Bennett College

This article is about the historically black women's college in Greensboro, North Carolina. For the women's college in Millbrook, New York which existed from 1890 to 1978, see Bennett College (New York).

Bennett College
Official Bennett College seal
Motto	"Educating and Celebrating Women Since 1873"
Established	Founded August 1, 1873 and reorganized as an all female institution in 1926
Type	Private Historically Black Liberal Arts College for Women
Religious affiliation	United Methodist Church
Endowment	$15 million
President	Esther Terry
Vice-president	James Dixon
Provost	Millicent Rainey
Academic staff	89
Students	780
Location	Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
Campus	55 acres
Former names	Bennett School, Bennett Seminary
Colors	Royal Blue and White
Athletics	United States Collegiate Athletic Association USCAA
Sports	Basketball Golf Softball Swimming Soccer Fitness
Nickname	Belles
Affiliations	United Negro College Fund
Website	bennett.edu
Bennett College Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location:	Roughy bounded by E. Washington, Bennett and Gorrell Sts., Greensboro, North Carolina
Built:	1878
Architectural style:	Gothic, Other, Georgian Revival
Governing body:	Private
MPS:	Greensboro MPS
NRHP Reference#:	92000179
Added to NRHP:	April 3, 1992

Bennett College is a private four-year historically black liberal arts college for women. Located in Greensboro, NC, it was founded in 1873 as a normal school educating newly emancipated slaves. It became a women's college in 1926 and is one of only two historically black colleges that enroll women only. Today it serves roughly 780 undergraduate students.

History

Bennett College was founded August 1, 1873 as a normal school for seventy African American men and women (former slaves). The school's founder Albion W. Tourgee was an activist in the second half of the 19th century who championed the cause of racial equality contributed greatly to the colleges' inception. The school held its inaugural classes in the basement of Warnersville Methodist Episcopal Church North (now St. Matthew's United Methodist) in Greensboro. Bennett as a coeducational school at the time (offered both high school and college level courses), and remained so until 1926. The year after its founding, the school became sponsored by the Freedman's Aid Society and Southern Education Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Bennett remained under the Freedman's Aid Society for 50 years. In 1878, newly emancipated slaves purchased the land which the colleges stands today. Hearing of what was being done, New York businessman Lyman Bennett provided $10,000 in funding to build a permanent campus. Bennett died soon thereafter, and the school was named Bennett Seminary and a bell was created in his honor. Hearing of Bennett's philanthropy his coworkers continued his mission by providing the bell for the school.

In 1888, Bennett Seminary elected its first African-American president, the Reverend Charles Grandison. Grandison spearheaded a successful drive to have the school chartered as a four year college in 1889. Under his direction, and the direction of the president who followed him (Jordan Chavis), Bennett College grew from 11 undergraduate students to a total of 251 undergraduates by 1905. The enrollment leveled out in the 1910s at roughly 300. In 1916, a survey taken by the Phelps-Stokes Foundation recommended Bennett College be turned into a college for women. After doing research and finding there was not a four year college for African American women only,(Bennett was chartered as a college in 1889, Spelman was chartered as a college in 1924) The Woman's Home Missionary Society sought a school for that purpose. The Board of Education of North Carolina offered Bennett College for that task. Ten years of searching for a location and funding for the construction of a new campus (a new location was sought in Lynchburg, Virginia), the Women's Home Missionary Society and The Board of Education of North Carolina decided to keep the college in its current location since it was already an established institution. Bennett fully transitioned into a women's college in 1926. Note: The Women's Home Missionary Society's on campus involvement with Bennett women dates back to 1886.

In 1926, came the arrival of Dr. David Dallas Jones who placed Bennett College on a pinnacle of new heights. Under Dr. Jones, Bennett College expanded and the student body grew to 400. Known as the Vassar College of the south, diversity was added to the campus with faculty, staff and student body, bringing individuals from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds to the college. Although his leadership of the college was very accomplished, it was also marred with controversy. In 1937, Bennett students protested downtown Greensboro, NC movie theaters because of the depictions of black women in film and segregation of movie theaters. The successful protest and boycott was led by Bennett College freshwoman Frances Jones (daughter of Dr. David D. Jones). Due to this protest in the height of Jim Crow in the south, Dr. Jones was visited by the FBI and other government agencies, ordering him to force the students from protesting, he refused. Dr. Jones defied all odds once again when he invited first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the college to meet with an integrated group of school aged children (black and white) from the Greensboro community March 22, 1945. Other visitors to the campus included Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, poet Robert Frost and Dr. James Weldon Johnson. Dr. Jones led the college for almost 30 years until he became ill in 1955, naming Dr. Willa B. Player interim president.

