Butler College (1905–1972) was an American co-educational black school in Tyler, Texas. It started as a combined elementary and high school, it became a junior college by 1924, and by 1951 it was a senior college before reverting back to a junior college in 1960. Butler College closed in 1972, after an enrollment decline. A historical plaque for Butler College (marker 15480) was erected near 1900 Bellwood Road by Texas Historical Commission in 2008.[1]
| Butler College | |
|---|---|
 Butler College (c. 1910) | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 32°20′24″N 95°19′19″W / 32.339988°N 95.321961°W |
| Information | |
| Former names | East Texas Normal and Industrial Academy, East Texas Baptist Academy |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Baptist |
| Established | 1905 |
| Founder | Cornelius Moses Butler |
| Closed | 1972 |
| Affiliation | East Texas Baptist Association Texas Baptist Conference |
History
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Established in 1905 by the East Texas Baptist Association,[2][3] the school was originally called the East Texas Normal and Industrial Academy,[4] and was initially a combined elementary and high school. However some sources state it was originally named the East Texas Baptist Academy.[5] Rev. C. M. Butler (or Cornelius Moses Butler; 1844–1924) served as the first president of the school, and he was the moderator of the East Texas Baptist Association.[5] T. C. Bledsoe was the school's first principal.[5]
By 1910, the school had 129 enrolled students and 6 teachers.[6] The school introduced junior college-level courses in 1924, and the name was changed to Butler College following the death of its first president, Rev. C. M. Butler.[4] In 1934 during the Great Depression, the Texas Baptist Conference became a co-sponsor of the college (gaining them financial support), with the East Texas Baptist Association owning and operating Butler College.[5]
A few years after World War II, in 1951 Butler became a four-year senior college.[4] As a four-year senior college it was never able to achieve accreditation, and by 1960 it reverted back to a junior college.[7] Enrollment declined during the 1960s, and the college closed in 1972.[7][8]
Presidents
edit- Cornelius Moses Butler (1905–1924)[5]
- J. V. Mc Clellan (1924–1932)[5]
- Isaiah Jackson Jr. (1932–1945)[5]
- William M. Butler (interim, 1945), son of Cornelius Moses Butler,[5]
- Milton K. Curry Jr. (1946–)[5][9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Butler College Historical Marker". hmdb.org. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
- ^ "Mark in Texas History: Butler College". KLTV. 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ Heintze, Michael R. (1985). Private Black Colleges in Texas, 1865-1954. Texas A&M University Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-89096-223-7.
- ^ a b c "Butler College". Texas Historical Commission.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i The Negro College Quarterly. Vol. 5. Wilberforce University. 1947. pp. 206–208.
- ^ Hartshorn, W. N. (William Newton) (1910). An Era of Progress and Promise, 1863–1910: the religious, moral, and educational development of the American Negro since his emancipation. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Library. Boston, MA: Priscilla Pub. Co. p. 274.
- ^ a b Behnkw, Martin (12 June 2010). "Butler College". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA).
- ^ Murphy, Larry G.; Melton, J. Gordon; Ward, Gary L., eds. (2013). "Butler College". Encyclopedia of African American Religions. Routledge. p. 136. ISBN 978-1-135-51338-2.
- ^ Balz, Dan (June 30, 1980). "A Black Dream Goes Awry". Washington Post.
External links
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- Video about Butler College (2014) by the city of Tyler
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