{"id":4629,"date":"2022-02-08T15:18:10","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T21:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitex.org\/?p=4629"},"modified":"2023-05-08T15:52:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T15:52:55","slug":"cheyney-university-a-tribute-to-the-united-states-oldest-hbcu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/instruction.austincc.edu\/digitex\/2022\/02\/08\/cheyney-university-a-tribute-to-the-united-states-oldest-hbcu\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheyney University: A Tribute to the United States\u2019 Oldest HBCU"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Heather Walker<\/a><\/span>, Program Coordinator, DigiTex<\/p>\n

In February of 1837, during a time when slavery was widespread and freedoms scarce for people of African American descent, our nation\u2019s first historically black college emerged to stand counter to the times. Founded by Richard Humphreys, a Quaker philanthropist, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania still stands today as our nation\u2019s first HBCU.<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard Humphreys first determined to invest in Cheyney after witnessing the struggles of many African Americans to find jobs at a time when immigration was high and job competition fierce. A member of the Quaker faith, Humphreys was against slavery and believed in the value of educating African Americans for success. In service to this cause he invested a tenth of his estate, a sum of $10,000, to found Cheyney (Conyers, n.d. -a).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Cheyney Training School for Teachers (circa 1910s)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At its inception in 1837, Cheyney was initially named the African Institute. Its primary mission, as described by Humphreys, was to educate African Americans to become teachers. However, shortly after its inception, the school found itself training its students in the trades and agriculture, skills which were very much in demand at the time. Not long after its founding, the school underwent its first name change, becoming the Institute for Colored Youth, a name which it retained for over fifty years (Cheyney University, 2022b). In 1855 the Institute celebrated its first annual commencement, and in 1859 Martha Fairbeau became the school\u2019s first female graduate (Conyers, n.d. -b).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Booker<\/a>
Booker T. Washington sitting and holding books<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Information for the years between 1860 and 1900 is rather scarce. However, in 1902 the Institute embarked on a new period in its development when it moved to George Cheyney\u2019s 275-acre farm, which had been purchased for $11,000. Following its move, the Institute reopened in 1903 with a total of 14 students, and in May 1905 a formal reopening was held, with <\/span>Booker T. Washington<\/span> of Tuskegee Institute serving as the keynote speaker. The years 1906 – 1913 saw rapid growth and development at the school. In 1906 a new industrial building and girls\u2019 dormitory were added to the campus. In 1908 a county road was constructed to run past the campus, and in 1909 the Quadrangle was leveled and construction began on a new library (Conyers, n.d. -c).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By 1913 the school had become associated with the Cheyney name and went through a series of name changes in the following years:<\/span><\/p>\n