St. Augustine's College (Raleigh)
Encyclopedia
Saint Augustine's College is a historically black college located in Raleigh
, North Carolina, USA. The college was founded in 1867 in Raleigh, North Carolina by prominent Episcopal clergy for the education of freed slaves.
Affiliated with the Episcopal Church
, St. Augustine's began as a normal school
with a technical and trade-related program and subsequently adopted a liberal arts curriculum. The church further extended its mission by establishing St. Agnes Hospital and Training School for Nurses, to provide medical care for and by African Americans. Historically, the school also has served as an anchor of the predominantly black neighborhoods of Idlewild and College Park, which flank it.
The evolving nature of the school is reflected in its varied architecture. The campus' earliest buildings are clustered around a central, landscaped oval and near Oakwood Avenue, which runs east to west past the school. St. Augustine's Chapel (1895) was constructed of stone in the Gothic style; the Romanesque Benson Library building (1896), which is now part of Taylor Hall (1902), and St. Agnes Hospital (1909) were also built from stone. The Hunter, Delany and Cheshire buildings, dating from the early 20th century, were constructed of brick in the Classical Revival style. While contemporary buildings of the school's outer grounds provide a modernist contrast, the campus core remains a tangible bequest from St. Augustine's pioneering beginnings. St. Augustine's Chapel and St. Agnes Hospital are designated Raleigh Historic Landmarks.
The name changed to Saint Augustine’s School in 1893 and to Saint Augustine’s Junior College in 1919, the first year in which postsecondary instruction was offered. The school became a four-year institution in 1927 and in 1928 was renamed Saint Augustine’s College. Baccalaureate degrees were first awarded in 1931.
Saint Augustine’s College was the nation’s first historically black college to have its own on-campus commercial radio and television stations (WAUG-AM 750, WAUG-TV 68, and Time Warner cable channel 10). It is also the only school in the Raleigh/Durham area to offer a degree in film production.
Interestingly, of the 5 colleges in the Western world which have awarded honorary degrees to controversial Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe
, Saint Augustine's College is one of only 2 which has not revoked the award (in this case, a Legum Doctor
).
. The College's Office of Campus Communications has issued a press release relating to the matter. In July 2011 Caple initiated a lawsuit against the College in North Carolina State Court.
The school’s size is 105 acre (0.4249203 km²) of historic land in an Urban setting and large city (250,000 – 499,999), just minutes away from downtown. The main area of the campus is approximately 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) of land housing the following facilities:
Emery Gymnasium, George "Pup" Williams Track & Field Stadium, Penick Hall of Math & Sciences, Charles Mosee Building (Office of Academic Affairs)., Delany Hall (Office of Financial Aid & Admissions), Martin Luther King, Jr. Reception Center, Joseph C. Gordan Health & Science Center, The Prezell R. Robinson Library, Cheshire Building (Division of Business), Tuttle Hall of Military Sciences, St. Agnes Hospital, Goold Hall Student Union, Charles H. Boyer Administration Building (Office of the President), Hunter Administration Bldg., Hermitage Faculty Bldg., Benson Bldg. of Technology, Seby Jones Fine Arts Center, and The Historic Chapel.
In 1962, officials at Saint Augustine’s College began considering the possibility of establishing a Senior ROTC Program on campus. After much deliberation, an application was submitted to the Secretary of the Army in 1967, and approved for a program to commence with the 1972–73, school year. However, the institution requested that action be delayed until 1974. In April 1974, Regular Army personnel began arriving to staff the new ROTC detachment, and the Department of Military Science was established.
. Varsity
sports include:
Williams was men's head coach at the 1999 World Outdoor Championships in Seville, the 1993 World Indoor Championships and the 1992 IAAF World Cup. He was an assistant coach for the 1996 Olympic Games, where U.S. athletes won gold medals in all the event groups he was responsible for – 400 meters, hurdles, long jump and the 4x400m relay. World-class athletes currently being trained by Williams include 2002 U.S. women's 400 m runner-up Michelle Collins, 2000 and 2001 U.S. women's 400 m champion and Olympic 4x400m gold medalist LaTasha Colander-Richardson, and men's 4x400m relay world record holder and relay gold medalist Jerome Young,
"I'm still dizzy," said Williams, a 1965 St. Augustine's graduate and the school's athletic director since 1996. "I think this one of the greatest things that can happen to anyone in this business. I'm so grateful to the athletes and the people who helped nominate me. I'm going to be sure to make sure I'm the coach they know I am and to make sure they get what they have been training for, an Olympic medal."
