Johnson C. Smith University

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a private, historically black university in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and Council on Social Work Accreditation (CSWE). The school awards Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of Social Work degrees.

Johnson C. Smith University

Seal of Johnson C. Smith University
Former names	Biddle Memorial Institute Biddle University
Motto	Sit Lux
Motto in English	Let There Be Light
Type	Private, HBCU
Established	1867
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)
Endowment	$51.1 million (Beneficiary of the Duke Endowment, 1924)[1]
President	Clarence D. Armbrister
Academic staff	159[2]
Students	1,624[3]
Postgraduates	57
Location	Charlotte , North Carolina , United States 35.243°N 80.856°W / 35.243; -80.856
Campus	Urban 105 acres
Colors	Gold and Navy blue
Athletics	NCAA Division II – Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Nickname	Golden Bulls
Affiliations	UNCF
Mascot	The Golden Bull
Website	www.jcsu.edu
Biddle Memorial Hall, Johnson C. Smith University
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Beatties Ford Rd. and W. Trade St., Charlotte, North Carolina
Coordinates	35°14′37″N 80°51′25″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1883
Architectural style	Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	75001281[4]
Added to NRHP	October 14, 1975

History

Johnson C. Smith University was established on April 7, 1867 as the Biddle Memorial Institute at a meeting of the Catawba Presbytery in the old Charlotte Presbyterian Church. Mary D. Biddle, a churchwoman, donated $1,400 to the school. In appreciation of this first contribution, friends requested that Mrs. Biddle name the newly established school; she did so in the name of her late husband, Captain Henry Jonathan Biddle, who had been mortally wounded during the Battle of Glendale in 1862. Samuel C. Alexander and Willis L. Miller, saw the need for a school in the south and after the birth of the school, they were elected as some of the first teachers. Its corresponding women's school was Scotia Seminary (now Barber-Scotia College).[5]

In 1876, the charter was changed by the legislature of the State of North Carolina and the name became Biddle University, under which name the institution operated until 1923.

In 1891, Biddle University elected Daniel J. Sanders as the first African-American as President of a four-year institution in the south.

Johnson Crayne Smith

From 1921 to 1922, Jane Berry Smith donated funds to build a theological dormitory, a science hall, a teachers' cottage, and a memorial gate. She also provided an endowment for the institution in memory of her late husband, Johnson C. Smith. Up until her death, she donated funds for five more buildings and a campus church. In recognition of these generous benefactions, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the institution to Johnson C. Smith University. The charter of the school, accordingly, was amended on March 1, 1923, by the legislature of the State of North Carolina.

In 1924, James B. Duke established the Duke Endowment. While the largest share of that the endowment's earnings are allocated to support Duke University, Duke's donation required that 4% of its earnings be given to the university.[6] Over the years, this share of the Endowment's distributions has exceeded $90 million.

In 1932, the university's charter was amended, providing for the admission of women. The 65-year-old institution for men then became partially coeducational. The first residence hall for women, named in memory of James B. Duke, was dedicated in 1940. In 1941, women were admitted to the freshman class. In 1942, the university was a fully coeducational institution.

JCSU joined the United Negro College Fund in 1944 as a founding member. This fund was organized primarily to help church-related schools of higher learning to revamp their training programs, to expand their physical plants, to promote faculty growth and to create new areas of service.[7]

Biddle Memorial Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Presidents

1870–1884	Stephen Mattoon
1884–1885	William Alexander Holliday
1886–1891	William F. Johnson
1891–1907	Daniel J. Sanders
1907–1947	Henry Lawrence McCrorey
1947–1956	Hardy Liston
1956–1957	James W. Seabrook
1957–1968	Rufus P. Perry
1968–1972	Lionel Newsome
1973–1982	Wilbert Greenfield
1983–1994	Robert Albright
1994–2008	Dorothy Cowser Yancy
2008–2018	Ronald L. Carter
2018–present	Clarence D. Armbrister

Academics

Johnson C. Smith University offers 24 different degrees to undergraduate students and one to postgraduates. Each student earns his or her degree through one of three colleges: the College of Arts and Letters, the College of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), or the College of Professional Studies.

The Robert L. Albright Honors College is available to qualified high-achieving undergraduate students at JCSU.[8] The college is named after the 11th president of the university.

Metropolitan College offers undergraduate degree programs to adults to enhance their opportunities for career advancement and success. Metropolitan College provides students with flexible, convenient schedules and a variety of course styles including on-campus and online courses, as well as a Flex-Option for courses that include both online and in-class instruction. Evening courses at Metropolitan College are offered in criminology, social work, and business administration.

Colleges

Biddle Memorial Hall

The university is organized into three colleges:[9]

• College of Arts and Letters
• College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• College of Professional Studies.

Student activities

Due to its location near downtown Charlotte, NC, there are many social and cultural activities for JCSU students and faculty to enjoy, including professional sporting events, theater/movies, concerts, art exhibits, bands, chorale, poetry readings, and dance, among others.