In October 1956, Dr. Willa B. Player was inaugurated as President of Bennett College for Women. She was the first African American woman to be president of a four-year, fully accredited liberal arts college or university. During Dr. Player's tenure, Bennett was one of the first historically black colleges to receive Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation in 1957. On February 11, 1958 she allowed controversial civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak at the school when he was not allowed to speak anywhere else in Greensboro, NC. His iconic speech "A Realistic Look At Race Relations" was delivered to an overpacked audience at Bennett College's Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel. On Dr. King's visit to the college, Dr. Player was quoted "Bennett College is a liberal arts college, where freedom rings so Dr. King can speak here". Dr. King's visit to the college along with Howard Thurman and Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays (in order of visit to the college) is what sparked the Bennett Belles to plan and to lead protests in Greensboro.

In February 1960 civil unrest hit downtown Greensboro, NC with protest from African American college students from Bennett College and North Carolna A&T. February 2, 1960, Bettye Davis, class of 1963, made the commitment to sit at the "white-only" lunch counter with students from North Carolina A&T and remained at the lunch counter until it was integrated. February 4, 1960, close to a dozen Bennett Belles were arrested due to on going protest of Woolworths.

On April 21, 1960, Bennett and A&T students were arrested for trespassing at the S.H. Kress & Co. lunch counter..

On April 22, 1960, The Daily News broke the story of the arrests with front-page headlines and a picture of a well-dressed female students awkwardly entering the back of a paddy wagon without assistance from the police officers surrounding it. It was stated that Greensboro police were surprised by the behavior of Bennett Belles who were viewed as well dressed upstanding women from an "elitist finishing school" in the Greensboro community. At the peak of the sit in movement more than 40% of Bennett's student body was jailed. Dr. Player personally visited students in jail and carried there assignments to them so they would not fall behind in there studies.

In June 2011, Inside Higher Ed characterized the institution as having "struggled for years with financial (and administrative) difficulties" when reporting that the college had been placed on probation by its regional accrediting body for "run[ning] afoul of the accreditor's standard on financial stability." The probation was lifted six months later.

Bennett today

Bennett is currently ranked #15 among the top historically black colleges and universities, both for its academic achievements and its relatively reasonable tuition rates. The school was revitalized and much needed renovations were made to campus buildings by Sister President Emerita Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole who spearheaded a $50 million campaign. A host of famous faces stopped by the campus and lended a hand to raise money for Bennett. Notables such as Former President Bill Clinton, Former US Senator Robert Dole and Oprah Winfrey assisted with this fundraising cause. The campaign closed successfully at the end of her tenure June 2007. Under the leadership of President Emerita Dr. Julianne Malveaux the college expanded by adding four new buildings, a multimedia center and additional renovations were made to campus buildings. Since 1930, Bennett has graduated more than 5,500 students, affectionately known as Bennett Belles. The college is also known for its intense spirituality, sisterhood and a wide range of school traditions. Bennett's brother school is Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. This relationship developed through the close and historic friendship of former Bennett College President Dr. David Dallas Jones and former Morehouse College President Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.

Accreditations and memberships

In 1930, on the graduation of its first four women with a bachelor’s degree, the ‘A’ rating was granted to the college by the North Carolina State Department of Education. This same rating was granted the college in 1936 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Today, the college continues with its Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation and is also accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

In 1957, Bennett was one of the first Black colleges to be admitted into full membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Other organizations in which the college holds or has held membership include: the American Association of Colleges, The Commission on Black Colleges of the University Senate, the American Association of Registrars and Admission Officers, the American Council of Education, the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, the College Fund/UNCF, the Council on Independent Colleges, the Women’s College Coalition, the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the NCB Piedmont Automated Library System (NCBPALS), the Greater Greensboro Consortium, and the New York University Faculty Resource Network.

