Texas College
Texas College, located in Tyler, Texas, was established in 1894 by ministers of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME). Texas College was founded with a curriculum to give black youths a liberal Christian education, shaping their students to be better prepared to lead and serve their communities. The college operated for a short time under the name of Phillips University to honor Henry Phillips, a CME Bishop, the name change lasted between the years of 1909 and 1917 when the original name was returned after college supports rejected Phillips University. In 1924, Texas College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a two-year facility that could award baccalaureate degrees, and in 1932 the college was accredited by the Texas Department of Education. The college added a normal school to prepare teachers to receive their teaching certificate in 1933. Through student loans and work-study programs, the college sought out a way to enrich the lives of poor youths in the area. Texas College has struggled financially since its inception, and remains one of the smallest HBCUs in the country. The first black woman to graduate from the Harvard University Medical School, Mildred Jefferson, was a graduate of Texas College. Miss Martha Washington and Mr. Loving Burrus of Pilot Point attended Texas College.
"Texas College Staff Members." November 3, 1916. Papers of Jackson Davis, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library ; City of Tyler Visitor's Center "Half Mile of History: Texas College" cityoftyler.org ; "Teacher Training Class Texas College." March 15, 1921. Papers of Jackson Davis, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library. ; "Texas College." In Historically Black Colleges and Universities: An Encyclopedia, by F. Erik Brooks, and Glenn L. Starks. Greenwood, 2011. ; Handbook of Texas Online, Nancy Beck Young, "Texas College,".