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina, USA. The college was founded in 1867 in Raleigh, North Carolina by prominent Episcopal clergy for the education of freed slaves.
History
Located 10 blocks east of the State Capital, St. Augustine's College was founded in 1867, an outgrowth of Christian missionary work by northerners in the Reconstruction-era South. With Shaw University, it established Raleigh as a center of educational opportunity for freedmen and over the years has graduated many of the region's most accomplished African Americans.Affiliated with the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, St. Augustine's began as a normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
with a technical and trade-related program and subsequently adopted a liberal arts curriculum. The church further extended its mission by establishing St. Agnes Hospital and Training School for Nurses, to provide medical care for and by African Americans. Historically, the school also has served as an anchor of the predominantly black neighborhoods of Idlewild and College Park, which flank it.
The evolving nature of the school is reflected in its varied architecture. The campus' earliest buildings are clustered around a central, landscaped oval and near Oakwood Avenue, which runs east to west past the school. St. Augustine's Chapel (1895) was constructed of stone in the Gothic style; the Romanesque Benson Library building (1896), which is now part of Taylor Hall (1902), and St. Agnes Hospital (1909) were also built from stone. The Hunter, Delany and Cheshire buildings, dating from the early 20th century, were constructed of brick in the Classical Revival style. While contemporary buildings of the school's outer grounds provide a modernist contrast, the campus core remains a tangible bequest from St. Augustine's pioneering beginnings. St. Augustine's Chapel and St. Agnes Hospital are designated Raleigh Historic Landmarks.
The name changed to Saint Augustine’s School in 1893 and to Saint Augustine’s Junior College in 1919, the first year in which postsecondary instruction was offered. The school became a four-year institution in 1927 and in 1928 was renamed Saint Augustine’s College. Baccalaureate degrees were first awarded in 1931.
Saint Augustine’s College was the nation’s first historically black college to have its own on-campus commercial radio and television stations (WAUG-AM 750, WAUG-TV 68, and Time Warner cable channel 10). It is also the only school in the Raleigh/Durham area to offer a degree in film production.
Interestingly, of the 5 colleges in the Western world which have awarded honorary degrees to controversial Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
, Saint Augustine's College is one of only 2 which has not revoked the award (in this case, a Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
).
Controversy
On June 1, 2011, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that a student of Saint Augustine's, Roman Caple, had been barred from participation in the 2011 commencement exercises because of a negative comment he had made on the College's Facebook page. This incident has generated considerable press coverage in the United States and elsewhere, and has been condemned by the Foundation for Individual Rights in EducationFoundation for Individual Rights in Education
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is a non-profit group founded in 1999 and focused on civil liberties in academia in the United States...
. The College's Office of Campus Communications has issued a press release relating to the matter. In July 2011 Caple initiated a lawsuit against the College in North Carolina State Court.
Campus
| All-Male | All-Female | Co-Educational | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latham Hall, 1974 Freshman Residence |
Weston Hall, 1986 Freshman Residence |
FalkCrest Court, 2007 Upperclassmen Residence |
Atkinson Hall, 1961 |
| Boyer Hall, 1990 Athletic Residence |
Baker Hall, 1963 Unclassified Residence |
||
| Lynch Hall, 1961 Athletic Upperclassmen Residence |
Emery Gymnasium, George "Pup" Williams Track & Field Stadium, Penick Hall of Math & Sciences, Charles Mosee Building (Office of Academic Affairs)., Delany Hall (Office of Financial Aid & Admissions), Martin Luther King, Jr. Reception Center, Joseph C. Gordan Health & Science Center, The Prezell R. Robinson Library, Cheshire Building (Division of Business), Tuttle Hall of Military Sciences, St. Agnes Hospital, Goold Hall Student Union, Charles H. Boyer Administration Building (Office of the President), Hunter Administration Bldg., Hermitage Faculty Bldg., Benson Bldg. of Technology, Seby Jones Fine Arts Center, and The Historic Chapel.
