[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 563 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 563

 Honoring the accomplishments of the 9 historically Black colleges and 
    universities that celebrated their sesquicentennial the week of 
                          September 24, 2017.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 10, 2017

 Ms. Adams (for herself, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Brown of Maryland, 
Ms. Plaskett, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ms. Norton, Ms. Kelly 
   of Illinois, Mr. Byrne, Ms. Lee, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mrs. 
 Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Evans, Ms. Hanabusa, Mrs. Beatty, 
Ms. DeGette, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
Higgins of New York, Mr. Meeks, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. David Scott of 
 Georgia, Mrs. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Hastings, 
 Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, 
    Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Ms. Clark of 
 Massachusetts, Mr. Costa, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. 
Crist, Ms. Maxine Waters of California, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. 
 Norcross, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Fudge, 
  Mr. Al Green of Texas, Ms. Bass, Mr. Walker, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. 
Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. McEachin, 
 Mr. Richmond, Mr. Hill, Ms. Jayapal, and Mrs. Demings) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                           and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the accomplishments of the 9 historically Black colleges and 
    universities that celebrated their sesquicentennial the week of 
                          September 24, 2017.

Whereas in 1867, 9 historically Black colleges and universities were established 
        in 4 southern States, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, and North Carolina, as 
        well as the District of Columbia, the largest number of historically 
        Black Colleges and Universities founded in any single year before or 
        after;
Whereas the 9 historically Black colleges and universities that celebrated their 
        sesquicentennial the week of September 24, 2017, trace their founding to 
        rather modest beginnings, but, in the course of a century and a half, 
        have established records of significant achievement and legacies of 
        devotion to academic excellence;
Whereas the 9 institutions celebrating their sesquicentennial anniversaries 
        include Alabama State University in Marion, Alabama; Barber-Scotia 
        College in Concord, North Carolina; Fayetteville State University in 
        Fayetteville, North Carolina; Howard University in Washington, DC; 
        Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina; Morehouse 
        College in Atlanta, Georgia; Morgan State University in Baltimore, 
        Maryland; St. Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina; and 
        Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama;
Whereas in the case of Alabama State University, on July 17, 1867, 9 freed 
        slaves incorporated Lincoln Normal School in Marion, Alabama, to educate 
        Black children;
Whereas Lincoln Normal School was founded with $500 used to purchase the land 
        and lay the foundation;
Whereas Lincoln Normal School was converted from a junior college into a four-
        year college in 1928;
Whereas in 1969, the former Lincoln Normal School was formally granted a name 
        change by the Alabama State Board of Education, becoming Alabama State 
        University;
Whereas notable figures of the civil rights era attended and graduated from 
        Alabama State University, including the Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, 
        attorney Fred Gray and the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth;
Whereas in the case of Barber-Scotia College, Scotia Seminary was founded in 
        Concord, North Carolina, by the Reverend Luke Dorland in 1867 and 
        chartered in 1870 to educate newly freed female slaves;
Whereas Scotia Seminary was the first historically Black female institution of 
        higher education established in the United States;
Whereas Scotia Seminary was renamed as Scotia Women's College in 1916, and 
        merged with Barber Memorial College in 1930 to become Barber-Scotia 
        Junior College for women;
Whereas Barber-Scotia became a 4-year women's college in 1946 and a 
        coeducational institution in 1954;
Whereas one of the distinguished graduates of Barber-Scotia College was Mary 
        McCleod Bethune, the founder of Bethune-Cookman College;
Whereas in the case of Fayetteville State University, on November 29, 1867, 7 
        African-American men formed the Howard School by paying $136 for 2 lots 
        on Gillespie Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina;
Whereas the Howard School would be formally renamed Fayetteville State 
        University in 1969;
Whereas Fayetteville State University holds the distinction of being the second 
        oldest public school in North Carolina;
Whereas in the case of Howard University, the institution was chartered by 
        Congress on March 2, 1867, in Washington, DC;
Whereas Howard University stands today as the most comprehensive historically 
        Black college and university in the Nation in terms of undergraduate and 
        graduate programs of study;
Whereas Howard University has produced numerous Rhodes scholars, Truman 