Presidents

1. W.J. Parker (principal) - (1874–1877)
2. Reverend Edward O. Thayer - (1877–1881)
3. Reverend Wilbur F. Steele - (1881–1889)
4. Reverend Charles N. Grandison - (1889–1892)
5. Dr. Jordan Chavis - (1892–1905)
6. Reverend Silas A. Peeler - (1905–1913)
7. Professor James E. Wallace - (1913–1915)
8. Reverend Frank Trigg - (1915–1926)
9. Dr. David Dallas Jones - (1926–1955)
10. Dr. Willa B. Player - (1955–1966) - Bennett's First Woman President
11. Dr. Isaac H. Miller, Jr. - (1966–1987)
12. Dr. Gloria Randle Scott - (1987–2001)
13. Dr. Althia F. Collins - (2001–2002)
14. Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole - (2002–2007)
15. Dr. Julianne Malveaux - (2007–2012)
16. Dr. Esther Terry -(2012–Present) - Bennett's First Alumna President
17. Dr. Rosalind Fuse-Hall- Effective July 1, 2013

Academics

Bennett college offers 24 majors and 19 minors under 3 divisions: Division of Natural and Behavioral Sciences and Mathematics, Division of Social Sciences and Education, and Division of Humanities. These disciplines include degrees in bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of arts and science in interdisciplinary studies, bachelor of social work, and the bachelor of fine arts. Bennett also offers five dual degree programs including Chemistry/Chemical Engineering with NC A&T, Chemistry/Pharmacy with Howard University, Mathematics/Mechanical Engineering with NC A&T, Mathematics/Electrical Engineering with NC A&T and Mathematics/Industrial Engineering with NC A&T.

Bennett has incorporated three new programs that are aimed at increasing students' awareness of the struggles and accomplishments of all women, especially those of African descent; and staying in-step with the ever-changing climate of today's globally integrated society: Womanist Religious Studies, Global Studies, Africana Women's Studies and The New Academy.

The early/middle College at Bennett College

The Middle College at Bennett has the distinction of being one of only two all-female high schools in the state of North Carolina. It began in 2003 as a middle college serving female 11th and 12th grade students who were at-risk of dropping out of high school. By 2006, with the help of The New Schools Project Reform Initiative, The Middle College expanded its population to include 9th and 10th graders and began offering dual enrollment. With dual enrollment, students take college courses and earn transferable college credit as they earn their high school diploma. Students begin taking college courses their 9th grade year and may earn up to two years of transferable college credit hours upon completion of their senior year.

Today, the Early/Middle College is nationally recognized as an honor school. In 2012 it was named a National Blue Ribbon School, and in 2011 and 2013 became one of 25 schools across the United States and Canada to receive a Project Ignition grant to put their no texting and driving campaign into action.

Bennett buildings

Global Learning Center, houses administrative offices of the President and Institutional Advancement. The GLC has four classrooms, study rooms and a multipurpose room equipped with state of the art technology.

Susie W. Jones Alumnae House, the oldest structure on campus, was built in 1915. Later named for the wife of Bennett's President Dr. David D. Jones it is used to house alumnae activities and offices.

Wilbur F. Steele Hall, erected in 1922, is named for Reverend Wilbur Steele, president of Bennett from 1881 to 1889. Renovations were completed in 2004.

Robert E. Jones Residence Hall, built in 1922, is named for the first Black minister elected as a general superintendent with full Episcopal responsibilities in the Methodist Church.

John H. Race Administration Building, erected in 1925, is named for a Methodist church Publishing House official and trustee of Bennett College. It houses Business and Finance, Human Resources, Global Studies, the Entrepreneurship Institute and Public Relations.

Enrollment Management Center, houses the offices of Financial Aid and Admissions.

Pfeiffer Residence Hall, constructed in 1924, was the nucleus of the current Bennett College campus and the first of five structures that bear some variation of the names of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pfeiffer, the institution’s most generous early benefactors.

Black Hall, built in 1937 as Henry Pfeiffer Science Hall and renamed for Ethel F. Black, a Bennett College trustee, when, in 1967–68, a new Henry Pfeiffer Science Hall was built. It is one of two principal classroom buildings. The building houses the administrative offices of Enrollment Management, The Registrar’s Office, the Division of Social Sciences and Education including the Departments of Business and Economics, Curriculum and Instruction, Political Science and Social Work/Sociology, and one computer laboratory.