- Saint Agnes Hospital- Sarah Hunter founded St. Agnes Hospital in 1895. For many years St. Agnes was the only teaching hospital for blacks between Atlanta and Washington D.C. In 1905, under the direction of Bishop Henry Delany it became a 75 bed center that opened in 1908. The building was severely damaged by fire in December 1926 and is currently undergoing a $13 million renovation to become an administration building, and historic site of Raleigh, North Carolina. One of its most famous patients was Boxer Jack Johnson, who was taken there following a fatal 1946 auto accident near Franklinton, NC. This building still remains but the hospital has not operated since 1961.
- Saint Augustine's College Historic ChapelSaint Augustine's College Historic ChapelSaint Augustine's College Historic Chapel is a historic Episcopal chapel located on the campus of St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, North Carolina. The chapel was built with the patronage of the Episcoapl Church Freemen's Bureau in 1895 near downtown Raleigh on the campus of St. Augustine's...
- The cornerstone of Saint Augustine's College was laid in 1895 under the guidance of Reverend Henry Beard Delany, the first African-American Bishop elected to the Episcopal Church and the first Bishop to graduate from the college. The chapel was made possible through the acquisition by the Freedmen's Bureau and is one of the oldest landmarks on this St. Augustine's College. Current chaplain of the chapel is the Rev. Dr. Williams Maddox.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Center- Built in 1973, it was previously the schools Student Union and now holds the cafeteria, Time-Out grill, mailing room, bookstore, and ballroom.
Annual events
- Homecoming Week (Fall)
- CIAA Basketball Tournament (Spring)
- Founders Week (Spring)
- BET Black College Tour (Fall)
- Open House Spring & Fall
- Convocation Spring & Fall
- Greek Probates
- Campus Pep Rally
- Campus Plays, Band, Fashion, and Talent Shows
- Sapphire Gala (Spring)
- Annual Black & White Affair (Spring)
- Commencement Ceremony (Spring)
- Miss Saint Augustine's College Pageant (Spring)
- S.G.A. Elections (Spring)
Student enrollment
In recent years, the College's annual enrollment has approximated 1,600 students, about half from North Carolina, the remainder from 37 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and 30 other foreign countries. Its faculty consists of nearly 100 persons.Academics
| Division of Business | Division of Liberal Arts & Education | Division of Social Sciences |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| Visual & Performing Arts | Division of Natural Science & Mathematics | Division of Military Science |
|
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|
|
Clubs and activities
- Student Honors Association
- Student Leaders Organization
- Student Government Association
- CAB (Campus Activities Board)
- CFO (Christian Fellowship Organization)
- New Beginnings Gospel Choir
- BlueChip Cheerleading Squad
- Collegiate 100 of the 100 Black Men
- FAME (Federation of Artist in Media Entertainment)
- Phi Beta Lambda (National Business Association)
- Nubiance Modeling Troupe
- Belle J'Adore Modeling Troupe
- Marching/Jazz/Pep Band
- Falcon Battalion/Army ROTC
- Falcons 4 Obama
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleNational Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
- Residence Halls Association
- SAC Association for Black Journalists
- ISA International Student Organization
- Foreign Language Club
- Falcons For The Cause
- Falcon Fanatikz Pep Squad
Honor societies
- Alpha Kappa DeltaAlpha Kappa DeltaAlpha Kappa Delta is an international sociology honor society.Founded in 1920 by Emory S. Bogardus, of the University of Southern California sociology department, the name is derived from the Greek anthrôpos meaning mankind, katamanthanô, meaning to examine closely or acquire knowledge, and...
Honor Society - Alpha Kappa MuAlpha Kappa MuThe Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society is an American collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence in all areas of study. Juniors, seniors, and graduate students are permitted to join...
national honor society - Beta Kappa Chi national honor society
- Delta Mu business administration honor society
- Phi Eta SigmaPhi Eta SigmaPhi Eta Sigma is an American freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 1 million members.-Eligibility:Any first-year...
