Waco in McLennan County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Paul Quinn College
Photographed By James Hulse, August 5, 2022
1. Paul Quinn College Marker
Later known as Waco College and located at 8th and Mary streets, the school taught newly freed slaves blacksmithing, carpentry, tanning, and the like. In 1881 it was moved to present site and renamed for Bishop William Paul Quinn (1788-1873), an early missionary to the western states.
The expanded curriculum was taught in the first building erected from a "Ten Cents A Brick" campaign, expressing the dreams of a desperately poor people.
Additional buildings arose as service and value of the college became apparent, with growth accelerated since 1962 under leadership of Bishop O.L. Sherman. Illustrious alumni and students honor the Paul Quinn motto: "A past to cherish, a future to fulfill".
The Rt. Rev. O.L. Sherman, Bishop
Tenth Episcopal District, A.M.E. Church
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, 1962-
Dr. S.E. Rutland, President, 1969
Erected
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical date for this entry is April 4, 1872.
Location. 31° 34.248′ N, 97° 7.241′ W. Marker is in Waco, Texas, in McLennan County. Marker can be reached from Elm Avenue, 0.1 miles south of Garrison Street, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located in front of the Rapoport Academy: Meyer High School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1020 Elm Avenue, Waco TX 76704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Doris Miller (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Westley United Methodist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Toliver Chapel Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Going Up The Chisholm Trail (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Waco Suspension Bridge (approx. 0.7 miles away); Washington Avenue Bridge at Brazos River (approx. ¾ mile away); Jacob de Cordova (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waco.
Also see . . . Paul Quinn College. Waco History
Paul Quinn acted as an academic alternative for black students excluded from other institutions of higher education in(Submitted on August 14, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)the pre-Civil Rights era. Early on the college focused primarily on vocational training although it did offer a few courses in theology, English, Latin, music, and math. In the mid-1960s, options for many college-bound students expanded when two new schools joined the higher education landscape in Waco, McLennan Community College and Texas State Technical College. For black students, Paul Quinn remained the only option, and it was a largely unsatisfactory one. Its academic standards were not competitive with the other schools, its facilities were sub-par, and it was unable to receive sufficient funding to improve either situation. When Baylor, MCC, and TSTC racially integrated, Paul Quinn’s appeal dropped so far that the school was in danger of closing permanently. Source: Brandice NelsonPhotographed By James Hulse, August 5, 20222. Paul Quinn College Marker
Photographed By James Hulse, August 5, 2022
3. The Paul Quinn College Marker in front of the school building
Photographed By James Hulse, August 5, 2022
4. Old Building on School Complex
Credits. This page was last revised on August 14, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 133 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 14, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
