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Former names | List
|
|---|---|
Motto in English | Emerging Eminence |
| Type | Privatehistorically Black university |
| Established | 1866; 159 years ago (1866) |
| Accreditation | SACS |
Religious affiliation | African Methodist Episcopal Church |
| Endowment | $1.8 million |
| Chairman | Adam J. Richardson |
| President | A. Zachary Faison, Jr. |
| Provost | Dr. Genyne H. Boston |
| Students | 1,181 (Fall 2022) |
| Location | ,, U.S. 30°20′43″N81°41′05″W / 30.3453°N 81.6847°W /30.3453; -81.6847 |
| Campus | Urban, 23 acres (9.3 ha) |
| Colors | Purple, orange, white |
| Nickname | Tigers and Lady Tigers |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II –SIAC |
| Mascot | Tiger |
| Website | ew.edu |
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Edward Waters University is aprivateChristianhistorically Black university inJacksonville, Florida. It was founded in 1866 by members of theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) as a school to educatefreedmen and their children. It was the first independent institution of higher education and the first historically black college in theState of Florida. It continues to be affiliated with the AME Church and is a member of theIndependent Colleges and Universities of Florida.
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TheAME Church was the first independent black denomination in the United States and was founded in 1816 inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. After the Civil War, it sent numerous missionaries to the South to plant AME churches. The first African Methodist Episcopal pastor in the state, William G. Steward, originally named the college Brown Theological Institute.Charles H. Pearce was also involved in establishing an educational institution for the AME church in Jacksonville.
Struggling with some financial difficulties, the school closed for much of the 1870s. It reopened in 1883 as "East Florida Conference High School”, then changed to “East Florida Scientific and Divinity High School.” Over the next ten years, the curriculum was expanded. In 1892, the school was renamed for Edward Waters, the third bishop of the AME Church.[1]
A drawing of 1893 shows that the College President at that time wasJohn R. Scott, Sr., first pastor of theSt. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church of Jacksonville, and a former member of theFlorida Legislature.[2]
The original Edward Waters University campus was destroyed by theGreat Fire of 1901. By 1904, the college obtained new land and work was started on the new facility. Edward Waters was accredited as ajunior college in 1955 under President William B. Stewart and five years later had a restored four-yearcurriculum. Beginning in 1979, the school was accredited as a four-year institution by the Commission on Colleges of theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and started awardingbachelor's degrees.
Edward Waters University offersbachelor's degrees in eight academic programs including the following: Bachelor of Arts in communications, Music, Psychology, or Criminal Justice; Bachelor of Science in biology, Elementary Education or Mathematics; and Bachelor of Business Administration.[3]
Beginning in 1979, Edward Waters University (EWU) was accredited as a four-year institution by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC).
In 2004, Edward Waters University had submitted documents to SACS to support their request for reaccreditation. AFlorida Times-Union investigation in October discovered that the EWU documentsplagiarized sections of text and statistics from a similarAlabama A&M University document. The Commission on Colleges voted to drop EWU from membership in SACS, thus revoking the school's accreditation, but the school appealed.[4] A hearing was held in Atlanta during February 2005, and the appeal by Edward Waters University was denied.
The school filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction during litigation, which a federal judge granted.[5] The judge ruled that the college could show they were denied due process, and appointed two mediators.[6] In June, the college and SACS agreed to a settlement that allowed the school to remain accredited while re-filing their accreditation documentation.[7] The university'saccreditation was reaffirmed in 2006.
Centennial Hall | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | 1658 Kings Rd.,Jacksonville, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°20′42″N81°41′04″W / 30.3450°N 81.6844°W /30.3450; -81.6844 |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Howells & Stokes |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000589[8] |
| Added to NRHP | May 4, 1976 |
Centennial Hall, which contains the Obi-Scott-Umunna Collection of African Art, is the oldest building on campus. Built in 1916, it was added to the United StatesNational Register of Historic Places on May 4, 1976.[8] It was designed by Richard Lewis Brown, Jacksonville's first known black architect.[9]
The Centennial Hall building contains the Edward Waters University Library, which was relocated from the H. Y. Tookes Building in 1979. The library also contains art and artifacts from central and West Africa.[10]
The Edward Waters (EWU) athletic teams are called the Tigers and the Lady Tigers. The university is a member of theDivision II ranks of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) as a provisional member since the 2021–22 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1930–31 to 1934–35.[15]
Prior joining the NCAA, The Tigers previously competed in theGulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2010–11 to 2020–21 (with an associate transitional membership period for competing in conference championships during the 2021–22 school year); and in theSun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) until after the 2007–08 school year) from 2006–07 to 2009–10. For football only, Edward Waters participated in The Sun Conference for the 2014 and 2015 fall seasons, and would later join theMid-South Conference's Sun Division from the 2017 to 2020 fall seasons.[16]
EWU competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports teams: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheerleading.
In 2019, the university received a membership invitation to join the SIAC, a historicHBCU athletic conference playing at the NCAA Division II level.[17] Although still holding active membership in the NAIA, EWU has a scheduling agreement with the SIAC to play SIAC opponents in non-conference competition.[17] Following the invitation, the college plans to apply for NCAA Division II membership and begin the multi-year transition process to become a full postseason-eligible member of the NCAA and the SIAC.[15]
The university broke ground on a permanent on-campusfootball facility in February 2020. The team previously played at local high schools. The new facility is planned to meet NCAA specifications as part of the athletic development process associated with the move to Division II.[18]
Edward Waters' marching band is officially known as the "Triple Threat Marching Band." The band was established in 2001 and has twice received an invitation to theHonda Battle of the Bands in 2009 and 2013. The marching band has also been invited to perform at halftime for theNFL'sJacksonville Jaguars.[19]
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