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Former names | Biddle Memorial Institute (1867–1876) Biddle University (1876–1923) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Sit Lux |
Motto in English | Let There Be Light |
| Type | Privatehistorically black university |
| Established | 1867; 158 years ago (1867) |
Religious affiliation | Presbyterian Church (USA) |
| Endowment | $51.1 million (beneficiary of theDuke Endowment, 1924)[1] |
| President | Valerie Kinloch |
Academic staff | 159[2] |
| Students | 1,306[3] |
| Undergraduates | 1,191 |
| Postgraduates | 57 |
| Location | , U.S. 35°14′35″N80°51′22″W / 35.243°N 80.856°W /35.243; -80.856 |
| Campus | Urban, 105 acres (42 ha) |
| Colors | Gold and navy blue |
| Nickname | Golden Bulls |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II –Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Mascot | The Golden Bull |
| Website | jcsu.edu |
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Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is aprivatehistorically black university inCharlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with thePresbyterian Church (USA) andaccredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Johnson C. Smith University was established on April 7, 1867, as theBiddle Memorial Institute at a meeting of the Catawba Presbytery in the old Charlotte Presbyterian Church.Mary D. Biddle donated $1,400 to the school. The school was then named after her late husband, Henry Jonathan Biddle, who had died after theBattle of Glendale in 1862. The correspondingwomen's school wasScotia Seminary (nowBarber-Scotia College).[4]
In 1876, the charter was changed by the legislature of the State of North Carolina and the name becameBiddle University, under which name the institution operated until 1923.
In 1891, Biddle University electedDaniel J. Sanders as the first African-American as president of a four-year institution in the South.
From 1921 to 1922, Jane Berry Smith donated funds to build a theological dormitory, a science hall, a teachers' cottage, a memorial gate, and an endowment in memory of her late husband,Johnson C. Smith. She later donated funds for five more buildings and a campus church. In recognition, Biddle University's president Dr. H. L. McCrorey announced on February 3, 1922, that the institution would refer to itself as The Johnson C. Smith University.[5] A newspaper at the time noted that "While the name will be used at once, unofficially, an application for the charter changes necessary cannot be accomplished until the meeting of the next general assembly," and the charter was amended to make the name change official on March 1, 1923.
In 1924,James B. Duke established theDuke Endowment. While the largest share of that the endowment's earnings are allocated to supportDuke University, Duke's donation required that 4% of its earnings be given to Johnson C. Smith University.[6]
In 1932, the university's charter was amended, providing for the admission of women. The 65-year-old institution for men then became partially coeducational. The first residence hall for women, named in memory of James B. Duke, was dedicated in 1940. In 1941, women were admitted to the freshman class. In 1942, the university was a fully coeducational institution.
JCSU joined theUnited Negro College Fund in 1944 as a founding member. This fund was organized primarily to help church-related schools of higher learning to revamp their training programs, to expand their physical plants, to promote faculty growth and to create new areas of service.[7]
In June 2025 the university was placed on Probation for Good Cause status by itseducational accreditor, theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, after the accreditor's board found significant non-compliance with its standards forfinancial controls. Probation for Good Cause is the most serious sanction the accreditor can apply to a university short of revoking its accreditation.[8]
The university is located on Beatties Ford Road andWest Trade Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. It consists of 105 acres in an urban setting. ItsBiddle Memorial Hall dates to 1883 and was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1975.
The university awardsBachelor of Science,Bachelor of Arts,Bachelor of Social Work, andMaster of Social Work degrees. Johnson C. Smith University has 25 degree programs for undergraduate students and one for graduate students. These are typically organized into three colleges: the College of Business and Professional Studies; the College of Liberal Arts; and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The Robert L. Albright Honors College is also available to qualified high-achieving undergraduate students at JCSU.[9] The college is named after the 11th president of the university.
Metropolitan College offers accelerated undergraduate degree programs to adults with courses available on-campus and online.
The James B. Duke Memorial Library was built in 1967 in memory of Duke, a major benefactor to the university. Carnegie Library, the existing library at that time, was not large enough to meet the expanding academic programming and increasing enrollment.[10] In 1998, the library completed a $7 million yearlong modernization and reconstruction to allow the building to serve as an information hub in a digital age.[11]
The James B. Duke Memorial Library is also the home of a 8.5 by 20 feet (2.6 by 6.1 m). mural created by Philadelphia artistPaul F. Keene Jr. The mural illustrates the university's founding and development.[10]
The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) oversees the Student Government Association (SGA), Royal Court, Greek Life Organizations (National Pan-Hellenic Council and United Greek Council), Golden Bulls Activities Committee (GBAC), and over 30 Student Clubs and Organizations. The JCSU Intramural and Recreation Program offers opportunities for students to participate in intramural sports, club sports, fitness programs, and informal recreational activities.[11]
All nine of theNational Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Johnson C. Smith University.
Student-athletes currently compete in 13NCAA sports. JCSU is a member ofDivision II,Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Its intercollegiate sports programs includebasketball,bowling,cross-country,football,golf,softball,volleyball,tennis, andtrack and field. Its teams are nicknamed the Golden Bulls.
| Name | Term | References |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Mattoon | 1870–1884 | |
| William Alexander Holliday | 1884–1885 | |
| William F. Johnson | 1886–1891 | |
| Daniel J. Sanders | 1891–1907 | |
| Henry Lawrence McCrorey | 1907–1947 | |
| Hardy Liston | 1947–1956 | |
| James W. Seabrook | 1956–1957 | |
| Rufus P. Perry | 1957–1968 | |
| Lionel Newsome | 1968–1972 | |
| Wilbert Greenfield | 1973–1982 | |
| Robert Albright | 1983–1994 | |
| Dorothy Cowser Yancy | 1994–2008 | |
| Ronald L. Carter | 2008–2018 | |
| Clarence D. Armbrister | 2018–2023 | [12] |
| Valerie Kinloch | 2023–present | [13][14] |
| Name | Department | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Alexander | Professor | Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly. | |
| Henry A. Hunt | Professor | Winner of theSpingarn Medal award. In the 1930s Hunt was invited to participate in President Franklin D. Roosevelt'sBlack Cabinet. | |
| Edward Jackson | Footballcoach | One of the greatestHBCU football coaches of all-time. His all-time coaching record is 141–62–12. His record atJCSU is 30–14–4. | |
| Mary Jackson McCrorey | Counselor of women, wife of president H. L. McCrorey. | [15] | |
| Jimmie McKee | Contributor | Founder of Johnson C. Smith University athletic booster program the 100 Club. He became a successful Charlotte businessman, contributing to Johnson C Smith University,NAACP, Colored NC Police Association,Democratic Party andYMCA. | |
| Mike Minter | Footballassistant coach | Professional football player. | |
| Pinckney Warren Russell | Professor | was an American classics scholar, Presbyterian pastor, and educator. | |
| Steve Wilks | Footballassistant coach | Professional football coach. |
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