Annie Merner Residence Hall, bears the maiden name of Mrs. Henry Pfeiffer and was erected in 1937–38. It currently houses faculty offices and the The Institute For Academic Success (IAS).

Thomas F. Holgate Library, was built in 1939, named for a former trustee of Bennett College, and funded by the General Education Board of the Methodist Church. Renovations to this building were completed in 2004.

Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel and Little Theater, erected in 1941, forms the north boundary of the quadrangle around which most of the major buildings cluster.

Carnegie Building, formerly a branch library of the City of Greensboro, was acquired by Bennett College in 1967 and renovated for use as a center for outreach programs. This facility houses the Truth and Reconciliation Archives and a portion of Information Technology IT.

Jessie M. Reynolds Residence Hall, built in 1948, was named for Mrs. Reynolds, a Bennett College trustee from 1936 to 1948 and president of the Woman’s Division of Christian Service of the Methodist Church from 1940 to 1948.

David D. Jones Student Union, erected 1949–50, was named for the president of the college from 1926 to 1955, and is said to have been the first building erected as a student union on a predominantly black college campus in North Carolina. It houses the dining hall, central storeroom, bookstore, snack bar, post office, SGA offices, Commuter Student Lounge, Bennett Boutique and recreational areas as well as the offices of the Student Affairs, Career Services, Residence Life, and Student Activities.

Martin Dixon Intergenerational Center, the Bennett College laboratory preschool, is used as a pre-observational and training site for elementary education majors prior to their official field experiences in a public school setting. The first five-star, licensed child-care facility in Guilford County, the preschool is also used by other departments in the college for students to gain exposure to and experiences in working with young children. The Martin Dixon Intergenerational Center also serves as a training/field exposure site for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Department of Psychology, Department of Political Science and Social Work/Sociology, and the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. It is named for generous donor and Bennett alumna Dr. Joyce Martin Dixon '56.

The President’s Home, forms the south base of the College quadrangle and was constructed in 1955.

Laura H. Cone Residence Hall, was built in 1961–62. Mrs. Cone was a Bennett College trustee and chairperson of the Trustee Committee on Buildings and Grounds.

The Ida Haslip Goode Health and Physical Education Building, is named for a long-time trustee of Bennett College who was also president of the Women’s Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Church. The gymnasium contains an Olympic-style swimming pool, a standard basketball court, a combined stage and ballet studio, a corrective exercise gymnasium, faculty offices, four classrooms, and a seminar-conference room. This facility provides classrooms for the Early/Middle College High School at Bennett, a partnership program with the Guilford County School System.

Willa B. Player Residence Hall, this residence hall, was named for the first woman president of Bennett College (1955–66) and was occupied for the first time in the fall of 1967.

Henry Pfeiffer Science Building, was built in 1968. In addition to classrooms and laboratories, this structure contains four computer laboratories, one electronic classroom, an animal laboratory with an adjacent greenhouse, and the faculty development resource room and faculty lounge.

The Honors Residence Hall, completed in 2010, is the largest residence hall. This facility has a capacity for 144 honor students, guest suites, seminar room to accommodate lectures and special programs and a computer lab for the residents.

Pfeiffer Science Computer Laboratories, The computer labs serve all students on campus in a wide variety of disciplines. The computer labs, located on the first floor of Pfeiffer Science Building, are used as electronic classrooms for specific classes as well as for general academic purposes. Among the software available are word processing, spreadsheets, mathematics and statistical programs, computer programming languages, a large test bank, and electronic lecture notes in mathematics and the sciences. The labs are available for student use throughout the day and evening hours.

Rose Catchings Complex, built in 1981, houses the administrative office of the Provost and Senior Associate Provost of the college; Student Health Services, Counseling Center, Information Technology IT and Administrative Services.

Merner Pfeiffer Plant – Journalism and Media Studies Building, was adapted for reuse as an academic building in 2009. This historic building originally constructed in 1935 as the heating plant for the campus, houses the Department of Journalism & Media Studies and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to fully support the curriculum and instruction for this degree program .

