William Henry Lanier (1855–1929) was a prominent educator in Mississippi during the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Background

William Henry Lanier was born into slavery in Autauga County, Alabama in September 1855 (some sources indicate 1851). In the

1870 U.S. Census The United States census of 1870 was the ninth United States census. It was conducted by the Census Bureau from June 1, 1870, to August 23, 1871. The 1870 census was the first census to provide detailed information on the African-American popul ...

, which was enumerated on July 6, 1870, his age was listed as 14. In the 1900 U.S. Census his month and year of birth are shown as September 1859. He was educated at Tougaloo College,

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 ...

, and

Fisk University Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1930, Fisk was the first Africa ...

before obtaining his B.A. from Roger Williams University in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

, Tennessee.

Career

He taught school in several small towns in Mississippi, before becoming president of

Alcorn State University Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a public historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first black land grant college established in the United States. O ...

from 1899 to 1905. He would subsequently serve as head of the black schools in

Yazoo City Yazoo City is a U.S. city in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's m ...

until 1911, when he was elected head of the black public schools in Jackson. As principal of Robertson High School, Lanier would serve as head of the black Jackson schools until his death in 1929.

Personal life

In 1900, he married Elizabeth Ernie Dabney. This union produced two children. While Lanier was generally well-liked by whites, many blacks despised him. Local media attributed this to "jealousy." On Wednesday, August 16, 1911, while still serving as the head of the black schools in Yazoo City, Lanier was physically attacked by J. D. Suttlar, a black mail carrier in a highly publicized incident.

Death

Lanier died in November 1929 in Jackson. Presidents of six black colleges spoke at his funeral. All black public schools in Jackson were closed on that day out of respect for the deceased.

Legacy

Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi is named after him.

References

External links

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Lanier High School (Jackson, Mississippi)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanier, W. H. 1855 births 1929 deaths 19th-century African-American educators 19th-century American educators American educators 19th-century American slaves Fisk University alumni Oberlin College alumni Roger Williams University alumni Tougaloo College alumni People from Autauga County, Alabama Burials in Mississippi 20th-century African-American educators 20th-century American educators