Adam Daniel Beittel (December 19, 1898 – July 26, 1988) was a minister, academic and supporter of civil rights. He was president of Talladega College from 1945 to 1952 and Tougaloo College from 1960 to 1964.

Early life and education

Beittel was born on December 19, 1898, in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

. His father was a pet and housewares store owner. Beittel graduated from the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, in 1922. He received a master of art degree from

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

in 1923 then his bachelor of divinity degree in 1925. In 1929, he received his doctorate of philosophy from the University of Chicago.

Career

An ordained minister, Beittel was a pastor at churches in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, Montana and Nashville, Tennessee. He later taught at Earlham College in Indiana and Guilford College in North Carolina. Beittel was known for efforts to promote interracial understanding. In 1945 he became president of Talladega College, a

biracial Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...

college. Following charges by students, faculty and alumni of his "ambiguous attitude" toward racial discrimination and segregation, among other claims of competency and leadership issues, Beittel was fired in 1952. In its decision the trustees of the college stated, "The members of this body believe Dr. Beittel has been wronged both by the charges made against him and by the methods resorted to by those who attacked him" but conceded he could no longer carry out his duties given the circumstances.

Tougaloo College

After leaving Talladega College, Beittel was dean of the chapel and professor of religious studies at Beloit College until 1960 when he became president of Tougaloo College, succeeding Samuel C. Kincheloe. During Beittel's tenure, students attending the African American college, staged civil rights protests and attempted to integrate the Jackson Public Library by organizing a

sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...

, the first sit-in in Jackson, Mississippi, and one of the first civil rights acts in Mississippi. Beittel refused to expel students and, at times, bailed students out of jail. The campus also housed

Freedom Riders Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern United States in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions ''Morgan v. Virginia' ...

while they appealed their arraignments, leading to one trustee resigning from the Tougaloo board claiming the school had become "a rallying place for outside agitators". In an effort to integrate the school, in 1961 Beittel admitted two out-of-state white females, one a Freedom Rider. Facing bitter opposition and potential legal consequences, Beittel claimed the school charter allowed an education for all and noted the children of white faculty members previously attended classes. In 1962, Beittel was elected chairman of The Mississippi Council of Human Relations and secretary of the Mississippi State Advisory Committee, part of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. In February 1964, Mississippi Lieutenant Governor, Carroll Gartin, called for an investigation of Tougaloo, citing the student's demonstrations, to determine if it was abiding by the school's charter. Gartin referenced Tennessee stating the state was able to "get rid" of a school "which was a hangout for Communists and agitators. We ought to see if we have the same situation here in our backyard". Beittel welcomed a probe as long as it was from a reputable party. In the same month, state senator Brad Dye introduced a bill to revoke Tougaloo's state charter, claiming the school had violated the charter's provisions. On April 25, 1964, Beittel announced a comprehensive long-term development plan for Tougaloo in partnership with Brown University.The unique partnership was backed with grants and other aid to expand the Tougaloo's faculty and educational programs for students. Two days later Beitell announced his retirement effective that September citing health reasons. He was succeeded by

George Albert Owens George Albert Owens (February 9, 1919 – December 21, 2003) was an American academic administrator and college president. He served as the 9th president of Tougaloo College in Mississippi serving from 1966 to 1984. He was the college's first Afri ...

, Tougaloo's first African American president. The bill to revoke Tougaloo's State charter was subsequently dropped. In 1968, leaked documents from the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission revealed the commission actively sought Beittel's resignation, labeling him a communist and agitator. Shortly before Beittell's resignation, commission members secretly met with Tougaloo's trustees offering a deal to drop the bill seeking revocation of Tougaloo's charter if trustees would "get rid" of Beittel. In a statement Beittel confirmed his retirement was involuntary but the decision had come months before the commission's involvement. A collection of Beittel's oral interviews are held at the Library of Congress. In Anne Moody's 1968 memoir, ''

Coming of Age in Mississippi ''Coming of Age in Mississippi'' is a 1968 memoir by Anne Moody about growing up in rural Mississippi in the mid-20th century as an African-American woman. The book covers Moody's life from childhood through her mid twenties, including her invol ...

'', Moody credits Beittel with rescuing her from a violent attack during a sit-in.

Personal life

Beittel was married and had two sons. After Beittel's retirement he was director of the

American Friends Service Committee The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends (''Quaker'') founded organization working for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world. AFSC was founded in 1917 as a combined effort by Am ...

and board member of non-profit religious and human rights groups. He died in California on July 26, 1988.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beittel, Adam Daniel University of Chicago Divinity School alumni Tougaloo College faculty University of Findlay alumni Oberlin College alumni 1898 births 1988 deaths People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Guilford College faculty Earlham College faculty Presidents of Talladega College