Miles College

Miles College

Official Miles College seal
Latin: Sapientia et Pax et Amor Omnibus
Former names
Miles Memorial College
Motto "Knowledge and Peace and Love for all."
Type Private, HBCU
Established 1898
Affiliation CME Church
UNCF
President Dr. George T. French, Jr.
Students 1,823
Location Fairfield, Alabama, United States
33°28′50″N 86°54′32″W / 33.48056°N 86.90889°W / 33.48056; -86.90889Coordinates: 33°28′50″N 86°54′32″W / 33.48056°N 86.90889°W / 33.48056; -86.90889
Campus 76 acres (310,000 m2)
Colors Purple and Gold
         [1]
Athletics NCAA Division II[1]
Nickname Golden Bears[1]
Affiliations Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[1]
Mascot The Golden Bear
Website www.miles.edu

Miles College is a historically black college founded in 1898. It is located in Fairfield, Alabama, six miles (10 km) west of Birmingham. It is a private liberal arts institution of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church). Miles College is also a member of the United Negro College Fund.

History

Miles College began organization efforts in 1893 and was founded in 1898 by the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. It was chartered as Miles Memorial College, in honor of Bishop William H. Miles. In 1941 the name was changed to Miles College.

Academics

Miles is also accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (for the awarding of baccalaureate degrees), the Alabama State Department of Education, and the Council of Social Work Education. Miles College offers 25 bachelor's degrees in the following divisions: Business and Accounting, Communications, Education, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences. Also Miles College is one of 41 schools in the nation with a Center of Academic Excellence under the office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Administration

The current president, since 2005, is George T. French, Jr., a graduate of University of Louisville, Miles Law School and ABD for his PhD from Jackson State University.

Campus

Miles Memorial College Historic District
Area 76 acres (31 ha)
Built 1907 (1907)
Architect Tisdale, Stone & Patton; Gilreath Construction
Architectural style Bungalow/Craftsman, Beaux Arts
NRHP Reference # 93001031[2]
Added to NRHP January 3, 1994

Recently, Miles College purchased the Lloyd Noland Hospital site, which more than doubled the size of the campus. Additionally, the college recently completed the simultaneous construction of a new student activity and dining center, a new welcome and admissions center, and a new 204 bed residence hall. Part of the campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

Sloan Alumni Stadium, named after the college's 13th president, Albert J. H. Sloan II was recently expanded, to include a $1 million Environ-Turf field.

Student activities

Organizations for students include the Student Government Association, Honors Curriculum, academic clubs, religious organizations, National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations, general interest clubs, a gospel choir, and a concert choir.

Radio Station

The school operates a radio station WMWI-FM 88.7. It was established in 2009 and is licensed to Demopolis, Alabama.[3]

Marching band

The Miles College band is known as the Purple Marching Machine (PMM). The Purple Marching Machine was established in 1996, under the direction of Prof. Arthur Means, Jr. There are nearly 200 members in the band now and it is under the direction of Willie Snipes Jr. The band has performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, numerous battle of the bands, and for the Atlanta Falcons.

Athletics

The Miles College athletics program currently competes in the NCAA Division II's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The Miles football team won the 2011 SIAC championship under coach Reginald Ruffin. The program has men's and women's sports that include: basketball, football, volleyball, track, baseball, softball, cross country, and golf. Their mascot is the Golden Bears.[1]

Notable alumni

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
Richard Arrington Jr. First African-American Mayor of the City of Birmingham
U. W. Clemon First African-American federal judge in the State of Alabama
Jesse Lewis Founder of the Birmingham Times
Autherine Lucy 1952 First African-American to attend the University of Alabama
Fred Horn Politician, Former Alabama House of Representatives
Vince Hill American football player
Juandalynn Givan Politician, Alabama House of Representatives
Thales McReynolds Former NBA player [4]
Bennett M. Stewart Former Democratic U.S. Representative from Illinois.
Paul A. G. Stewart The 50th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and Vice Chairperson of Board of Trustees Miles College
Cleopatra Tucker Politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2008

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "TheSIAC.com >> Miles College". Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  2. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  3. "Miles radio station coming to Demopolis". April 22, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  4. "Thales McReynolds NBA statistics".

Additional reading

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