Shorter College
The school c. 1910
Former name
Bethel University (1886–1888)
Bethel Institute (1888–1892)
Shorter University (1892–1903)
Motto
"Cogito Ergo Sum"[1]
Motto in English
"I think, therefore I am"
TypePrivate historically black liberal arts junior college
Established1886 (1886)
AccreditationTRACS
AffiliationAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church
PresidentO. Jerome Green, Esq.[2]
Location
North Little Rock
,
Arkansas
,
United States
ColorsDark blue, light blue and gold[3]
     
NicknameBulldogs
Websitewww.shortercollege.edu

Shorter College is a private, historically black, liberal arts junior college in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It is the only private historically black junior college in the United States. Shorter College was founded in 1886 as Bethel University by the Twelfth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church. The college is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and offers associate degrees through its six programs.[1][4][5][6][7][8]

History

Shorter College began as a means to increase literacy among Arkansas's African-American population and foster their civic engagement by offering them access to education and spiritual direction once the Civil War and slavery had ended. In 1885, under presiding Bishop T. M. D Ward, the A.M.E. Church approved the establishment of a joint commission on church schools during its annual conference in Arkansas. In May 1886, five commissioners from regional state conferences were appointed to found the college as Bethel University, which would fall under the jurisdiction of the Bethel A.M.E. Church in Little Rock. Classes commenced in September 1886 in the basement of the church with 109 students enrolled. The school's first-elected principal and assistant teacher were A.D. Delaney and Mary Jane Murphy, respectively. Initial course offerings included teacher training.[9][10][11]

In 1888, the school was renamed Bethel Institute. In September 1891, classes recommenced at the school's new location in Arkadelphia, which was purchased with a $3,000 pledge fund.[5][10][9]

In 1892, it was renamed Shorter University to honor Bishop James Alexander Shorter, who is credited with establishing Arkansas as nationally recognized southern hub for the A.M.E. Church.[12][13] The college received a charter two years later.[9][5]

Between 1895 and 1898, the school operated campuses in Arkadelphia and North Little Rock (formerly Argenta).[9][5] Its North Little Rock campus began in Bethel Church and had transitioned to its own property in the city by 1896.[14][5]

In 1903, the two campuses were merged at the 604 Locust Street location in North Little Rock, and the school was renamed Shorter College.[2][9][14]

Shorter College was offering courses from grades three through college by 1917, and was North Little Rock's only high school for black students until 1928.[5] For a time, the college operated as a four-year institution until 1955, when it reverted back to its status as a two-year institution due to financial constraints.[2][9][5]

In 1981, Shorter College attained full accreditation, which was required to establish transfer agreements with four-year institutions in Arkansas. The agreements would allow students to transfer their Shorter College credits to a four-year institution after earning an associate degree at Shorter College.[5]

After a period of decline caused by internal political division and debt throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Shorter College lost accreditation and federal funding in 1998. By 2000, after enrollment had significantly decreased and its buildings were shuttered, Shorter College had entered into an agreement with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff that offered accredited courses to Shorter College students. By 2011, after years of fundraising and debt cancellations, Shorter College reopened its facilities and earned accreditation candidacy through the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.[5]

In 2013, the college attained full accreditation.[5][7]

Campus

Shorter College is located at 604 Locust Street in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and covers three and one-half square blocks. The campus houses Sherman-Tyree Hall, the F.C. James Human Resources Center, S. S. Morris Student Center, Henry A. Belin Health-Plex, Alexander-Turner Child Development Center, Health and Wellness Center and A.W. Young Library.[2]

Tyree Hall was the first permanent building on campus. Completed in 1903, it was a three-story brick structure for classrooms, offices, a library, and boys’ dormitories. After undergoing a full demolition in 1957, the rebuilt two-story facility was dedicated as Sherman-Tyree Hall in 1961. It currently serves as the main administrative and instructional facility for Shorter College.[2][5]

The F.C. James Human Resources Center took two years to build and was completed in 1979. It was named after Bishop Frederick C. James, a civil rights leader and one of the people credited with achieving initial accreditation for Shorter College.[15][16] It includes a 148-seat auditorium that was fully-renovated in 2015.[17] A weekly College Assembly/Chapel service has been held in the facility.[18]