        scholars, Fulbright scholars, Picking Fellows, and a Marshall scholar 
        throughout its history;
Whereas Howard University has graduated some of the most accomplished African 
        Americans in history--including, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood 
        Marshall, author Toni Morrison, and United States Ambassador Andrew 
        Young;
Whereas 5 current Members of Congress are graduates of Howard University;
Whereas in the case of Johnson C. Smith University, the institution was 
        established on April 7, 1867, as the Biddle Memorial Institute by 
        Reverend S.C. Alexander and Reverend W.L. Miller in Charlotte, North 
        Carolina;
Whereas the first football game with African-American players was played at the 
        Biddle University in 1892--in what today is called the Commemorative 
        Classic;
Whereas Johnson C. Smith is the first historically Black college and university 
        in the South to offer professional courses in education;
Whereas Johnson C. Smith University has produced numerous politicians including, 
        but not limited to, Eva Clayton, the first African American to represent 
        North Carolina in the House of Representatives since the 19th century;
Whereas in the case of Morehouse College, the institution was founded by the 
        Reverend William Jefferson White in Augusta, Georgia, in 1867;
Whereas Morehouse College was moved from Augusta, Georgia, to its current 
        location in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1879;
Whereas Morehouse College is the largest men's college in the United States, 
        enrolling over 2,000 students;
Whereas Morehouse is 1 of only 2 historically Black colleges and universities to 
        produce a Rhodes scholar;
Whereas Morehouse has graduated a number of African-American luminaries--
        including Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, film director Spike Lee, and 
        the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.;
Whereas 2 Members of Congress are graduates of Morehouse College;
Whereas in the case of Morgan State University, the institution was founded in 
        Baltimore, Maryland, as the Centenary Biblical Institute in 1867 to 
        train former slaves and freedmen for the Methodist ministry;
Whereas becoming co-ed in 1874 and changing its name to Morgan College in 1890, 
        in honor of one of its board members, the institution was purchased by 
        the State of Maryland in 1939 to provide more academic opportunities for 
        Black students and was renamed Morgan State College;
Whereas Morgan State College distinguished itself as a liberal arts college and, 
        in 1975, was granted university status and has been designated as 
        Maryland's preeminent public research university, as well as a National 
        Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation;
Whereas the Morgan State Choir, in 2004, was named ``The Nation's Best College 
        Choir'' by Readers Digest, and has performed for audiences on four 
        continents;
Whereas Morgan State University has graduated a great number of prominent 
        African-American leaders in politics, law, entertainment and science and 
        has a list of alumni that includes Congressmen Parren J. Mitchell and 
        Kweisi Mfume, Maryland Chief Justice Robert M. Bell, novelist Zora Neale 
        Hurston, and Pulitzer Prize winner James Alan McPherson;
Whereas in the case of St. Augustine's University, in 1867, the institution was 
        founded as the St. Augustine's Normal School by prominent Episcopal 
        clergy for the education of freed slaves in Raleigh, North Carolina;
Whereas St. Agnes Hospital and Training School for Nurses, the first school of 
        nursing for African-American students in the State of North Carolina, 
        was established by St. Augustine's Normal School in 1895;
Whereas St. Agnes was the only hospital in North Carolina that served African 
        Americans until 1960;
Whereas St. Augustine's University was the first historically Black college and 
        university to own an on-campus commercial radio and television station;
Whereas in the case of Talladega College, the institution was founded by 3 
        former slaves in Talladega, Alabama, in 1867;
Whereas Talladega College is the State of Alabama's oldest, private historically 
        Black college and university;
Whereas Talladega College was the first institution in the State of Alabama to 
        admit qualified persons of any race or ethnicity; and
Whereas Talladega College has produced several African-American ``firsts'', 
        including Wynona Lipman, the first African-American woman elected to the 
        New Jersey Senate and Reverend Dr. Paul Smith, the first African-
        American minister at the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the accomplishments of the 9 historically Black 
        colleges and universities that celebrated their 
        sesquicentennial the week of September 24, 2017, and of 
        historically Black colleges and universities, in general;
            (2) celebrates the 150th anniversary of these 9 
        institutions, and encourages Congress and the citizens they 
        represent to recognize the beneficial impact historically Black 
        colleges and universities have had on the United States; and
            (3) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
        make available 5 enrolled copies of this resolution to each 
        institution's Office of the President or Chancellor.
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