Cherokee Male Seminary
Encyclopedia
The Cherokee Male Seminary was a tribal college, established by the Cherokee Nation
, and one of first institutions of higher learning established west of the Mississippi River.
submitted a proposal to the Cherokee National Council to pass legislation for the creation of institutions of higher learning for both Cherokee
men and women. On November 26, 1846 the Council passed a bill stating that, "Whereas, the improvement of the moral and intellectual condition of our people is contemplated by the Constitution, and whereas, we are now in possession of means sufficient to carry out, to a further degree of maturity, the National system of education already commenced."
In a ceremony on October 28, 1847 the first cornerstone, containing books and documents, of the male seminary was laid by Chief Ross.
Before the school opened, representatives from the Cherokee Nation visited New England seeking teachers and employed faculty from Yale University
, Mount Holyoke College
, and Newton Theological Seminary. $80,000 of tribal funds was allocated for the construction of Cherokee Male Seminary and the Cherokee Female Seminary
.
, Indian Territory
. Curriculum included English grammar, composition, arithmetic
, algebra
, elocution
, astronomy
, botany
, economics
, geology
, geography
, history
, philosophy
, zoology
, and language classes in Greek
, Latin, French
, and German
.
To gain admission, prospective students had to pass a two-day examination. The tribe paid for the students' tuition and expenses.
By 1856, 13 men graduated from the Male Seminary. New students were not accepted in the fall of 1985 and the school closed due to the American Civil War
.
the US federal government systematically dismantled Cherokee tribal institutions, including the Cherokee Male Seminary. The tribe continued using the school building as a co-educational facility after Oklahoma
statehood, but it burnt down in 1910. The last students graduated that year, with commencement ceremonies being held at Northeastern State Normal School
, and the Cherokee Nation has not operated a tribal college since then.
Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation of the 19th century —an historic entity —was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America existing from 1794–1906. Often referred to simply as The Nation by its inhabitants, it should not be confused with what is known today as the "modern" Cherokee Nation...
, and one of first institutions of higher learning established west of the Mississippi River.
Creation
In October 1846, Chief John RossJohn Ross (Cherokee chief)
John Ross , also known as Guwisguwi , was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Native American Nation from 1828–1866...
submitted a proposal to the Cherokee National Council to pass legislation for the creation of institutions of higher learning for both Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
men and women. On November 26, 1846 the Council passed a bill stating that, "Whereas, the improvement of the moral and intellectual condition of our people is contemplated by the Constitution, and whereas, we are now in possession of means sufficient to carry out, to a further degree of maturity, the National system of education already commenced."
In a ceremony on October 28, 1847 the first cornerstone, containing books and documents, of the male seminary was laid by Chief Ross.
Before the school opened, representatives from the Cherokee Nation visited New England seeking teachers and employed faculty from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
, and Newton Theological Seminary. $80,000 of tribal funds was allocated for the construction of Cherokee Male Seminary and the Cherokee Female Seminary
Cherokee Female Seminary
The Cherokee Female Seminary, , serves as the centerpiece of Northeastern State University, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States. The building was constructed to replace the original Cherokee Female Seminary that burnt to the ground Easter Sunday 1887...
.
1851–1856
The Cherokee Male Seminary opened its doors to 27 new students on May 6, 1851. The boarding school occupied a three-story red brick building on a campus located southwest of TahlequahTahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
, Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. Curriculum included English grammar, composition, arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
, algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
, elocution
Elocution
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone.-History:In Western classical rhetoric, elocution was one of the five core disciplines of pronunciation, which was the art of delivering speeches. Orators were trained not only on proper diction, but on the proper...
, astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, and language classes in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Latin, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
To gain admission, prospective students had to pass a two-day examination. The tribe paid for the students' tuition and expenses.
By 1856, 13 men graduated from the Male Seminary. New students were not accepted in the fall of 1985 and the school closed due to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
1870s
After the war, the school was reopened in the 1870s. Students had to pay for their room and board, but the Cherokee Nation opened enrollment to men from other Native American tribes. At the time "the Cherokee Nation had a better common school system than either Arkansas or Missouri," writes historian Grant Foreman.Closing
Under the assimilationist Curtis Act of 1898Curtis Act of 1898
The Curtis Act of 1898 was an amendment to the United States Dawes Act that brought about the allotment process of lands of the Five Civilized Tribes of Indian Territory: the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee, Cherokee, and Seminole...
the US federal government systematically dismantled Cherokee tribal institutions, including the Cherokee Male Seminary. The tribe continued using the school building as a co-educational facility after Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
statehood, but it burnt down in 1910. The last students graduated that year, with commencement ceremonies being held at Northeastern State Normal School
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma...
, and the Cherokee Nation has not operated a tribal college since then.
Notable alumni
- Samuel Sylvester CobbSamuel Sylvester CobbSamuel S. Cobb, the youngest son of J.B. Cobb., was born on December 12, 1865, in Bradley County, Tennessee, USA. In 1870] Cobb and his family traveled by train to Fort Scott, Kansas, where they loaded up and took a wagon to Tahlequah, Indian Territory, the Cherokee Nation's capital...
(b. 1865), journalist and businessman - William Wirt Hastings (1866–1938), US Representative
- Joel B. MayesJoel B. MayesJoel Bryan Mayes was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.-Early life and education:He was born in present-day Bartow County, Georgia on October 2, 1833, of mixed Cherokee and white ancestry...
(1833–1891), Principal Chief of the Cherokee NationPrincipal Chief of the Cherokee NationPrincipal Chief is today the title of the chief executives of the Cherokee Nation, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, the three federally recognized tribes of Cherokee. In the eighteenth century, when the people were organized by clans and... - Samuel Houston MayesSamuel Houston MayesSamuel Houston Mayes was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1895 to 1899.-Background:He was born May 11, 1845, near Stilwell, Oklahoma and was named for Samuel Houston, a friend of his father, Samuel Mayes. He was brother of Joel B. Mayes...
(1845–1927), Principal Chief of the Cherokee NationPrincipal Chief of the Cherokee NationPrincipal Chief is today the title of the chief executives of the Cherokee Nation, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, the three federally recognized tribes of Cherokee. In the eighteenth century, when the people were organized by clans and... - J. B. MilamJ. B. MilamJesse Bartley Milam was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1941 to 1949.-Early life:J. B. Milam, as he was commonly known, was born on May 10, 1884, near Italy, Texas to Sarah Ellen Couch Milam and William Guinn Milam, both Cherokees...
(1884–1949), Principal Chief of the Cherokee NationPrincipal Chief of the Cherokee NationPrincipal Chief is today the title of the chief executives of the Cherokee Nation, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, the three federally recognized tribes of Cherokee. In the eighteenth century, when the people were organized by clans and... - Clement V. RogersClement V. RogersClement Vann Rogers was a Cherokee senator and judge in Indian Territory. Rogers was a Confederate veteran and served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention...
(1839–1911), Cherokee Nation senator and judge, father of humorist Will RogersWill RogersWilliam "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....