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Former names | Payne Institute (1870–1880) |
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| Motto | We Teach The Mind To Think, The Hands To Work, The Heart To Love |
| Type | Privatehistorically black university |
| Established | 1870; 155 years ago (1870) |
| Affiliation | UNCF |
Religious affiliation | African Methodist Episcopal Church |
| Endowment | $459,000 (as of 2022)[1] |
| President | Ernest McNealey |
Administrative staff | 530 |
| Students | 677 (fall 2023) |
| Location | ,, United States |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Royal Blue & Gold |
| Nickname | Yellow Jackets |
Sporting affiliations | NCAADivision II –SIAC |
| Mascot | Yellow Jacket |
| Website | allenuniversity.edu |
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Allen University is a privatehistorically black university inColumbia, South Carolina, United States. It has more than 600 students and still serves a predominantly Black constituency.[2] The campus is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places asAllen University Historic District.
Allen University was founded inCokesbury in 1870 asPayne Institute by ministers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, includingJohn M. Brown.[3] Its initial mission was to provide education to freedmen, formerAfrican American slaves and their children.
In 1880, it was moved to Columbia and renamed Allen University in honor ofRichard Allen, founder of theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church. The university remains connected to the denomination, which is related to otherMethodistchurches. As one of two black colleges located in Columbia, Allen has a very strong presence in the African-American community. Allen University initially focused on training ministers and teachers, who were considered critical to the progress of African Americans. Over the years, it has enlarged its scope to produce graduates in other academic areas.
In 1885,Joseph W. Morris became president of the university.[4] By 1898, the university reported having a total of 9 faculty, 304 students, and 208 graduates.[5]
The university is accredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools to offer Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. These degree programs are organized into five divisions:
In 2010,Washington Monthly reported in its annual College Guide edition that the school had a six percent graduation rate.[6] In 2018, Allen University launched its first graduate program, the Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary.[7] Under the seminary's founding dean, Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary gained member status with theAssociation of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada to offer the Master of Arts in Religion and Master of Divinity degrees.[8]
Allen University | |
.jpg) Chappelle Administration Building | |
| Location | 1530 Harden St.,Columbia, South Carolina |
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| Coordinates | 34°0′38″N81°1′14″W / 34.01056°N 81.02056°W /34.01056; -81.02056 |
| Built | 1891 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001705[9] |
| Added to NRHP | April 14, 1975 |
Buildings such as Arnett Hall, theChappelle Administration Building, Coppin Hall, the Joseph Simon Flippen Library, and the Canteen Building are included in what is designated as theAllen University Historic District, listed in 1975 on theNational Register of Historic Places.[9][10][11]
In addition to its National Register of Historic Places status, Allen University Historic District falls within the boundaries of Waverly Protection Area, a Preservation District within the City of Columbia Urban Design and Historic Preservation District system.[12] This Preservation District is an expansion ofWaverly Historic District.
Several of the district's buildings were restored, using $2.9 million in funds obtained through theHistorically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Building Restoration and Preservation Act. Chappelle Auditorium's seating capacity of 700 has made it the site of countless organizations' and community events.
The auditorium was the site of the meeting of educators and lawyers to initiate efforts that led to the landmark US Supreme Court caseBrown v. Board of Education (1954) onschool integration. Nationally known musicians and artists, includingLeontyne Price,Brook Benton andLangston Hughes, have performed in the auditorium. Notable speakers include:Mary McCleod Bethune, Rev.Martin Luther King Jr.,[13]Muhammad Ali,Reverend Jesse Jackson,George Elmore,John H. McCray, and SenatorStrom Thurmond. The auditorium was named in honor of BishopWilliam D. Chappelle, an Allen University President. On April 14, 1975,Chappelle Administration Building was recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior and placed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[citation needed]
Chappelle Administration Building was designed byJohn Anderson Lankford (1874-1946), who is known as the "Dean of Black Architects". It is aNational Historic Landmark. Lankford also served as the official architect of the AME Church.[citation needed]
Allen University is the home of more than 15 on-campus student organizations.
Allen University has eight of the nine national blackfraternities andsororities of theNational Pan-Hellenic Council present on campus.
The Allen athletic teams are called the Yellow Jackets.
The university is a member of theNCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) as a member since the 2020–21 academic year (achieving D-II full member status in 2022–23); which they were a member on a previous stint from 1947–48 to 1968–69. The Yellow Jackets previously competed in theSoutheastern Athletic Conference from 1929 to 1947, theAppalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2016–17 to 2019–20; as anNAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2005–06 to 2015–16; and in the defunctEastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) from 1983–84 to 2004–05.
Allen competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, football, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling.
Following the reinstatement of the football program in 2018, the marching band, known as theBand of Gold, was reinstated under the direction of formerMarching 101 director Eddie Ellis.[14]
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Artists including Leontyne Price, Brook Benton and Langston Hughes performed there. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali are among the other celebrities who appeared at Chappelle Auditorium over the years.
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