Bennett College is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
historically black
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. ...
liberal arts
Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...
college for women in
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
. It was founded in 1873 as a
normal school
A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...
to educate
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...
and train both men and women as teachers. Originally coed, in 1926 it became a four-year women's college. It is one of two historically black colleges that enroll only women, the other being
Spelman College
Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman re ...
.
In 1956,
Willa Beatrice Player
Willa Beatrice Player (August 9, 1909 – August 29, 2003) was an American educator, college administrator, college president, civil rights activist, and federal appointee. Player was the first African-American woman to become president of a four- ...
was installed at Bennett College, becoming the first African-American woman president of an accredited, four-year liberal arts college. She encouraged her students to be activists in the issues of the day.
Beginning in 1960, Bennett students took part in the ultimately
successful campaign in Greensboro to integrate white lunch counters at local variety stores. The college expanded its academic offerings and classes related to women's leadership.
In December 2018, the college's
regional accrediting body, the
, announced that it intended to revoke Bennett College's accreditation. The college had been on probation for two years due to its considerable financial challenges. The college launched an emergency funding campaign, ''Change and Progress for Bennett'', to raise at least $5 million. By February 2019, the campaign raised $8.2 million. That same month, SACS withdrew accreditation from the college despite fundraising efforts; however, Bennett College filed a lawsuit against the accreditor and the court ordered the accreditation to remain in place pending the legal challenge.
On June 27, 2019, Bennett announced that Suzanne Walsh, would be its new president. Walsh was previously deputy director of the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
's Postsecondary Success division.
History
![Bennett College bell 1956](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Bennett_College_bell_1956.jpg)
Bennett College was founded August 1, 1873 as a
normal school
A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...
for teacher training. It opened with seventy African-American men and women (
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...
, or former slaves). The school's founder,
Albion W. Tourgee, was an activist,
Civil War veteran and jurist from Ohio who worked in North Carolina during Reconstruction and championed the cause of racial justice.
The school held its inaugural classes in the basement of Warnersville Methodist Episcopal Church North (now St. Matthew's United Methodist) in Greensboro. Bennett was coeducational and offered both high school and college-level courses, in an effort to help many blacks compensate for their previous lack of educational opportunity. The year after its founding, the school became sponsored by the
Freedman's Aid Society The Freedmen's Aid Society was founded in 1859 during the American Civil War by the American Missionary Association (AMA), a group supported chiefly by the Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the North. It organized a supply of t ...
and Southern Education Society of the northern
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
(like the Baptists, the Methodist churches had split in the years before the war over the issue of slavery, and established two regional conferences). Bennett remained affiliated for 50 years with the Freedman's Aid Society.
In 1878, freedmen purchased land for a future college campus (which was developed as the current site). Hearing about the college, New York businessman Lyman Bennett (1801–1879)
provided $10,000 in funding to build a permanent campus. Bennett died soon after. The college was named Bennett Seminary. Hearing of Bennett's philanthropy, his coworkers commissioned a bell to be made in his honor and continued his mission by donating the bell to the school.
In 1888, Bennett Seminary elected its first African-American president, the Reverend
Charles N. Grandison
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
. Grandison spearheaded a successful drive to have the school chartered as a four-year college in 1889. Two of the first African-American bishops of the
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
were graduates of the college, including
Robert Elijah Jones Robert Elijah Jones (February 19, 1872 – May 18, 1960) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Church in the U.S., elected in 1920. Along with Matthew Wesley Clair, Jones was one of the first African-America ...
, a 1895 graduate. His brother was future Bennett College president
David Dallas Jones
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
. Under the direction of Reverend Grandison and succeeding President Jordan Chavis, Bennett College grew from 11 undergraduate students to a total of 251 undergraduates by 1905. The enrollment leveled out in the 1910s at roughly 300.
In 1916, a survey conducted by the
Phelps-Stokes Foundation recommended Bennett College be converted to a college exclusively for women. The
Women's Home Missionary Society {{Context, date=August 2013
The Women's Home Missionary Society had joined with the Women's Missionary Society of the Pacific Coast in 1893. Together they opened the "Oriental Home for Chinese Women and Girls" at 912 Washington Street in San Franc ...
