

United States; 

Whereas Scotia Seminary was renamed as Scotia Women’s 

College in 1916, and merged with Barber Memorial College in 1930 to become Barber-Scotia Junior College for 

women; 

Whereas Barber-Scotia became a 4-year women’s college in 

1946 and a coeducational institution in 1954; 

Whereas one of the distinguished graduates of Barber-Scotia 

College was Mary McCleod Bethune, the founder of Bethune-Cookman College; 

Whereas in the case of Fayetteville State University, on November 29, 1867, 7 African-American men formed the 

Howard School by paying $136 for 2 lots on Gillespie 

Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina; 

Whereas the Howard School would be formally renamed Fayetteville State University in 1969; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 563 IH 

Whereas Fayetteville State University holds the distinction of 

being the second oldest public school in North Carolina; 

Whereas in the case of Howard University, the institution 

was chartered by Congress on March 2, 1867, in Washington, DC; 

Whereas Howard University stands today as the most comprehensive historically Black college and university in the 

Nation in terms of undergraduate and graduate programs of study; 

Whereas Howard University has produced numerous Rhodes 

scholars, Truman scholars, Fulbright scholars, Picking 

Fellows, and a Marshall scholar throughout its history; 

Whereas Howard University has graduated some of the most 

accomplished African Americans in history—including, 

Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, author Toni 

Morrison, and United States Ambassador Andrew Young; 

Whereas 5 current Members of Congress are graduates of 

Howard University; 

Whereas in the case of Johnson C. Smith University, the institution was established on April 7, 1867, as the Biddle 

Memorial Institute by Reverend S.C. Alexander and Reverend W.L. Miller in Charlotte, North Carolina; 

Whereas the first football game with African-American players was played at the Biddle University in 1892—in what 

today is called the Commemorative Classic; 

Whereas Johnson C. Smith is the first historically Black college and university in the South to offer professional 

courses in education; 

Whereas Johnson C. Smith University has produced numerous politicians including, but not limited to, Eva Clayton, 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HRES 563 IH 

the first African American to represent North Carolina in 

the House of Representatives since the 19th century; 

Whereas in the case of Morehouse College, the institution was 

founded by the Reverend William Jefferson White in Augusta, Georgia, in 1867; 

Whereas Morehouse College was moved from Augusta, Georgia, to its current location in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1879; 

Whereas Morehouse College is the largest men’s college in the 

United States, enrolling over 2,000 students; 

Whereas Morehouse is 1 of only 2 historically Black colleges 

and universities to produce a Rhodes scholar; 

Whereas Morehouse has graduated a number of AfricanAmerican luminaries—including Atlanta Mayor Maynard 

Jackson, film director Spike Lee, and the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.; 

Whereas 2 Members of Congress are graduates of Morehouse 

College; 

Whereas in the case of Morgan State University, the institution was founded in Baltimore, Maryland, as the Centenary Biblical Institute in 1867 to train former slaves 

and freedmen for the Methodist ministry; 

Whereas becoming co-ed in 1874 and changing its name to 

Morgan College in 1890, in honor of one of its board 

members, the institution was purchased by the State of 

Maryland in 1939 to provide more academic opportunities for Black students and was renamed Morgan State 

College; 

Whereas Morgan State College distinguished itself as a liberal arts college and, in 1975, was granted university status and has been designated as Maryland’s preeminent 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HRES 563 IH 

public research university, as well as a National Treasure 

by the National Trust for Historic Preservation; 

Whereas the Morgan State Choir, in 2004, was named ‘‘The 

Nation’s Best College Choir’’ by Readers Digest, and has 

performed for audiences on four continents; 

Whereas Morgan State University has graduated a great 

number of prominent African-American leaders in politics, law, entertainment and science and has a list of 

alumni that includes Congressmen Parren J. Mitchell 

and Kweisi Mfume, Maryland Chief Justice Robert M. 

Bell, novelist Zora Neale Hurston, and Pulitzer Prize 

winner James Alan McPherson; 

Whereas in the case of St. Augustine’s University, in 1867, 

the institution was founded as the St. Augustine’s Normal School by prominent Episcopal clergy for the education of freed slaves in Raleigh, North Carolina; 

Whereas St. Agnes Hospital and Training School for Nurses, 

the first school of nursing for African-American students 

in the State of North Carolina, was established by St. 

Augustine’s Normal School in 1895; 

Whereas St. Agnes was the only hospital in North Carolina 

that served African Americans until 1960; 

Whereas St. Augustine’s University was the first historically 

Black college and university to own an on-campus commercial radio and television station; 

Whereas in the case of Talladega College, the institution was 

founded by 3 former slaves in Talladega, Alabama, in 

1867; 

Whereas Talladega College is the State of Alabama’s oldest, 

private historically Black college and university; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HRES 563 IH 

Whereas Talladega College was the first institution in the 

State of Alabama to admit qualified persons of any race 

or ethnicity; and 

Whereas Talladega College has produced several AfricanAmerican ‘‘firsts’’, including Wynona Lipman, the first 

African-American woman elected to the New Jersey Senate and Reverend Dr. Paul Smith, the first AfricanAmerican minister at the First Presbyterian Church of 

Brooklyn: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors the accomplishments of the 9 his3 torically Black colleges and universities that cele4 brated their sesquicentennial the week of September 

5 24, 2017, and of historically Black colleges and uni6 versities, in general; 

7 (2) celebrates the 150th anniversary of these 9 

8 institutions, and encourages Congress and the citi9 zens they represent to recognize the beneficial im10 pact historically Black colleges and universities have 

11 had on the United States; and 

12 (3) directs the Clerk of the House of Represent13 atives to make available 5 enrolled copies of this res14 olution to each institution’s Office of the President 

15 or Chancellor. 

Æ 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS