Paul Quinn College Paul Quinn College is a private , historically black college ( HBCU ) located on 144 acres just south of downtown Dallas , Texas ( USA ) . The college is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church ( AME ) . " HBCU Digest " named Paul Quinn 2011 HBCU of the Year and voted the college " the 5th most underrated HBCU in the nation " . In 2012 , " HBCU Digest " also named the College ' s student government association the " 2012 HBCU Student Government Association of the Year " and named the College President , Michael J . Sorrell , the " 2012 HBCU Male President of the Year " . Paul Quinn is also home to the " WE over ME Farm " , which was created through a partnership with PepsiCo to bring healthy food to the food desert of Dallas . History . Paul Quinn College holds the distinction of being the oldest historically black college west of the Mississippi River . The college was founded in 1872 in Austin , Texas by a small group of African Methodist Episcopal preachers at Metropolitan A . M . E . Church . Originally , the college was called the Connectional High School and Institute . The school ’ s original purpose was to educate freed slaves and their children . In 1877 , the College moved from Austin to Waco , Texas , and was renamed Waco College . Classes were held in a modest one - building trade school where freedmen were taught the skills of blacksmithing , carpentry , tanning , and saddle work . Later , under the direction of Bishop William Paul Quinn ( 1788 – 1873 ) , A . M . E . districts were developed throughout the South and tasked with raising funds to improve the College . During this period of time , more than twenty acres of additional land was purchased and the curriculum was expanded to include the subjects of Latin , mathematics , music , theology , English , carpentry , sewing , and household , kitchen , and dining room work . In May 1881 , the College was chartered by the State of Texas and changed its name to Paul Quinn College to commemorate the contributions of Bishop William Paul Quinn . Expansion and improvements . The campus was expanded , with new buildings constructed with capital raised from interested patrons . In 1950 , the College began significant physical expansion . A campus church , student union building , gymnasium and administration building were erected between 1950 and 1954 . Two new dormitories , a modern two - story classroom building , a fully equipped science department , and a new library were added to the campus . In spring of 1954 , the Waco Chamber of Commerce successfully completed a campaign which raised $ 100 , 000 for a new women ’ s dormitory to replace the one that had been destroyed by fire . Bishop O . L . Sherman was assigned to supervise the work of the A . M . E . Church in Texas in 1962 . His first official act was to have the Charter of the College changed so that trustees could be elected without regard to race , creed , or color . Because of this significant innovation , some of the most outstanding civic leaders in Central Texas were able to be added to the Board of Trustees . Dr . Stanley E . Rutland became President of the College in 1969 . Under his leadership , the physical plant of the College continued to improve . Among the changes were the addition of a new gymnasium , the renovation of historic Johnson Hall and the development of the Ethnic Cultural Center . Under Dr . Rutland , the College received accreditation in 1972 with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ( SACS ) for the first time . Move to Dallas . The College relocated to Dallas , Texas in 1990 . It acquired the former campus of Bishop College from African - American businessman Comer J . Cottrell . During the first semester in its new home , the College boasted an enrollment of 1 , 020 students . In 2006 , Board of Trustees member Peggy Sterling and her employer , American Airlines , secured the services of global management - consulting firm the Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) to analyze the operations and performance of the College . BCG ’ s work ultimately provided the Institution with a blueprint that eventually became the College ’ s Strategic Plan from 2007 - 2012 . New direction . In September 2007 , Michael J . Sorrell , Esq . , a former member of the Board of Trustees , assumed the position of president , after serving as the interim president since March of that year . Sorrell quickly established an aggressive agenda designed to transform the school into one of America ’ s great small colleges . Since his arrival , the College has raised academic standards ; embarked on an ambitious revitalization of the campus , which has included spending over $ 4 million in capital improvements ; reduced institutional debt by 40 percent ; and eliminated all previous audit findings . Sorrell instituted a " business casual " dress code on campus in order to prepare students for life after college . His next set of plans for the college call for an increased commitment to recruitment and retention . In 2009 , the College ' s accreditation was challenged by SACS , based on problems with institutional effectiveness and financial stability . Following a lawsuit , a judge issued an injunction which reinstated accreditation prior to hearing of the lawsuit . Since that time , Sorrell has continued improvements : the College produced over $ 2 million in budget surpluses in fiscal 2009 , 2010 , and 2011 ; achieved unqualified audits for 2009 and 2010 ; invested more than $ 4 million in infrastructure improvements without adding any debt ; and formed a groundbreaking partnership with PepsiCo to convert an unused football stadium into a fully operational urban farm . In 2011 , the college received membership into the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools ( TRACS ) accrediting agency . Academics . Academic Programs . Department of General Education . The College is in the planning stages of adding the following majors and concentration areas : Campus Life . The WE over Me Farm at Paul Quinn College . The WE over Me Farm at Paul Quinn College , formerly called the Food for Good Farm at Paul Quinn College , began as an answer to the food desert conditions in the Southern sector of Dallas . The reconstruction of the football field into a 100 - yard farm that produces spinach , herbs , watermelon , potatoes , sweet potatoes , argula , and other produce has produced partnerships with Yale University and other institutions for the continued study of the impact of urban farming . The dedication of the farm was on May 10 , 2010 . The farm tithes 10 percent of the gross yield to the community . The dedication of the farm was on May 10 , 2010 . The farm tithes 10 percent of the gross yield to the community . In April 2011 , the farm hosted its first major fundraising event . " A Community Cooks " featured 13 top local chefs cooking various dishes for the community . Will Allen , the keynote speaker , is a MacArthur Fellow and one of the foremost thinkers on urban farming . " A Community Cooks " is an annual event . Citing health concerns , in August 2012 , Paul Quinn banned pork and pork products from campus . We Are Not Trash . The College ended 2011 locked in a battle with the city of Dallas over the McCommas Bluff Landfill , which is approximately 1 . 5 miles east of the campus . The city ' s decision to re - route all of Dallas ' waste to the landfill , effectively transforming it into one of the largest landfills in the southwest , infuriated the student population . This anger was exacerbated by the fact the school is located in the middle of an area the United States Department of Agriculture has labeled a food desert . In June 2011 , the students organized a town hall meeting and invited city officials to explain the efficacy of expanding the landfill . More than 250 residents attended . This was the largest town hall meeting in this city council district in more than 20 years . The town hall meeting eventually turned into " I AM NOT TRASH " , two student - led demonstrations at the Dallas City Hall . Despite the students efforts , the city council voted 8 - 7 to move forward with the plans to dump all the city ' s waste into the landfill without any prior study as to the effect of such a decision . In response , the Quinnite Nation mobilized into WE ARE NOT TRASH , a student - led , community - oriented effort to advocate for thoughtful , citizen - oriented policy - making from their elected leaders . On Saturday , November 5 , 2011 , approximately 500 people marched alongisde a group of civic leaders from south Dallas across one of the Trinity River bridges into Downtown Dallas . Trayvon Martin Rally . On March 23 , 2012 , hundreds of community members joined Paul Quinn students to protest the shooting of 17 - year - old Trayvon Martin in Sanford , Florida by George Zimmerman on February 26 of the same year . Athletics . Paul Quinn teams , nicknamed athletically as the Tigers , are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ( NAIA ) , primarily competing in the Red River Athletic Conference ( RRAC ) . Men ' s sports include basketball , cross country and track & field . while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country and track & field . Paul Quinn teams have won eighteen conference championships since 1983 . The men ' s basketball team won two national championships in the early 1990s , and the men ' s track and field team won two Regional Red River Men ' s Track and Field Conference Championships in 2006 and 2007 . Student Organizations . Student organizations on campus include the Student Government Association , class organizations , the Vocal Ensemble , and the PQC Spirit Team . Furthermore , students can be initiated into honor societies , such as Phi Delta Kappa and Alpha Chi National College Honor Society , as well as National Pan - Hellenic Council fraternities and sororities . Dress Code . Since the 2007 academic year , the College has embraced a strict " business casual " dress code . Students are not allowed to wear jeans , flip flops , gym shoes , pajama bottoms , sweatsuits , or shirts without collars outside the dormitories . Campus . The John Hurst Adams Administrative Building , formerly Price - Branch Classroom Building , contains the presidential suite administrative offices and classrooms . In the fall of 2011 , two fully interactive technology classrooms were built on the second level of the building . These classrooms have state of the art video conferencing capability . The Isabel and Comer Cottrell Student Union Building , also known as the SUB , was completed in 1970 . The SUB includes the cafe , the Tiger ' s Den , the student lounge , and the student workout facility . In the fall of 2012 , the institution will convert the student workout facility into the Quinnite Retention Center , a 24 - hour study facility that will aide in the College ' s efforts to improve retention rates . The space that was formerly the campus bookstore will now be a state of the art gym facility that students , staff , and faculty can use . The Grand Lounge is the campus ' primary meeting space . It is also where the weekly Chapel services are held . The Richard Allen Chapel , formerly Carr P . Collins Chapel , completed in 1970 , is currently under renovation . The lawn of the Chapel is the venue for the annual commencement exercises . completed in 1970 , serves as the religious education building . The gymnasium was completed in 1961 . In spring 2011 , the gymnasium was outfitted with a new HVAC system . Zale Library was completed in 1963 . The library contains a 9x23 foot mural that was painted by artist Louis Freund in 1968 . The mural depicts the progression and struggles of African - Americans in the pursuit of an education . In spring 2011 , more than 900 volumes of legal publications were donated by Hunton & Williams , LLP to start the Paul Quinn College Law Library . The school has one residence hall , the Lucy Hughes Hall , formerly Pearl C . Anderson hall . the dormitory for females opened in 1969 as a facility of Bishop College . It currently serves men and women . The other dormitory buildings were demolished in a 15 - building demolition that began in 2010 . The campus is from Waco , from Austin , from Houston , and from New Orleans . In popular culture . Paul Quinn College was mentioned in Stephen King ' s 2011 novel 11 / 22 / 63 .