Rev. William Henderson Franklin (1852–1935) was an American educator, minister, journalist, and school founder.[1][2][3] Franklin dedicated his life to the education of Black children in rural Tennessee during the time of racial segregation.[4] He founded Swift Memorial College in 1883, and served as the principal until 1926.[5] He was the first minister the congregation at St. Marks Presbyterian Church in Rogersville, Tennessee.[6] He was also known as W.H. Franklin.[3]
Rev. William Henderson Franklin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Principal of Swift Memorial College | |
| In office 1883 – May 1926 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 14, 1852 Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | October 19, 1935 United States |
| Spouse | Laura Crofton (m. 1894–1935; his death) |
| Education | Maryville College (AM), Lane Theological Seminary (DD) |
| Occupation | Educator, minister, journalist, school founder, academic administrator |
Early life and education
editWilliam Henderson Franklin was born on April 14, 1852, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to free Black parents Elizabeth (née Bates) and Henderson Franklin.[1][2] He attended schools in Knoxville, before heading to Hudsonville, Mississippi to earn money teaching.[2]
Franklin attended Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee, and was the first African American to graduate with a A.M. degree in 1880.[7][8] He continued his studies at Lane Theological Seminary in Walnut Hills, Ohio, and graduated with a D.D. degree in 1883.[2][7]
Career
editFranklin was the minister of the congregation of St. Marks Presbyterian Church in Rogersville, Tennessee, where he served from 1883 until his retirement in 1926.[1][6]
Franklin was ordained by the Union Presbytery Synod of Tennessee shortly after graduating from Lane.[2] In 1883, Franklin founded the Swift Memorial Institute (later known as Swift Memorial College) in Rogersville, Tennessee, with financial help from Maryville College.[9] He acted as the principal from the time of the school's opening until 1926.[5]
He was also a journalist, and regularly wrote for The Tennessee Star, The Herald Presbytery, and The Critic.[2] Additionally he acted as a correspondent for The New York Age, and the Negro World.[3]
Death and legacy
editFranklin died on October 19, 1935. He is buried at Saint Mark's Presbyterian Cemetery in Rogersville.
A profile of him is included in the books The Afro-American Press and Its Editors (1891), and An Encyclopedia: Experiences of Black People in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1844–1974 (2017) by Robert J. Booker.[10] The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) placed Franklin in the Hall of Fame in 2020.[4] The town of Rogersville has a historical marker in his honor on West Kyle Street.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Franklin, William Henderson". Who's Who in Colored America. Who's Who in Colored America Corporation. 1927. p. 65 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Jessie Carney (2012-12-01). Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events. Visible Ink Press. p. 367. ISBN 978-1-57859-425-2 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Penn, Irvine Garland (1891). The Afro-American Press and Its Editors. unknown library. Springfield, Mass.: Willey & Co. pp. 347–348 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b "TICUA Hall of Fame Spotlight: William Henderson Franklin". Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA). Retrieved 2024-05-31.
- ^ a b Lovett, Bobby L. (October 8, 2017). "Swift Memorial College". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
- ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: St. Marks Presbyterian Church" (PDF). Tennessee Historical Commission. November 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2006.
- ^ a b Herringshaw, Thomas William (1907). Herringshaw's American Statesman and Public Official Year-book. American Publishers' Association. p. 233 – via Google Books.
- ^ Presbyterian Historical Society (1898). Church at Home and Abroad, The (July–Dec. 1898). Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work. p. 143 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Lovett, Bobby L. (October 8, 2017). "Swift Memorial College". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
- ^ Booker, Robert J. "Bob Booker: New book traces black experience in Knoxville". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Dr. William Henderson Franklin Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved 2024-05-31.