Wiley College
Encyclopedia
Wiley College is a four-year, private
, historically black
, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall
, Texas
. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church
's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society
, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly black colleges west of the Mississippi River
.
In 2005-2006, on-campus enrollment approached 450, while an off-campus program in Shreveport, Louisiana
, for students with some prior college credits who seek to finish a degree, was about 250. As of the fall of 2006, total enrollment was about 750. And for the fall of 2009, total enrollment approximated 1200. Wiley is an open admissions
college and about 96 percent of students receive some amount of financial aid.
The Wiley staff learned that over a 15-year period, Tolson’s teams lost only one of 75 debates. The Wiley Forensic Society competed against historically black colleges, but earned national attention with its debates against the University of Southern California and Harvard University.
, was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement in Texas.
Wiley and Bishop students launched the first sit-in
s in Texas in the rotunda
of the Old Harrison County Courthouse.
James L. Farmer, Jr.
, son of James L. Farmer, Sr.
, graduated from Wiley and became one of the "Big Four" of the Civil Rights Movement
. Together with Roy Wilkins
, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Whitney M. Young Jr., James L. Farmer, Jr. helped organize the first sit-in
s and Freedom Rides in the United States.
documentary The Great Debaters, The Real Great Debaters of Wiley College which received heavy play around Texas followed by 2007 movie The Great Debaters
, directed by and starring Denzel Washington
. In 1935, the Wiley College debate team defeated the reigning national debate champion, the University of Southern California
(depicted as Harvard University
in the movie The Great Debaters
). In 2007, Denzel Washington announced a donation of $1 million USD to Wiley so the team could be re-established.
The Wiley College Debate Team, now also known as the Melvin B. Tolson/Denzel Washington Forensics Society of Wiley College, is currently under the direction of Dr. Shannon LaBove. The purpose of The Wiley College Debate Team is not only to compete at a national and regional level, but also to instill a strong work ethic, a drive for academic excellence and a spirit of ethical competition in our student leaders.
In the 2009-2010 season the Wiley Debate Team continued to win a plethora of awards and achievements at many of the tournaments covering the Texas and Louisana regions. One of the most historical tournament for the team was the Western Round-Up Swing at McNeese State University on November 20–22, 2009. This was a history making tournament as then two-year old Wiley College Forensic Team won their first overall tournament trophy.
The team was nationally ranked fourth in Debate at the 2010 Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament—the same national tournament the team was denied participation at over seventy-five years ago. Captain Sean Allen and Member Terrance Muse received first place in Duo Interpretation. Captain Caress Russell received first place in Poetry Interpretation. Novice Members Tanreka Smith & Jendayi Douglas received third place in Novice Parliamentary Debate. Many other rewards of Excellence were rewarded to the team for Student Congress, Extemporous Speaking, and other various categories.
The team provides the public with honors and reward updates as well as current schedule on their website(http://www.wileyc.edu/wileydebaters/default.asp).
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
, historically black
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society
Freedman's Aid Society
The Freedmen’s Aid Society was founded in 1861 during the American Civil War by the American Missionary Association , a group supported chiefly by the Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the North. It organized a supply of teachers from the North and provided housing for them,...
, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly black colleges west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
In 2005-2006, on-campus enrollment approached 450, while an off-campus program in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, for students with some prior college credits who seek to finish a degree, was about 250. As of the fall of 2006, total enrollment was about 750. And for the fall of 2009, total enrollment approximated 1200. Wiley is an open admissions
Open admissions
Open admissions is a type of unselective and non-competitive college admissions process in the United States in which the only criterion for entrance is a high school diploma or a General Educational Development certificate.This form of "inclusive" admissions is used by many public junior...
college and about 96 percent of students receive some amount of financial aid.
The Wiley staff learned that over a 15-year period, Tolson’s teams lost only one of 75 debates. The Wiley Forensic Society competed against historically black colleges, but earned national attention with its debates against the University of Southern California and Harvard University.
U.S. Civil Rights movement
Wiley, along with Bishop CollegeBishop College
Bishop College was a historically black college, founded in Marshall, Texas, and later moved to Dallas, Texas, that operated from 1881 to 1988.-History:...
, was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement in Texas.
Wiley and Bishop students launched the first sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
s in Texas in the rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
of the Old Harrison County Courthouse.
James L. Farmer, Jr.
James L. Farmer, Jr.
James Leonard Farmer, Jr. was a civil rights activist and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was the initiator and organizer of the 1961 Freedom Ride, which eventually led to the desegregation of inter-state transportation in the United States.In 1942, Farmer co-founded the Committee...
, son of James L. Farmer, Sr.
James L. Farmer, Sr.
James Leonard Farmer, Sr. was an American author, theologian, educator, and the first African-American Texan to earn a doctorate. Farmer served as a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church and as a professor at several historically black colleges and universities in the U.S...
, graduated from Wiley and became one of the "Big Four" of the Civil Rights Movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
. Together with Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist in the United States from the 1930s to the 1970s. Wilkins' most notable role was in his leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ....
, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Whitney M. Young Jr., James L. Farmer, Jr. helped organize the first sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
s and Freedom Rides in the United States.
Debate Team
An article written about the Wiley College debate team by Tony Scherman for the 1997 Spring issue of American Legacy sparked a renewed interest in the History of the Wiley College debate team. The success of the 1935 Wiley College debate team, coached by professor and poet Melvin Tolson, was the subject of a 2005 AMS PicturesAMS Pictures
AMS Pictures, founded in 1982, is the largest creative media company in the American south headquartered in Dallas, Texas. In 1996, AMS finished construction on their...
documentary The Great Debaters, The Real Great Debaters of Wiley College which received heavy play around Texas followed by 2007 movie The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters is a 2007 American biopic period drama film directed by and starring two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company, Harpo Productions...
, directed by and starring Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
. In 1935, the Wiley College debate team defeated the reigning national debate champion, the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(depicted as Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in the movie The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters is a 2007 American biopic period drama film directed by and starring two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company, Harpo Productions...
). In 2007, Denzel Washington announced a donation of $1 million USD to Wiley so the team could be re-established.
The Wiley College Debate Team, now also known as the Melvin B. Tolson/Denzel Washington Forensics Society of Wiley College, is currently under the direction of Dr. Shannon LaBove. The purpose of The Wiley College Debate Team is not only to compete at a national and regional level, but also to instill a strong work ethic, a drive for academic excellence and a spirit of ethical competition in our student leaders.
In the 2009-2010 season the Wiley Debate Team continued to win a plethora of awards and achievements at many of the tournaments covering the Texas and Louisana regions. One of the most historical tournament for the team was the Western Round-Up Swing at McNeese State University on November 20–22, 2009. This was a history making tournament as then two-year old Wiley College Forensic Team won their first overall tournament trophy.
The team was nationally ranked fourth in Debate at the 2010 Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament—the same national tournament the team was denied participation at over seventy-five years ago. Captain Sean Allen and Member Terrance Muse received first place in Duo Interpretation. Captain Caress Russell received first place in Poetry Interpretation. Novice Members Tanreka Smith & Jendayi Douglas received third place in Novice Parliamentary Debate. Many other rewards of Excellence were rewarded to the team for Student Congress, Extemporous Speaking, and other various categories.
The team provides the public with honors and reward updates as well as current schedule on their website(http://www.wileyc.edu/wileydebaters/default.asp).
Notable faculty
Notable alumni
External links
- www.wileyc.edu Official web site