The S.S. Morris Student Center was fully constructed in 1974 and underwent renovations in 2014. It was designed to be the hub of student activity and houses a banquet hall, kitchen, student lounge and activity spaces and the Division of Student Affairs.[17][19]

The Henry A. Belin Health-Plex is home to the college's gymnasium, which was completed in 1992. The health-plex serves as the venue for physical education classes and sports, career fair and commencement events. A weekly College Assembly/Chapel service has been also been held at the health-plex.[2][20]

The Alexander-Turner Child Development Center offers child care services to college students and the greater Shorter College community. Completed in 1995, the facility partnered with Headstart to attain funding for facility renovations. The center contains observation rooms for Child Development students.[2][19]

The Health and Wellness Center offers health screening and health information to the Shorter College community. The building was donated to the school in 2014 and renovated the following year. [2] In 2015, Shorter College purchased property near the Health and Wellness Center and partnered with the Arkansas Minority Health Commission to open the property as a free medical clinic for the greater Shorter College community.[19][21]

The A.W. Young Library is a 6,818 square foot (633.4 m2) facility that contains a classroom, student seating and computer area, office space and 3,215 square feet (298.7 m2) of bookstacks.[2]

Administration and organization

Shorter College's parent organization is the Twelfth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church. The college is organized under a board of trustees, with the presiding bishop of the Twelfth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church as chairman. The majority of the board members, who are clergy or lay members, are elected through the four annual Arkansas A.M.E. Church conferences. The president of Shorter College is an ex-officio member who reports to the board through the Twelfth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church.[2]

Shorter College offers six degree programs: Child Development, Christian Leadership, Criminal Justice, General Studies, Entrepreneurial Studies and Computer Science.[2][8]

A typical academic year contains two 15-week terms during the fall (August–December) and spring (January–April). There are two accelerated four-week summer sessions that run from May to June and June to July. An academic year begins on the first day of the fall term and ends on the last day of the second summer term.[22][23]

Academics and programs

Shorter College has an open admissions policy.[7][9]

The college offers early entry and dual enrollment programs to local high school students.[2]

Since 2016, Shorter College has participated in the Second Chance Pell program, an initiative that offers Pell Grants to students who are incarcerated.[2][24][25]

Student life

Student body

As of fall 2020, Shorter College's student body consists of 223 students. There are 89 percent full time and 11 percent part time students.[7]

Demographics of student body in fall 2020[7]
Full and Part Time StudentsU.S. Census[lower-alpha 1][26]
International 0%N/A
Multiracial American 0%2.8%
Black/African American 85%13.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0%1.3%
Asian 0%5.9%
Non-Hispanic White American 13%60.1%
Hispanic/Latino American 1%18.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0%0.2%
Other/Unknown 0%N/A

Organizations

The following student groups operate at Shorter College: Black Male Initiative, Health and Wellness Club, National Association of Black Men United, Phi Beta Lambda and Student Government Association.[27]

Principals/Presidents

Everyone listed prior to 1893 served as a principal only.[2][5][14]

  • Julian T. Bailey, 1886-1887[28]
  • Professor A. D. Delaney, 1887–1890
  • Professor John R. Rector, 1890–1890[lower-alpha 2]
  • Professor S. T. Boyd, 1891–1893
  • B. W. Arnett Jr., 1893–1894
  • T. H. Jackson, 1895–1897
  • F. T. Vinegar, 1897–1898
  • Dr. J. A. McGivary Jones, 1898–1900
  • T. H. Jackson, 1900–1904
  • Dr. P. W. Walls, 1904–1904[lower-alpha 3]
  • Rev. A. H. Hill, 1904–1912
  • Rev. O. L. Moody, 1912–1914
  • Dr. William Byrd, 1914–1917
  • Rev. J. N. Campbell, 1917–1919
  • Rev. S. L. Green, 1919–?
  • Theophilus D. Alexander
  • A. O. Wilson, 1958–1960
  • Dr. H. Solomon Hill, 1960–1968
  • Rev. Lonnie L. Johnson, 1970–1971
  • Oley L. Griffin, 1972–1977
  • R.J. Hampton, 1977–1980
  • Rev. John L. Phillips Sr., 1980–1987
  • Dr. H. Benjamin Williams, 1987–1988
  • Dr. W. Dean Goldsby, 1988–1989
  • Dr. Katherine P. Mitchell, 1989–1997
  • Dr. Irma Hunter Brown, 1998–2001
  • Dr. Cora D. McHenry, 2002–?
  • Lillie Alexis
  • Dr. Katherine P. Mitchell, ?–2012