, which had supported women at the college since 1886, had found that there was no four-year college exclusively for African-American women, and they wanted to establish such a college. The
North Carolina Board of Education
The North Carolina State Board of Education, established by Article 9 of the Constitution of North Carolina, supervises and administers the public school systems of North Carolina. The board sets policy and general procedures for public school syst ...
offered Bennett College for that purpose.
After ten years, during which it studied other locations and conducted fundraising, the Women's Home Missionary Society and the NC Board of Education decided to develop the college in its current location. Bennett fully transitioned to a women's college in 1926. (Note: The Women's Home Missionary Society's on-campus involvement with Bennett women dates back to 1886.) Around this time, Bennett alumni were nicknamed the "Bennett Belles" and the school gained a reputation as an institution of quality.
In 1926,
David Dallas Jones
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
was installed as president of the new women's college and served. Under his leadership, the college expanded, reaching an enrollment of 400. It became known in the black community as the
Vassar College
Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
of the South, and Jones recruited faculty, staff and students, from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The school was expanded to a 42-acre campus with 33 buildings, and its endowment increased to $1.5 million.
Although he had major achievements, Jones's tenure was also marked with controversy.
In 1937, Bennett students protested downtown
Greensboro
Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
movie theaters because of their segregation, which was state law at the time, and the depictions of black women in films they were showing. Frances Jones, daughter of the college president, led the protest; she was in her first year. This protest during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and under
Jim Crow
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sout ...
conditions in the South, resulted in President Jones being investigated by the FBI and other government agencies. They were concerned about
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
and leftist activities, as these groups were politically active in the United States. They ordered him to prohibit the students from protesting. Jones refused.
At his invitation,
First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
came to the college on March 22, 1945, to meet with an integrated group of school children from Greensboro. Other visitors to the campus included
Benjamin Elijah Mays
Benjamin Elijah Mays (August 1, 1894 – March 28, 1984) was an American Baptist minister and American rights leader who is credited with laying the intellectual foundations of the American Civil rights movement (1896–1954), civil rights movem ...
, former
Morehouse College
, mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made")
, type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college
, academic_affiliations ...
president; poet
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...
, and writer
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871June 26, 1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peop ...
. Jones led the college for almost 30 years until he became ill in 1955, when he named Willa B. Player interim president.
Player was the first female president of Bennett College, and the first black female president of any accredited four-year college in the United States.
During Player's tenure, Bennett became the first Black college to be fully accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...
.
Note: (Bennett's brother college is
Morehouse College
, mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made")
, type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college
, academic_affiliations ...
in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. This relationship developed through the historic friendship of David Dallas Jones and
Benjamin E. Mays.)
In October 1956,
Willa Beatrice Player
Willa Beatrice Player (August 9, 1909 – August 29, 2003) was an American educator, college administrator, college president, civil rights activist, and federal appointee. Player was the first African-American woman to become president of a four- ...
was inaugurated as President of Bennett College. She was the first African-American woman to be president of a four-year, fully accredited liberal arts college or university. During Player's tenure, Bennett in 1957 was one of the first historically black colleges to receive accreditation from the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...
(SACS). On February 11, 1958, Player allowed civil rights leader Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
to speak at the school; he was prohibited by the city from speaking publicly anywhere else in Greensboro. His speech was entitled "A Realistic Look At Race Relations," and was delivered to a standing-room-only audience at Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel on campus. Player said about this visit, "Bennett College is a liberal arts college where 'freedom rings,' so King can speak here." King,
Howard Thurman
Howard Washington Thurman (November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981) was an American author, philosopher, theologian, mystic, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movements ...
and
Benjamin Elijah Mays
Benjamin Elijah Mays (August 1, 1894 – March 28, 1984) was an American Baptist minister and American rights leader who is credited with laying the intellectual foundations of the American Civil rights movement (1896–1954), civil rights movem ...
inspired Bennett students to begin protests, and they became known as "Bennett Belles".
