Virginia Union University
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Virginia Union University (VUU) is a historically black university located in Richmond, Virginia. It was formed in 1899 by the merger of two older schools, Richmond Theological Institute and Wayland Seminary, each founded after the end of American Civil War by the American Baptist Home Mission Society. VUU's 84-acre campus is located at 1500 North Lombardy Street in Richmond's North Side.
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[edit] History
By late 1865, the American Civil War was over (which ended slavery in the former Confederate states) and slavery in the United States had officially ended in the Northern and border states as well with the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, known as freedmen, approximately 4 million former African American slaves were without employable job skills, opportunities, and even literacy itself. (i.e. in Virginia, since the bloody Nat Turner Rebellion in 1831, it had been unlawful to teach a slave to read).
Enlightened individuals realized that these newly freed people were still in a battle against ignorance and neglect. Members of the American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) proposed a "National Theological Institute" which would educate those wishing to enter into the Baptist ministry. Soon, the proposed mission was expanded to offer courses and programs at college, high school and even preparatory levels, to both men and women. This effort was the beginning of Virginia Union University.
Separate branches of the National Theological Institute were set up in Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia, with classes beginning in 1867. In Washington, the school became known as Wayland Seminary, named in commemoration of Dr. Francis Wayland, former president of Brown University and a leader in the anti-slavery struggle. The first and only president was Dr. George Mellen Prentiss King, who administered Wayland for thirty years (1867-97). Famous students there included Dr. Booker T. Washington and Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr.
In Richmond, the efforts were more difficult. Beginning in 1867, Colver Institute, a VUU predecessor school, was housed in a building long known as Lumpkin's Jail, a former "slave jail" owned by Mrs. Mary Ann Lumpkin, the African-American widow of the deceased white owner. In 1899, the Richmond Theological Institute (formerly Colver Institute) joined with Wayland Seminary of Washington, D.C. to form Virginia Union University at Richmond.
In 1932, Hartshorn Memorial College for Women, established in Richmond, Virginia in 1883, became a part of Virginia Union University. Storer College, an historically black Baptist college in West Virginia (founded in 1867), merged its endowment with Virginia Union in 1964.
[edit] Mission
Virginia Union University seeks to maximize the potential of individuals from varied academic backgrounds within the context of a challenging and nurturing academic environment, offering students the opportunity to excel as scholars and leaders.
The University was founded in 1865 to give the newly emancipated an opportunity for liberation of the mind in an ethical, humanistic environment. Excellent teaching and enlightened guidance for all students remain the institution's primary emphases. An historically black university, Virginia Union University embraces the uniqueness and contributions of the African Diaspora, celebrating the value of cultural and intellectual diversity.
Seeking to empower students for the pursuit of life-long learning, the University provides comprehensive undergraduate liberal arts programs and graduate education for Christian ministries. To this end, a guiding principle of the University's educational program is a strong focus upon moral values and ethics, and students are encouraged to engage in activities that promote self-actualization
[edit] Athletics
Virginia Union is perhaps most widely known for its NCAA Division II basketball program. Under the leadership of head coach Dave Robbins since 1978, the "Panthers" have been to the "Final Four" eight times and have won three NCAA Division II national championship titles (1980, 1992, 2005). The team was the 2006 National runner-up with a record of 30-4. The team has also captured the CIAA conference championship a record 20 times. The school plays in a annual exhibition game with the Division I cross - town rival Virginia Commonwealth University. The Panthers have won two out of the past three meetings with the Rams.
Coach Robbins' program has also produced eight NBA players [1], including Chicago Bulls star center Ben Wallace, and former New York Knicks power forward Charles Oakley.
Virginia Union's gymnasium, Barco-Stevens Hall, is located in the former Belgian Pavilion to the 1939/1940 World's Fair in New York. Due to the outbreak of World War II, the Pavilion could not be returned to Belgium. The Belgian government sponsored a competition to determine the building's new home. VUU won, and the Pavilion moved to Richmond in 1941 as VUU's Belgian Friendship Building. The University's library was also located in the Belgian Friendship Building through 1997.
[edit] Theological School
Virginia Union University's Theological training program is called "The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University". The school of theology is known for producing preachers such as the late Miles Jones, John Kinney, Jerome Ross, James Harris and Nathan Dell. This school shares some resources with the nearby Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education and Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond as the Richmond Theological Consortium.
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Leontine T. Kelly (B.A., 1960), a Bishop of the United Methodist Church
- Douglas Wilder (1951) Governor of Virginia (1990-1994), Mayor of Richmond (2005-present)
- Charles Oakley Professional Basketball Player
- Will Downing R&B Singer
- Ben Wallace Professional Basketball Player
- Samuel Lee Gravely, Jr. First African American Admiral in the United States Navy
- Samuel DeWitt Proctor President of VUU and president of North Carolina A&T University where he made close acquaintance with then student body president Jesse Jackson. [2]
- Randall Robinson Attorney
- Pete Hunter, National Football League player
- Bai T. Moore, Liberian author and poet
[edit] University Presidents
- Malcolm MacVicar (First President, 1899-1904)
- Dr. George Rice Hovey (Second President, 1904-1918)
- Mr. William John Clark (Third President, 1919-1941)
- Dr. John Malcus Ellison (Fourth President, 1941-1955)
- Dr. Ellison was the first VUU alumnus and African-American to serve as President of the University.
- Dr. Samuel Dewitt Proctor (Fifth President, 1955-1960)
- Dr. Thomas Howard Henderson (Sixth President, 1960-1970)
- Dr. Allix Bledsoe James (Seventh President, 1970-1979)
- Dr. David Thomas Shannon (Eighth President, 1979-1985)
- Dr. S. Dallas Simmons (Ninth President, 1985-1999)
- Dr. Bernard Wayne Franklin (Tenth President, 1999-2003)
- Dr. Belinda C. Anderson (Eleventh President, 2003-present)
[edit] External links
Categories: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Historically black universities and colleges in the United States | Richmond, Virginia | Universities and colleges in Virginia | Universities and colleges affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA | Seminaries and theological colleges in the United States
