James A. Colston (1910–1982) was a high school principal and served as president of several colleges in the United States. He served as president of
Bethune-Cookman University 1942-46;
Georgia State College (now
Savannah State University) 1947-51; and
Knoxville College 1951-65. He became the first African American to serve as president of a college in the state of New York and was among the first to lead a predominantly white college when he was named president of the
Bronx Community College
The Bronx Community College of the City University of New York (BCC) is a public community college in the Bronx, New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system.
History
The college was established in 1957 through the eff ...
in 1966.
Education
Colston received his B.S. in education from
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 1932; his M.A. in education from
Atlanta University in 1933 and later obtained his Ph.D. from
New York University.
Career
Colston served as principal of
Ballard Normal School in
Macon, Georgia
Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...
from 1938 to 1942.
President
In 1942, Dr. Colston was named the second president of
Bethune-Cookman University following the first retirement of the school's founder,
Mary McLeod Bethune. While at Bethune Cookman, Colston launched the School of Education which became accredited in 1945. Dr. Colston served as president of
Georgia State College from 1947 and until 1949.
Colston succeeded
Benjamin F. Hubert as president of the college in 1947. It was during Colston’s term as president that Savannah State became accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Also during his tenure, the college’s land-grant status was transferred to
Fort Valley State College
}
Fort Valley State University (FVSU, formerly Fort Valley State College and Fort Valley Normal and Industrial School) is a public land-grant historically black university in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and ...
(1949).
During his term as president the campus was modernized to include the construction of the first student center and the installation of the first campus-wide telephone system.
Additionally, he established the school’s first Office of Public Relations and established the Campus Chest Program.
Colston resigned in 1949.
From 1951 to 1965, Dr. Colston served as president of
Knoxville College in Eastern Tennessee. During his tenure the school experienced unparalleled growth. Thereafter, Colston headed Bronx Community College from 1966 until 1976. During his tenure the college's enrollment expanded from 7,000 students to 13,800 students and achieved both financial and academic success. As the school's second president, Colston oversaw the transfer of Bronx Community College from its temporary location to its Harlem River campus prior to the fall of 1973.
Legacy
The James A. Colston Administration Building on the university's campus is named in honor of Dr. Colston.
Further reading
*Hall, Clyde W. (1991). ''One Hundred Years of Educating at Savannah State College, 1890-1990''. East Peoria, Ill.: Versa Press.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colston, James A.
Presidents of Savannah State University
20th-century African-American academics
Morehouse College alumni
1910 births
1982 deaths
Bronx Community College faculty
Presidents of Bronx Community College
20th-century American academics