national honor society - Phi Beta Lambda
- Phi Kappa Delta
Greek letter organizations
- Alpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity – Gamma Psi chapter - Alpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
sorority – Gamma Xi chapter - Kappa Alpha PsiKappa Alpha PsiKappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity – Gamma Omicron chapter - Omega Psi PhiOmega Psi PhiOmega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
fraternity – Kappa Epsilon chapter - Delta Sigma ThetaDelta Sigma ThetaDelta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
sorority – Gamma Rho chapter - Phi Beta SigmaPhi Beta SigmaPhi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
fraternity – Beta Xi chapter - Zeta Phi BetaZeta Phi BetaZeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
sorority – Phi Beta chapter - Sigma Gamma RhoSigma Gamma RhoSigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...
sorority – Nu chapter - Alpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
national service fraternity – Upsilon Kappa chapter - Kappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
national honorary band fraternity – Prospect - Tau Beta SigmaTau Beta SigmaTau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni...
national honorary band sorority – Prospect
Social fellowships
- Groove Phi GrooveGroove Phi GrooveGroove Phi Groove is a social fellowship founded at Morgan State College as an alternative to mainstream Black fraternities...
social fellowship - Swing Phi Swing social fellowship
U.S. Army Falcon Battalion
Augmenting the College's liberal arts core curriculum are programs in business; computer science; teacher education; the natural sciences; mathematics; interdisciplinary studies; theater and film; adult education; community development; communications; and military science, a required course for all members of the College's notable Army ROTC battalion.In 1962, officials at Saint Augustine’s College began considering the possibility of establishing a Senior ROTC Program on campus. After much deliberation, an application was submitted to the Secretary of the Army in 1967, and approved for a program to commence with the 1972–73, school year. However, the institution requested that action be delayed until 1974. In April 1974, Regular Army personnel began arriving to staff the new ROTC detachment, and the Department of Military Science was established.
Gateway Program
The mission of "The Gateway Lifelong Learning Program" is to offer non-traditional, continuing and alternative academic educational opportunities for adult learners. The Gateway Program is designed to give working, non-traditional and community college transfer students an option to pursue a degree and / or personal/professional development. These academic programs address the learning needs of employed adults who prefer an educational delivery system that is participatory and experientially related to the workplace. An example of an educational program consistent with the lifelong learning philosophy is the Organizational Management (OM) major, which is offered through the College's Gateway Program. This unique program offers an ideal alternative academic opportunity for the employed adult to complete the Bachelor of Science degree in an accelerated format while attending classes during the evening each week.Athletics
Saint Augustine's competes in NCAA Division II in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...
. Varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
sports include:
- BaseballCollege baseballCollege baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
(see also: USA Baseball National Training ComplexUSA Baseball National Training ComplexThe USA Baseball National Training Complex is located in western Cary, North Carolina, off of Green Hope School Road. The Town of Cary was selected to be the new home of USA Baseball in 2002....
) - Cheerleading
- FootballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
- SoftballCollege softballCollege softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.As with other intercollegiate...
- Men's Golf
- Women's Bowling
- Women's Volleyball
- Men's/Women's BasketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
- Men's/Women's Cross-Country
- Men's/Women's Tennis
- Men's/Women's Outdoor Track
- Men's/Women's Indoor Track
George "Pup" Williams
Since becoming head track and field coach at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C., in 1976, the 59-year-old Williams has built a dynasty. He has won 24 NCAA Division II titles during his tenure and he has received 90 Coach of the Year honors. His scholarship athletes at St. Augustine's have achieved a 95 percent graduation rate.Williams was men's head coach at the 1999 World Outdoor Championships in Seville, the 1993 World Indoor Championships and the 1992 IAAF World Cup. He was an assistant coach for the 1996 Olympic Games, where U.S. athletes won gold medals in all the event groups he was responsible for – 400 meters, hurdles, long jump and the 4x400m relay. World-class athletes currently being trained by Williams include 2002 U.S. women's 400 m runner-up Michelle Collins, 2000 and 2001 U.S. women's 400 m champion and Olympic 4x400m gold medalist LaTasha Colander-Richardson, and men's 4x400m relay world record holder and relay gold medalist Jerome Young,
"I'm still dizzy," said Williams, a 1965 St. Augustine's graduate and the school's athletic director since 1996. "I think this one of the greatest things that can happen to anyone in this business. I'm so grateful to the athletes and the people who helped nominate me. I'm going to be sure to make sure I'm the coach they know I am and to make sure they get what they have been training for, an Olympic medal."