Fraternities and sororities

All of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Johnson C. Smith University. These organizations are:

Organization	Symbol	Chapter	Chapter Symbol
Alpha Phi Alpha	ΑΦΑ	Alpha Omicron	ΑΟ
Kappa Alpha Psi	ΚΑΨ	Alpha Epsilon	ΑΕ
Omega Psi Phi	ΩΨΦ	Rho	Ρ
Phi Beta Sigma	ΦΒΣ	Alpha Epsilon	ΑΕ
Iota Phi Theta	ΙΦΘ	Beta Theta	ΒΘ
Alpha Kappa Alpha	ΑΚΑ	Gamma Delta	ΓΔ
Delta Sigma Theta	ΔΣΘ	Gamma Lambda	ΓΛ
Zeta Phi Beta	ΖΦΒ	Kappa	Κ
Sigma Gamma Rho	ΣΓΡ	Beta Upsilon	ΒΥ

Other organizations include:

Organization	Symbol	Chapter	Chapter Symbol
Tau Beta Sigma	ΤΒΣ	Eta Omicron	ΗΟ
Kappa Kappa Psi	ΚΚΨ	Theta Mu	ΘΜ
Alpha Phi Omega	ΑΦΩ	Delta Phi	ΔΦ
Lambda Theta Alpha	ΛΘΑ	Zeta Theta	ΖΘ
Lambda Theta Phi	ΛΘΦ	NC Colony 2

Athletics

Student-athletes compete in intercollegiate and intramural athletics.

JCSU is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Its intercollegiate sports programs include basketball, bowling, cross-country, football, golf, softball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field. Its teams are nicknamed the Golden Bulls.

Notable alumni

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Tim Beamer	1971	NFL player with the Buffalo Bills.
Trezzvant Anderson		American journalist, publicist, and war correspondent.
Frederick C. Branch	1942	first African American officer in the United States Marine Corps
Tyrone Britt	1967	former NBA player who played for the 1967-1968 San Diego Rockets.
Vanderbilt Brown	1907	was one of the very first physicians to finish training in World War I.
Eva M. Clayton	1955	Clayton and Mel Watt were the first African Americans elected to the House of Representatives from North Carolina since 1898 (since Clayton won the special election, she took office before Watt).
Gregory Clifton		was an NFL Player with the Washington Redskins and the Carolina Panthers
Dorothy Counts	1964	was one of the first black students admitted to the Harry Harding High School in the United States. After four days of harassment that threatened her safety, her parents forced her to withdraw from the school.
Grover Covington		was a Canadian Football League defensive end for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He often led the league in quarterback sacks and was a division All-Star seven times. He won the Schenley Award for Most Outstanding Defensive Player once and also led the Tiger-Cats to a Grey Cup victory in 1986. He finished his career with 157 sacks, a CFL record. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
John O. Crosby		was an African American educator and the 1st President of what is now North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Sadye Curry	1963	is the first African-American woman to become a gastroenterologist in the United States.
Charlie S. Dannelly	1962	is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirty-eighth Senate district since 1995.	[10]
Bill Davis	1963	legendary college football coach.
De'Audra Dix	2009	he was 2008 Division II 1st Team All-American. He played for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. He was the starting cornerback when the Alouettes won back-to-back Canadian Football League Grey Cup Championships in 2009 and 2010.
Edward R. Dudley	1932	from the Gainsboro neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia, was the first African-American to hold the rank of Ambassador of the United States, serving as ambassador to Liberia (where he had been serving with the rank of minister) from 1949 through 1953.
Bill Dusenbery		American football player
Thereasea Elder		was the first African American public health nurse in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Richard Erwin	1947	In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed Erwin as the first black federal judge in North Carolina.
Ferdinand Kwasi Fiawoo	1933	was a Ghanaian minister of religion, playwright and educator, founder of Zion College, the first secondary school in Ghana's Volta Region.
Malcolm Graham	1985	is a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate, representing District 40.
Leford Green	2011	Division II Collegiate Indoor and Outdoor Regional and National Track Athlete of the Year in 2010 and 2011. Green was a member of the 2012 Summer Olympics Jamaican National Olympic Track and Field team.
Chet Grimsley	1978	recognized as the first Euro-American to garner accolades as All-CIAA and All-American at JCSU and at an HBCU. Author of "White Golden Bull."
Larry D. Hall	1978	is an American politician from Durham, North Carolina. A Democrat, he has served in the North Carolina House of Representatives as the member from North Carolina's 29th representative district since 2006. Hall was appointed to the position in 2006 by then Governor Mike Easley and won reelection in 2008.
Reginald Hawkins	1973	was the first African-American to run for Governor of North Carolina.
JoAnn Haysbert		is currently Chancellor and Provost of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.	[11]
Henry Aaron Hill	1936	was an American fluorocarbon chemist who became the first African American president of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Quentin Hillsman		is the head women's college basketball coach for the Syracuse Orange.
Cheris F. Hodges	1999	author of African American romance novels.
Sara Dunlap Jackson	1943	National Archives and Records Administration archivist, Military Archives Division.
Benny Johnson	1970	NFL player who played 5 seasons as a cornerback and a kick returner.
J. Charles Jones	1960	was a civil rights leader, attorney, co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and chairperson of the SNCC's direct action committee.
Edward Joyner	1994	is the current head men's basketball coach at Hampton University. During the 2010–2011 season, he led Hampton with a 24–9 record and helped lead the team to the second round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, where they lost to Duke, 87–45.
Boise Kimber	1981	is an American Baptist minister and civil rights activist.
Earl Manigault		a Rucker Park legend. Attended JCSU for one semester during 1964–65 school year.
Mildred Mitchell-Bateman	1941	was an African-American physician and medical administrator. She was West Virginia's mental health commissioner in 1962, and was the first woman and African-American to hold the position.
Eddie McGirt	1948	a CIAA football coach legend.
Fred "Curly" Neal	1962	former member of the Harlem Globetrotters
Pettis Norman	1962	tight end with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. He is on the top-50 greatest Dallas Cowboys of All-Time. The school's annual award given to the outstanding student-athlete bears his name.
Trevin Parks	2013	is an American professional basketball player for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League.
Obie Patterson	1965	former member, Maryland House of Delegates
Don Pullen		jazz pianist and organist
Zilner Randolph		jazz trumpeter and music educator
James "Twiggy" Sanders	1974	Harlem Globetrotters member
Jawn Sandifer	1935	was an American civil rights attorney, judge and New York State Supreme Court Justice.
Gary Siplin	1976	politician, Member of the Florida Senate from the 19th district. Siplin sponsored a letter to Governor Rick Scott proposing a Special Prosecutor over the Trayvon Martin case. The governor ultimately decided it was in the best interest of the community to elect a Special Prosecutor to the case
Marvin Scott	1966	Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Indiana in 2004
Chris Smith	1992	is a Democratic member of the Florida Senate, representing the 31st District, which includes eastern Broward County since 2012.
Clarence F. Stephens	1938	Ninth African American to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics
John Taylor		attended JCSU for one year before he transferred to Delaware State University. He was a member of the 49ers teams that won Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX. He was also a 2xPro Bowler.
Steel Arm Johnny Taylor		was a pitcher and played in professional pre-league and Negro league baseball from 1903 to 1925
Evelyn Terry		is an American politician.
John Terry		Canadian Football League All-Star offensive tackle. Spent his first two college years (1986 and 1987) in Johnson C. Smith University
Sandra L. Townes	1966	District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Skeets Tolbert		Jazz clarinetist
Faya Ora Rose Touré	1969	is an American civil rights activist and lawyer. She was the first black female judge in Alabama.
Avon Williams	1940	Tennessee State Senator from 1972 to 1992
Danielle Williams	2014	is a Jamaican athlete specialising in the sprint hurdles. She is best known for winning the gold medal at the 2015 World Championships.
Shermaine Williams	2011	Jamaican track & field sprinter. First female from Johnson C. Smith University to go to Summer Olympics 2012
Draff Young		was a National Basketball Association (NBA) coach.

