 | |
Former names | Walden Seminary (1877–1882) Philander Smith College (1882–2023) |
|---|---|
| Type | Privatehistorically black college |
| Established | 1877 |
| Accreditation | HLC |
Religious affiliation | United Methodist Church |
Academic affiliations | UNCF |
| Endowment | $3 million |
| President | Maurice D. Gipson |
| Students | 760 |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Colors | Green and gold |
| Nickname | Panthers |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA –HBCUAC |
| Website | www |
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Philander Smith University (previouslyPhilander Smith College) is aprivatehistorically black college inLittle Rock, Arkansas. It is affiliated with theUnited Methodist Church and is a founding member of theUnited Negro College Fund (UNCF). Philander Smith University isaccredited by theHigher Learning Commission.
Philander Smith University was officially founded in 1877 under the name ofWalden Seminary to provide educational opportunities foremancipated slaves west of theMississippi River. In 1882 the school was renamed Philander Smith College in honor of the financial contributions of Adeline Smith, widow ofPhilander Smith. It was chartered as a four-year college in 1883 and conferred its first bachelor's degree in 1888. In 1933, it merged the assets of theGeorge R. Smith College inSedalia, Missouri, which burned down in 1925.[2] In 1943, Philander Smith was accredited by theNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
During theCivil Rights Movement, Philander Smith College was a pioneer in activism: many of its students engaged innonviolent resistance againstsegregation laws or customs (such assitting in at "whites-only" lunch counters).
On August 1, 2023, the college announced the addition of its first master's degree program and the change of its name from Philander Smith College to Philander Smith University.[3]
In 2025,MacKenzie Scott donated $19 million to the university which is the largest single gift in its history.[4]
Walter Kimbrough, former president of Philander Smith College, joined theEducation Conservancy in criticizing the annualU.S. News & World Report college rankings; hesigned a letter circulating among college presidents that asks them to refrain from participating in the peer assessment portion of the survey.[5][6]
Philander Smith College Historic District | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by 13th, 11th, Izard, and State Sts.,Little Rock, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | Almand, John Parks |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival,Bungalow/Craftsman, et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000229[7] |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1999 |
The school campus is located in central Little Rock.Interstate 630 (the Mills Freeway) was constructed just north of the campus, which is bounded by 10th and 14th streets to the north and south, and Gaines and Chester streets to the east and west. The core of the campus was originally built forLittle Rock Junior College (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock), and a two-block section of it is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. One of its centerpieces is the formerU.M. Rose School building, now the Cox Administration Building, designed by the noted Arkansas architectJohn Parks Almand in 1915, when he was working forCharles L. Thompson. The campus also includes the "Old Gym", a gymnasium built by theWPA during theGreat Depression; and a former barracks building of theCamp Robinson Air Force Base, which was moved here in 1948.[8]
The Philander Smith athletic teams are called the Panthers. The college is a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in theHBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC), formerly the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC), since the 2011–12 academic year. The Panthers previously competed as anNAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2009–10 to 2010–11.
Philander Smith competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, baseball, cross country and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading.
The 2012–13 Philander Smith men's basketball team made history by bringing home their first GCAC conference tournament title.[9]
On February 21, 1989, the Philander Smith women's basketball team gained a 92–89 victory overRust College of Holly Springs, Mississippi, on their court, ending the longest home-court winning streak in NCAA Division III women's basketball history.
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Geese" Ausbie | 1960 | formerHarlem Globetrotters player and coach | |
| Al Bell | founder ofStax Records and former president ofMotown Records | ||
| John A. Bell | 1951 | Director of the Education and Secondary Education Division of the Office of Civil Rights,United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare | [10] |
| Isaac M. Burgan | President ofPaul Quinn College from 1883–1891, 1911–1914 | ||
| Deon Cole | comedian | ||
| James Hal Cone | 1958 | major figure insystematic theology andliberation theology | |
| L. Clifford Davis | 1945 | civil rights, attorney, judge | [11] |
| Joycelyn Elders | 1952 | formerSurgeon General of the United States | |
| Stephanie Flowers | 1975 | Arkansas State Senator since 2011 and former member of theArkansas House of Representatives fromPine Bluff | [12] |
| Scipio Africanus Jones | coursework before transfer toShorter College | lawyer and businessman | |
| Calvin King | 1975 | farm developmer, and the President of the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corp | |
| Amina Claudine Myers | musician | [13] | |
| Elijah Pitts | 1961 | formerGreen Bay Packers player, 2xSuper Bowl champion | |
| Devon Scott | basketball player in theIsrael Basketball Premier League | ||
| Lottie Shackelford | 1979 | former mayor ofLittle Rock, Arkansas | |
| Robert L. Williams | 1953 | prominent figure in the history of African-American psychology |
| Name | Department | Notability | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Lorch | mathematician and civil rights activist | ||
| Georg Iggers | historian | 10 |
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34°44′13″N92°16′57″W / 34.73686°N 92.28249°W /34.73686; -92.28249