Civil Rights Movement
![Bennett Belles protest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Bennett_Belles_protest.jpg)
Civil rights activism at Bennett increased throughout the
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
. In February 1960 students from Bennett College and
North Carolina A&T
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
began a civil rights protest in downtown Greensboro that sparked the
Greensboro sit-ins
The Greensboro sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in February to July 1960, primarily in the Woolworth store—now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum—in Greensboro, North Carolina, which led to the F. W. Woolworth Comp ...
. Bettye Davis, class of 1963, committed to sitting at the white-only lunch counter of
F. and W. Woolworth's variety store with students from A&T, and to keep returning until the store integrated the facility. On February 4, 1960, close to a dozen "Bennett Belles" were arrested due to their continuing protest at Woolworth's.
On April 21, 1960, Bennett and A&T students were arrested for trespassing at the white
S.H. Kress & Co. lunch counter.
On April 22, 1960,
''The Daily News'' of New York broke the story of the arrests nationally, with front-page headlines and a picture of well-dressed female students entering the back of a paddy wagon without any help from the police officers surrounding it. It reported that
Greensboro
Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
police were surprised that the "Bennett Belles" had protested, as they were considered refined young women from an "elitist finishing school." At the peak of the
sit-in movement
The sit-in movement, sit-in campaign or student sit-in movement, were a wave of sit-ins that followed the Greensboro sit-ins on February 1, 1960 in North Carolina. The sit-in movement employed the tactic of nonviolent direct action and was a p ...
, more than 40% of Bennett's student body was jailed.
President Player personally visited the students in jail, carrying assignments to them so they would not fall behind in their studies.
Willa B. Player led Bennett until 1966. She was succeeded by Isaac H. Miller. His father had been an administrator at Bennett during former President Frank Trigg's tenure. Miller maintained the "Bennett Ideal," despite the social changes of the late 1960s. Reflecting the general culture, students protested the strict dress codes, disciplinary policies, and
curfew
A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...
. During the 1967–1968 school year, freshwomen walked out of dormitories 1 minute before curfew. Students took over the student union while demanding change to college policies. Miller surrounded the buildings with campus security, and brought in family and sleeping bags, changing the protest to a campus-wide "sleep over". Students were required to wear dresses or skirts, and hats and gloves until the early 1970s.
Miller collaborated with other colleges and universities in Greensboro to form a consortium that expanded Bennett's academic program by giving students access to other local universities. His administration developed the biomedical research and interdisciplinary studies programs, along with a bridge program in conjunction with
Meharry Medical College
Meharry Medical College is a private historically black medical school affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1876 as the Medical Department of Central Tennessee College, it was the first me ...
of
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. He collaborated with other HBCU presidents to establish the
, serving on the first board of directors. Miller's plans were supported by alumnae, who donated material and fiscal resources.
Miller increased Bennett's endowment, and also completed construction of four new buildings on campus. He served as president for 21 years, the second-longest presidential tenure in Bennett College history, and during a period of considerable social change. He retired in 1987. Gloria Randle Scott became Bennett's 12th president and its second woman in that position.
Gloria Randle Scott
Gloria Randle Scott (born Gloria Dean on April 14, 1938, in Houston, Texas) is an American educator and the first African-American to be elected as president of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Born and raised in Texas, in 1959 Scott became the first A ...
started as President of Bennett College on July 1, 1987. She developed offerings with additional programs. She established the Women's Leadership Institute, and the Center for African Women and Women of the African Diaspora. Bennett admitted new African immigrants as well as students who were African nationals. In 1989, poet and activist
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...
was installed as a member of the board of trustees. Scott was President of Bennett for 14 years before retiring in 2001.
21st Century
![SENATOR DOLE AND DR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/SENATOR_DOLE_AND_DR._JOHNETTA_COLE%2C_PRESIDENT_OF_BENNETT_COLLEGE.jpg)
Bennett underwent numerous changes under Sister President Emerita
Johnnetta B. Cole
Johnnetta Betsch Cole (born October 19, 1936) is an Americans, American anthropologist, educator, museum director, and college president. Cole was the first female African-American president of Spelman College, a historically black college, servin ...
, who was inaugurated in July 2002. In her first year at Bennett, Dr. Cole erased the school's $3.8 million deficit and raised an estimated $15 million in funding. Prior to Dr. Cole's tenure, Bennett College had been under SACS probation for two years which was finally lifted in 2002.