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. ↑ People who identify as Hispanic/Latino are included in applicable race categories.
  2. ↑ Rector resigned after three days to become a government clerk. Assistant Mary Jane Murphy served as the interim principal.[14]
  3. ↑ Walls resigned.
  4. ↑ Stanton was elected as Democratic Party candidate in 1932 and 1934. He helped organize African-American support for the Democratic Party in Lake County, Indiana.[34]

References

  1. 1 2 "About". Shorter College. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Shorter College Academic Catalog 2020–2021" (PDF). Shorter College. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Shorter College Media Guide 2016" (PDF). Shorter College. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Case Study: Shorter College". Ricoh. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  6. ↑ Jackson, Cynthia L.; Nunn, Eleanor F. (2003). Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-85109-422-6. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "College Navigator - Shorter College". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Degree Programs". Shorter College. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Townsend, Barbara (December 24, 2002). Two-Year Colleges for Women and Minorities: Enabling Access to the Baccalaureate. Routledge. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-135-57948-7. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Hill, Samuel S. (1983). On Jordan's Stormy Banks: Religion in the South : a Southern Exposure Profile. Mercer University Press. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-86554-060-6. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  11. ↑ Williams, Johnny E. (2003). African American Religion and the Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-60473-584-0. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  12. ↑ "African Methodist Episcopal Church". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  13. ↑ Kirk, John (January 31, 2016). "African American Higher Education- Shorter College". KUAR. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Smith, Charles Spencer (1922). A History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church: Being a Volume Supplemental to A History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Book Concern of the A.M.E. Church. pp. 362–363. ISBN 9780384452619. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  15. ↑ Jones, Nic (July 23, 2020). "Columbia man's lifetime of civil rights work, ministry honored". wltx.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  16. ↑ Timmons, Jennifer (July 23, 2020). "July 23, 2020 Proclaimed as Bishop Frederick Calhoun James Day by City of Columbia". City of Columbia Police Department. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "The Shorter Reporter | August 26, 2014 Edition by Shorter College | Institutional Advancement - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  18. ↑ "SHORTER COLLEGE Faculty and Staff Handbook" (PDF). Shorter College. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 "Shorter College President's Annual Report 2015" (PDF). Shorter College. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  20. ↑ "The Shorter Reporter | February 24, 2016 Edition by Shorter College | Institutional Advancement - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Shorter College Getting Medical Clinic". KLRT - FOX16.com. February 25, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Academic Calendar 2021-2022" (PDF). Shorter College. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Academic Calendar 2020 Spring and Summer" (PDF). Shorter College. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  24. ↑ Wexler, Ellen (June 24, 2016). "U.S. expands Pell Grant program to 12,000 in prison". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  25. ↑ Simpson, Stephen (December 3, 2018). "State partnering colleges with prisons; U.S. experiment studies learning's effect on inmates". Arkansas Online. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  26. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Student Activities". Shorter College. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Julian Talbot: Lawyer and Strong Proponent of Civil Rights for African Americans". July 21, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Irma Jean Hunter Brown". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Biography of James Cone | James Cone Symposium". Northwestern University. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  31. ↑ Adams, Rebecca Feldhaus (April 28, 2018). "James H. Cone, Founder Of Black Liberation Theology, Dies At 79". NPR. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Alex Hill Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Obituary: E. Melvin Porter, LLB'59". Vanderbilt University. November 20, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Robert L. Stanton". Indiana Legislator Database. Indiana General Assembly. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Alphonso E. "Phonnie" Trent". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved January 20, 2022.

34°45′34″N 92°15′38″W / 34.75931°N 92.26050°W / 34.75931; -92.26050

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