LeMoyne–Owen College

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LeMoyne-Owen University
Established	1968 LeMoyne College - 1871 Owen College - 1947
Type	Private, HBCU
Religious affiliation	United Church of Christ
President	Johnnie B. Watson (interim)
Students	600
Location	Memphis, TN, USA 35°07′18″N 90°02′06″W / 35.12175°N 90.03495°W / 35.12175; -90.03495Coordinates: 35°07′18″N 90°02′06″W / 35.12175°N 90.03495°W / 35.12175; -90.03495
Campus	Urban
Former names	LeMoyne College Owen College
Nickname	Magicians
Website	www.loc.edu

LeMoyne–Owen College is a fully accredited, four-year private historically black college located in Memphis, Tennessee, affiliated with the United Church of Christ. It resulted from the 1968 merger of historically black colleges and other schools established by northern Protestant missions during and after the American Civil War to educate freedmen.

History

LeMoyne–Owen College was formed through the 1968 merger of LeMoyne College and Owen College, both private, historically black, church-affiliated colleges.^[1]

LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School traces its history to 1862, when the American Missionary Association (AMA) sent Lucinda Humphrey to open an elementary school at Camp Shiloh for free blacks and escaped slaves. This was one of more than ten schools founded by the AMA, an integrated organization led by black and white Congregational and Presbyterian ministers.

It was established soon after the occupation of Memphis by Federal troops during the Civil War. First known as Lincoln Chapel, the school relocated to Memphis in 1863. In 1866 it was destroyed during race riots that followed the withdrawal of federal troops. The school was rebuilt and in 1867 it reopened with 150 students and six teachers.

In 1870, Francis Julius LeMoyne (1798-1879), a Washington, Pennsylvania doctor, donated $20,000 to the American Missionary Association to build an elementary and secondary school for prospective teachers. LeMoyne, who was a notable abolitionist, traveled from his Pennsylvania home to visit the new school. He donated a clock for the school's tower. The Memphis yellow fever epidemic started in 1873 and took a toll on many school personnel.

Under the leadership of the third principal, Andrew J. Steele, the institution experienced three decades of growth and development.^[2]

In 1914 the school moved from Orleans Street to its present site on Walker Avenue. Steele Hall, the first building on the new campus, was erected that same year. LeMoyne became a junior college in 1924 and then a four-year college in 1930. The LeMoyne College was chartered by the State of Tennessee just four years later.

Owen College traces its history as a junior college to 1947, when the Tennessee Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention bought property on Vance Avenue. S. A. Owen Junior College opened at that location in 1954.

LOC Motto: Gubernatio. Oportunitas. Inclino. Motto in English: Leadership. Opportunity. Change.

Athletics

The college sponsors athletic teams that participate in the Division II level, in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) conference of the NCAA. The Lemoyne-Owen College Department of Athletics sponsors men's intercollegiate baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, and tennis along with women's intercollegiate softball, basketball, cross country, volleyball and tennis. The school's mascot is the Magicians.

In 1975, the Lemoyne-Owen College men's basketball team won the NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship.^[3] the school was then a member of Division III level of the NCAA. Up to this day, Lemoyne-Owen has been the only HBCU to win a national championship at that level.

Recent debt and accreditation issues

According to a 2007 AP article,^[4] LeMoyne-Owen has suffered from management, debt and accreditation issues. Its accreditation has been in jeopardy, with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placing it on probation for the last two years.

In August 2007, in a controversial move, the City of Memphis ensured the college would open for the fall 2007 semester by pledging $3 million in taxpayer funds to be added to other substantial pledges that came from the United Negro College Fund, Cummins Inc., radio host Tom Joyner and the United Church of Christ.

Notable alumni

Name	Class year	Notability	References
Lloyd Barbee	1949	Wisconsin legislator and civil rights activist	^[5]
Marion Barry	1958	former mayor of Washington, DC and current Washington, DC City Council member
W. W. Herenton		former mayor of Memphis, Tennessee from 1992 until his resignation in 2009
Benjamin Hooks		former executive director of NAACP
Myron Lowery		former mayor pro-tem of Memphis, Tennessee from July 31, 2009 – October 26, 2009

References

External links

Private colleges and universities in Tennessee

Colleges and universities in the Memphis Metro Area

v t e Historically black colleges and universities

Public institutions	Alabama A&M Alabama State Albany State Alcorn State Arkansas–Pine Bluff Bishop State CC Bluefield State Bowie State Central State Cheyney Coahoma CC Coppin State Delaware State Elizabeth City State Fayetteville State Florida A&M Fort Valley State Gadsden State CC Grambling State Harris–Stowe Hinds CC Jackson State Kentucky State Langston Lincoln, Missouri Lincoln, Pennsylvania Maryland, Eastern Shore Mississippi Valley State Morgan State Norfolk State North Carolina A&T State North Carolina Central Prairie View A&M Savannah State Shelton State CC South Carolina State Southern Southern–New Orleans Southern–Shreveport Tennessee State Texas Southern UDC UPR UVI Virginia State West Virginia State Winston-Salem State

Private institutions	Allen Arkansas Baptist Barber–Scotia Benedict Bennett Bethune-Cookman Claflin Clark Atlanta Concordia Alabama Dillard Edward Waters Fisk Florida Memorial Hampton Howard Huston–Tillotson Interdenominational Theological Center Jarvis Christian Johnson C. Smith Knoxville Lane LeMoyne–Owen Lewis College of Business Livingstone Meharry Miles Morehouse Morehouse School of Medicine Morris Brown Morris Oakwood Paine Paul Quinn Philander Smith Rust Saint Paul's Selma Shaw Simmons College (Ky.) Southwestern Christian Spelman Stillman St. Augustine's Talladega Texas College Tougaloo Tuskegee Virginia Union Virginia University Voorhees Wilberforce Wiley Xavier (La.)

Defunct institutions	Bishop Daniel Payne Guadalupe Kittrell Mississippi Industrial College Mount Hermon Female Seminary Storer Straight Western

v t e Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Members	Albany State Benedict Claflin Clark Atlanta Fort Valley State Kentucky State Lane LeMoyne–Owen Miles Morehouse Paine Stillman Tuskegee

Associates	Central State

Future	Spring Hill

Universities, colleges, and seminaries of the United Church of Christ

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