The school was revitalized and much needed renovations were made to campus buildings. In total, she led a $50 million campaign. Also under her leadership the New Academy – an academic program, the Johnnetta B. Cole Diversity and Inclusion Institute, and an art gallery were added. Dr. Cole also enhanced the study abroad program.
Health and fitness facilities were added to encourage students to learn to lead healthy lives. Numerous prominent figures spoke at the campus and some helped raise funds for its operations. Former President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, former US Senator
Robert Dole
Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his t ...
, trustee emerita
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...
, and
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
have all assisted in fundraising. The campaign closed successfully at the end of Cole's tenure on June 30, 2007.
On July 1, 2007,
Julianne Malveaux
Julianne Marie Malveaux (born September 22, 1953) is an American economist, author, social and political commentator, and businesswoman. After five years as the 15th president of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, she resigned on May ...
became President of Bennett College. She has led a $21 million expansion and renovation project for the college. She increased enrollment, added four new buildings, including a multimedia center, and renovated additional buildings. Malveaux enhanced the overall academic curriculum, which focuses on women's leadership, entrepreneurship, communications, and global studies.
On July 1, 2012, Esther Terry '61 became the first alumna to lead the college. Already serving as the college's provost, Terry was made interim president for a full academic year. During the May 2013 commencement ceremony, the Board of Trustees announced Terry would be officially termed as 16th President of Bennett College.
Phyllis Worthy Dawkins assumed presidency on August 15, 2016. Previous serving as Provost, Dr. Dawkins focused on faculty/staff recruitment, reinvigorating living learning communities, and launched a leadership institute. She was ousted in 2019 and replaced by Suzanne Walsh.
Since 1930, Bennett has graduated more than 7,000 students, affectionately known as "Bennett Belles."
Accreditations and memberships
In 1930, on the graduation of its first four women with a 4-year bachelor's degree, the "A" rating was granted to the college by the North Carolina State Department of Education. This same rating was granted the college in 1936 by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...
(SACS), the college's
regional accreditor. Today, the college is accredited by the
Council on Social Work Education The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association in the United States representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 19 ...
(CSWE) and the
National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) was a professional accreditor focused on accrediting teacher education programs in U.S. colleges and universities. It was founded in 1954 and was recognized as an accreditor by ...
(NCATE).
In 1957, Bennett was one of the first and the only private Black college to be admitted into full membership in the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...
. It has also been a member of the American Association of Colleges, The Commission on Black Colleges of the University Senate, the American Association of Registrars and Admission Officers, the American Council of Education, the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, the College Fund/UNCF, the Council on Independent Colleges, the Women's College Coalition, the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the NCB Piedmont Automated Library System (NCBPALS), the Greater Greensboro Consortium, and the New York University Faculty Resource Network.
The college lost its accreditation from SACS on February 18, 2019. It was on probation for two years in the early 2000s because the college was struggling with significant financial challenges. In 2016, SACS placed the college on probation again for the same reason. In December 2018, SACS voted to withdraw the college's accreditation. The college launched a fundraising campaign and appealed the SACS decision.
In February 2019 it lost accreditation although it had succeeded in building its financial resources.
A court ordered the accreditation to remain in place while the college files a lawsuit against the accreditor.
Presidents
Bennett College
![Silas A Peeler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Silas_A_Peeler.jpg)
: 1874–1877: W.J. Parker (principal)
: 1877–1881: Edward Olin Thayer
: 1881–1889: Wilbur F. Steele
: 1889–1892: Charles N. Grandison
: 1892–1905: Jordan D. Chavis
: 1905–1913: Silas A. Peeler
: 1913–1915: James E. Wallace
: 1915–1926: Frank Trigg
Bennett College for Women
: 1926–1955: David Dallas Jones
: 1955–1966:
Willa Beatrice Player
Willa Beatrice Player (August 9, 1909 – August 29, 2003) was an American educator, college administrator, college president, civil rights activist, and federal appointee. Player was the first African-American woman to become president of a four- ...
– Bennett's first female president
: 1966–1987: Isaac H. Miller, Jr.