Notable faculty

Name	Department	Notability	Reference
Kelly Alexander	Professor	is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly.
Henry A. Hunt	Professor	winner of the Spingarn Medal award. In the 1930s Hunt was invited to participate in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Black Cabinet.
Edward Jackson	Football Coach	one of the greatest HBCU football coaches of all-time. His all-time coaching record is 141–62–12. His record at JCSU is 30–14–4.
Mary Jackson McCrorey		Counselor of women, wife of president H. L. McCrorey	[12]
Jimmie McKee	Contributor	he was the founder of Johnson C. Smith University athletic booster program the 100 Club. He became a successful Charlotte businessman, contributing to Johnson C Smith University, NAACP, Colored NC Police Association, Democratic Party and YMCA.
Mike Minter	Football Assistant coach	former NFL safety for the Carolina Panthers
Steve Wilks	Football Assistant coach	NFL Head Coach for the Arizona Cardinals.

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-05-14. Retrieved 2006-05-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. "Instructional Faculty and Class Size" (PDF). Jscu.edu. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
3. "Enrollment and Persistence" (PDF). Jscu.edu. Retrieved 2016-12-13.
4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
5. "The American Missionary Volume 0033 Issue 11 (Nov 1879)". Cornell.edu. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
6. "Trust Indenture" (PDF). Dukendowment.org. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
7. "United Negro College Fund". UNCF.org. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
8. "Johnson C. Smith University - Honors College". Jcsu.edu. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
9. "Academic Catalog" (PDF). Jcsu.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
10. "Charlie Dannelly's Biography". Votesmart.org. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
11. "Former provost JoAnn Haysbert returning to Hampton University". tribunedigital-dailypress. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
12. "Woman Gets Degree Doctor of Pedagogy" Pittsburgh Courier (July 5, 1941): 18. via Newspapers.com

External links

• Official website
• Johnson C. Smith Athletics website