Johnson C. Smith University
Johnson C. Smith University is a private, historically black university in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, and Council on Social Work Accreditation. The school awards Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of Social Work degrees.
History
Johnson C. Smith University was established on April 7, 1867 as the Biddle Memorial Institute at a meeting of the Catawba Presbytery in the old Charlotte Presbyterian Church. Mary D. Biddle, a churchwoman, donated $1,400 to the school. In appreciation of this first contribution, friends requested that Mrs. Biddle name the newly established school; she did so in the name of her late husband, Captain Henry Jonathan Biddle, who had been mortally wounded during the Battle of Glendale in 1862. Samuel C. Alexander and Willis L. Miller, saw the need for a school in the south and after the birth of the school, they were elected as some of the first teachers. Its corresponding women's school was Scotia Seminary.In 1876, the charter was changed by the legislature of the State of North Carolina and the name became Biddle University, under which name the institution operated until 1923.
In 1891, Biddle University elected Daniel 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, and a memorial gate. She also provided an endowment for the institution in memory of her late husband, Johnson C. Smith. Up until her death, she donated funds for five more buildings and a campus church. In recognition of these generous benefactions, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the institution to Johnson C. Smith University. The charter of the school, accordingly, was amended on March 1, 1923, by the legislature of the State of North Carolina.
In 1924, James B. Duke established the Duke Endowment. While the largest share of that the endowment's earnings are allocated to support Duke University, Duke's donation required that 4% of its earnings be given to the university. Over the years, this share of the Endowment's distributions has exceeded $90 million.
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 the United 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.
Biddle Memorial Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places.
| 1870–1884 | Stephen Mattoon |
| 1884–1885 | William Alexander Holliday |
| 1886–1891 | William F. Johnson |
| 1891–1907 | Daniel J. Sanders |
| 1907–1947 | Henry Lawrence McCrorey |
| 1947–1956 | Hardy Liston |
| 1956–1957 | James W. Seabrook |
| 1957–1968 | Rufus P. Perry |
| 1968–1972 | Lionel Newsome |
| 1973–1982 | Wilbert Greenfield |
| 1983–1994 | Robert Albright |
| 1994–2008 | Dorothy Cowser Yancy |
| 2008–2018 | Ronald L. Carter |
| 2018–present | Clarence D. Armbrister |
Academics
Johnson C. Smith University offers 24 different degrees to undergraduate students and one to postgraduates. Each student earns his or her degree through one of three colleges: the College of Arts and Letters, the College of STEM, or the College of Professional Studies.The Robert L. Albright Honors College is available to qualified high-achieving undergraduate students at JCSU. The college is named after the 11th president of the university.
Metropolitan College offers undergraduate degree programs to adults to enhance their opportunities for career advancement and success. Metropolitan College provides students with flexible, convenient schedules and a variety of course styles including on-campus and online courses, as well as a Flex-Option for courses that include both online and in-class instruction. Evening courses at Metropolitan College are offered in criminology, social work, and business administration.
Colleges
The university is organized into three colleges:- College of Arts and Letters
- College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- College of Professional Studies.
Student activities
Fraternities and sororities
All of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Johnson C. Smith University. These organizations are:| Organization | Symbol | Chapter | Chapter Symbol |
| Alpha Phi Alpha | ΑΦΑ | Alpha Omicron | ΑΟ |
| Kappa Alpha Psi | ΚΑΨ | Alpha Epsilon | ΑΕ |
| Omega Psi Phi | ΩΨΦ | Rho | Ρ |
| Phi Beta Sigma | ΦΒΣ | Alpha Epsilon | ΑΕ |
| Iota Phi Theta | ΙΦΘ | Beta Theta | ΒΘ |
| Alpha Kappa Alpha | ΑΚΑ | Gamma Delta | ΓΔ |
| Delta Sigma Theta | ΔΣΘ | Gamma Lambda | ΓΛ |
| Zeta Phi Beta | ΖΦΒ | Kappa | Κ |
| Sigma Gamma Rho | ΣΓΡ | Beta Upsilon | ΒΥ |
Other organizations include:
| Organization | Symbol | Chapter | Chapter Symbol |
| Tau Beta Sigma | ΤΒΣ | Eta Omicron | ΗΟ |
| Kappa Kappa Psi | ΚΚΨ | Theta Mu | ΘΜ |
| Alpha Phi Omega | ΑΦΩ | Delta Phi | ΔΦ |
| Lambda Theta Alpha | ΛΘΑ | Zeta Theta | ΖΘ |
| Lambda Theta Phi | ΛΘΦ | NC Colony 2 |
Athletics
Student-athletes compete in intercollegiate and intramural athletics.JCSU is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Its intercollegiate sports programs include basketball, bowling, cross-country, football, golf, softball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field. Its teams are nicknamed the Golden Bulls.