: 1987–2001:
Gloria Randle Scott
Gloria Randle Scott (born Gloria Dean on April 14, 1938, in Houston, Texas) is an American educator and the first African-American to be elected as president of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Born and raised in Texas, in 1959 Scott became the first A ...
: 2001–2002: Althia F. Collins
: 2002–2007:
Johnnetta B. Cole
Johnnetta Betsch Cole (born October 19, 1936) is an Americans, American anthropologist, educator, museum director, and college president. Cole was the first female African-American president of Spelman College, a historically black college, servin ...
: 2007–2012:
Julianne Malveaux
Julianne Marie Malveaux (born September 22, 1953) is an American economist, author, social and political commentator, and businesswoman. After five years as the 15th president of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, she resigned on May ...
: 2012–2013: Esther Terry – Bennett's first alumna president
: 2013–2016: Rosalind Fuse-Hall
: 2016–2019: Phyllis Worthy Dawkins
: 2019–present: Suzanne Walsh
Academics
Bennett college offers 24 majors and 19 minors under three divisions: the Division of Natural and Behavioral Sciences and Mathematics, the Division of Social Sciences and Education, and the Division of Humanities. These disciplines include degrees in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts and science in interdisciplinary studies, bachelor of social work, and the bachelor of fine arts. Bennett also offers five dual degree programs including Chemistry/Chemical Engineering with
NC A&T
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Carol ...
, Chemistry/Pharmacy with
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
, Mathematics/Mechanical Engineering with NC A&T, Mathematics/Electrical Engineering with NC A&T and Mathematics/Industrial Engineering with NC A&T.
The Early/Middle College at Bennett College
The Middle College at Bennett is one of only two all-female high schools in the state of North Carolina. It began in 2003 as a "
middle college", serving female 11th- and 12th-grade students who were at-risk of dropping out of high school. By 2006, with the help of The New Schools Project Reform Initiative, The Middle College expanded to include 9th and 10th graders and began offering dual enrollment. With dual enrollment, students take college courses and earn transferable college credit as they earn their high school diploma. Students begin taking college courses in their 9th grade year and may earn up to two years of transferable college credit hours by completion of their senior year.
Campus
* Global Learning Center, houses administrative offices of the President and Institutional Advancement. The GLC has four classrooms, study rooms and a multipurpose room.
*Susie W. Jones Alumnae House, the oldest structure on campus, was built in 1915. Later named for the wife of Bennett's President David D. Jones it is used to house alumnae activities and offices.
* Wilbur F. Steele Hall, erected in 1922, is named for the Reverend Wilbur Steele, president of Bennett from 1881 to 1889. Renovations were completed in 2004.
* Robert E. Jones Residence Hall, built in 1922, is named for the first Black minister elected as a general superintendent with full Episcopal responsibilities in the Methodist Church.
* John H. Race Administration Building, erected in 1925, is named for a Methodist church Publishing House official and trustee of Bennett College. It houses Business and Finance, Human Resources, Global Studies, the Entrepreneurship Institute and Public Relations.
* Enrollment Management Center, houses the offices of Financial Aid and Admissions.
* Pfeiffer Residence Hall, constructed in 1924, was the nucleus of the current Bennett College campus and the first of five structures that bear some variation of the names of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pfeiffer, the institution's most generous early benefactors.
* Black Hall, built in 1937 as Henry Pfeiffer Science Hall and renamed for Ethel F. Black, a Bennett College trustee, when, in 1967–68, a new Henry Pfeiffer Science Hall was built. It is one of two principal classroom buildings. The building houses the administrative offices of Enrollment Management, The Registrar's Office, the Division of Social Sciences and Education including the Departments of Business and Economics, Curriculum and Instruction, Political Science and Social Work/Sociology, and one computer laboratory.
* Annie Merner Residence Hall, bears the maiden name of Mrs. Henry Pfeiffer and was erected in 1937–38. It currently houses faculty offices and The Institute For Academic Success (IAS).
* Thomas F. Holgate Library, was built in 1939, named for a former trustee of Bennett College, and funded by the General Education Board of the Methodist Church. Renovations to this building were completed in 2004.
* Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel and Little Theater, erected in 1941, forms the north boundary of the quadrangle around which most of the major buildings cluster.
* Carnegie Building, formerly a branch library of the City of Greensboro, was acquired by Bennett College in 1967 and renovated for use as a center for outreach programs. This facility houses the Truth and Reconciliation Archives and a portion of Information Technology IT.
* Jessie M. Reynolds Residence Hall, built in 1948, was named for Mrs. Reynolds, a Bennett College trustee from 1936 to 1948 and president of the Woman's Division of Christian Service of the Methodist Church from 1940 to 1948.
* David D. Jones Student Union, erected 1949–50, was named for the president of the college from 1926 to 1955, and is said to have been the first building erected as a student union on a predominantly black college campus in North Carolina. It houses the dining hall, central storeroom, bookstore, snack bar, post office, SGA offices, Commuter Student Lounge, Bennett Boutique and recreational areas as well as the offices of the Student Affairs, Career Services, Residence Life, and Student Activities.
* Martin Dixon Intergenerational Center, the Bennett College laboratory preschool, is used as a pre-observational and training site for elementary education majors prior to their official field experiences in a public school setting. The first five-star, licensed child-care facility in Guilford County, the preschool is also used by other departments in the college for students to gain exposure to and experiences in working with young children. The Martin Dixon Intergenerational Center also serves as a training/field exposure site for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Department of Psychology, Department of Political Science and Social Work/Sociology, and the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. It is named for donor and Bennett alumna
Joyce Martin Dixon
Joyce Martin Dixon is an American businesswoman and philanthropist.
Career
Joyce Martin was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she lived with her family as a child on McConnell Road. She graduated from James B. Dudley High School in 1952, a ...
'56.
* The President's Home, forms the south base of the college quadrangle and was constructed in 1955.
* Laura H. Cone Residence Hall, was built in 1961–62. Mrs. Cone was a Bennett College trustee and chairperson of the Trustee Committee on Buildings and Grounds.
* The Ida Haslip Goode Health and Physical Education Building, is named for a long-time trustee of Bennett College who was also president of the Women's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Church.
The gymnasium contains an Olympic-style swimming pool, a standard basketball court, a combined stage and ballet studio, a corrective exercise gymnasium, faculty offices, four classrooms, and a seminar-conference room. This facility provides classrooms for the Early/Middle College High School at Bennett, a partnership program with the Guilford County School System.
* Willa B. Player Residence Hall, this residence hall, was named for the first woman president of Bennett College (1955–66) and was occupied for the first time in the fall of 1967.
* Henry Pfeiffer Science Building, was built in 1968. In addition to classrooms and laboratories, this structure contains four computer laboratories, one electronic classroom, an animal laboratory with an adjacent greenhouse, and the faculty development resource room and faculty lounge.
* The Honors Residence Hall, completed in 2010, is the largest residence hall. This facility has a capacity for 144 honor students, guest suites, seminar room to accommodate lectures and special programs and a computer lab for the residents.
* Pfeiffer Science Computer Laboratories, The computer labs serve all students on campus in a wide variety of disciplines. The computer labs, located on the first floor of Pfeiffer Science Building, are used as electronic classrooms for specific classes as well as for general academic purposes.
* Rose Catchings Complex, built in 1981, houses the administrative office of the Provost and Senior Associate Provost of the college; Student Health Services, Counseling Center, Information Technology IT and Administrative Services.
* Merner Pfeiffer Plant – Journalism and Media Studies Building, was adapted for reuse as an academic building in 2009. This historic building originally constructed in 1935 as the heating plant for the campus, houses the Department of Journalism & Media Studies.
* The Bennett College Micro-Laboratory for Effective Teaching, housed in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in Black Hall, is a simulated laboratory.
Student life
There are over 60 campus social, service, religious, and the student government association organizations. Bennett College also has collegiate sports.
*Honor societies
**
Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta () is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher during their first year or term of higher education.
History
Alpha Lambda Delta was founded in 1924 by the Dean of Women, Maria Leonard, at the Universit ...
,
Alpha Kappa Mu
The Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society () is an American collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence in all areas of study.
History
Alpha Kappa Mu was founded on at Tennessee A&I State College. Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society grew ...
,
Beta Kappa Chi
Beta Kappa Chi () is a scholastic honor society that recognizes academic achievement among students in the fields of natural science and mathematics.
The society was founded at Lincoln University in 1923 and was admitted to the Association of Col ...
, Iota Iota Iota,
Psi Chi
Psi Chi () is a college student honor society in psychology with international outreach founded in 1929 at the University of Kansas in the United States.
Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States, with more than 1,150 cha ...
,
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta () is an international excelled English honor society for students of English at four-year colleges and universities who are within the top 30% of their class and have a 3.5 GPA or higher. It presently has over 850 chapters in ...
*Student publications, media and alumnae publications
**Bennett Banner, Belle Vision TV, Bennett College Association of Black Journalist, Belle Ringer Alumnae Magazine
*Student academic and enrichment clubs
**American Civil Liberties Club, Belle Business Club, Biology Club, Chemistry Club, Foster Friends Club, HBCU-UP Club, Mathematics and Computer Science Club, Psychology Club, Social Work Club, Journalism Club, Minority Association for Pre-Med Students (MAPS).
*Student council
**Barge Hall Council, Cone Hall Council, Jones Hall Council, Pan Hellenic Council, Pfeiffer Hall Council, Player Hall Council, Reynolds Hall Council, Pre Alumnae Council or PAC.
*Student Government Association (SGA)
**Serves as the official governing body for students.
*Student Union Advisory Board (SUAB)
**Provides educational, cultural, social recreation, entertainment and community building.
*Student North Carolina Association of Educators (SNCAE)
**Aids in making a smooth transition for education majors from classwork to first year teaching.
*Belle awareness and encouragement groups
**Belles Against Domestic Violence, Belles of Peace, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Political Pacesetters, HIV/AIDS Prevention Taskforce
*Religious organizations
**Bennett College Choir, Belles of Harmony Gospel Choir, The Millennium Mentors, Spirit of David Dance Ministry, Student Christian Fellowship, United Methodist Women, Catholic Campus Connection.
*Sisterhood organizations
**Ringers, Liberty Belle New York Connection, Sister to Sister, Native Sister, Mid West Belles Club, Southern Belles Club, West Coast Connect
*International organizations
**Caribbean Connection, International Club
*
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative umbrella council composed of historically African American fraternities and sororities also referred to as Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). The NPHC was formed as a permanent ...
**Active Sororities on Bennett College campus:
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of sixteen stud ...
,
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...
,
Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic achie ...
,
Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority, international collegiate, and non-profit community service organization that was founded on November 12, 1922, by seven educators on the Irvington campus (1875–1 ...
*Other organizations
**Belles in Media, Blue Blaze Dancers, Bennett College Ambassadors Association, Class Governments (Freshwomen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior), Ecentrique Modeling Troupe, Ladies of Essence Dance Team, Queens Association,
Students in Free Enterprise.
*Bennett College for Women Athletics (unaffiliated, competes against
USCAA
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 72 mostly small colleges, including community/ junior colleges, across the United States. The USCAA holds 15 nationa ...
teams)
**Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Swimming, Softball
*Health, wellness and fitness
**Outdoor Tennis Courts, 1/2 Mile Walking Track, Fitness/Weight Room
Notable alumnae
Notable faculty
File:Dr. Johnnetta Cole, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.jpg, Dr. Johnnetta Cole, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
File:Robert Nathaniel Dett.jpg, Robert Nathaniel Dett
File:HelenEliseSmithDett.tif, Helen Elise Smith Dett
File:Alma Adams - Jan 30 2020.jpg, Alma Adams
File:Merze Tate (13270332113).jpg, Merze Tate
See also
*
Women's Colleges in the Southern United States
References
External links
*
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Educational institutions established in 1873
Gothic Revival architecture in North Carolina
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
Historically black universities and colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in North Carolina
National Register of Historic Places in Guilford County, North Carolina
Private universities and colleges in North Carolina
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Universities and colleges in Greensboro, North Carolina
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
USCAA member institutions
Women's universities and colleges in the United States
1873 establishments in North Carolina