The Bennett College Micro-Laboratory for Effective Teaching, housed in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in Black Hall, is a simulated laboratory equipped with technological capabilities. Designed to enhance the teaching skills of students enrolled in the Teacher Education Program, the Micro-Lab provides opportunities for self-observance, self-assessment, reflection and exposure to best-practice methods, techniques, and materials prior to actual engagement in pre-professional practicum and student teaching experiences.

Student Life

There are over 60 campus social, service, religious, and the student government association organizations. Bennett College for Women also has collegiate sports.

Honor Societies

Alpha Lambda Delta, Alpha Kappa Mu, Beta Kappa Chi, Iota Iota Iota, Psi Chi, Sigma Tau Delta

Student Publications, Media and Alumnae Publications

Bennett Banner, Belle Vision TV, Bennett College Association of Black Journalist, Belle Ringer Alumnae Magazine

Student Academic and Enrichment Clubs

American Civil Liberties Club, Belle Business Club, Biology Club, Chemistry Club, Foster Friends Club, HBCU-UP Club, Mathematics and Computer Science Club, Psychology Club, Social Work Club, Journalism Club, Minority Association for Pre-Med Students (MAPS).

Student Council

Barge Hall Council, Cone Hall Council, Jones Hall Council, Pan Hellenic Council, Pfeiffer Hall Council, Player Hall Council, Reynolds Hall Council, Pre Alumnae Council or PAC.

Student Government Association (SGA)

Serves as the official governing body for students.

Student Union Advisory Board (SUAB)

Provides educational, cultural, social recreation, entertainment and community building.

Student North Carolina Association of Educators (SNCAE)

Aids in making a smooth transition for education majors from classwork to first year teaching.

Belle Awareness and Encouragement Groups

Belles Against Domestic Violence, Belles of Peace, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Political Pacesetters, HIV/AIDS Prevention Taskforce

Religious Organizations

Bennett College Choir, Belles of Harmony Gospel Choir, The Millennium Mentors, Spirit of David Dance Ministry, Student Christian Fellowship, United Methodist Women, Catholic Campus Connection.

Sisterhood Organizations

Ringers, Liberty Belle New York Connection, Sister to Sister, Native Sister, Mid West Belles Club, Southern Belles Club, West Coast Connect

International Organizations

Caribbean Connection, International Club

National Pan Hellenic Council

Active Sororities on Bennett College campus

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (1908), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (1913), Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (1920), Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated (1922)

• Banned by Dr. David D. Jones and continued under the leadership of Dr. Willa B. Player, Bennett College was one of the last colleges to add sororities to school activities. At Bennett, belles are sisters first before they are sorority sisters.

Other Organizations

Belles in Media, Blue Blaze Dancers, Bennett College Ambassadors Association, Class Governments (Freshwomen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior), Ecentrique Modeling Troupe, Ladies of Essence Dance Team, Queens Association, Students in Free Enterprise.

Bennett College for Women Athletics

Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Swimming, Softball

Health, Wellness and Fitness

Outdoor Tennis Courts, 1/2 Mile Walking Track, Fitness/Weight Room

Notable Alumnae

Name	Class year	Notability	References
Dr. Dorothy L. Brown	1941	First African American woman general surgeon in the south and to serve on the Tennessee State Legislature, Dr. Brown was also the first African American woman to be made a fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Maidie Norman	1934	Actress and Educator. Maidie Norman's most famous role came in the 1962 horror and suspense film "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" along side veteran actresses Joan Crawford and Betty Davis. Ms. Norman is also widely known in Hollywood for fighting against stereotypical movie roles of African Americans.
Sandra Neely Smith	1976	Activist and Bennett College student government association president shot and killed by the KKK as she was protesting unfair wages paid to Greensboro, NC citizens
Lady Sara Lou Harris	1943	First African American model to appear in national advertisements, first African American to model in the New York buyers fashion show, first African American recognized and to become chatelaine of the US embassy
Dr. Carolyn R. Payton	1945	First Woman, First African American and First Psychologist tapped by President Jimmy Carter to head the Peace Corps. Dr. Payton also defined the meaning for what it is to be a First Class Citizen. She is also a pioneer in women's psychology
Dr. Frances Jones Bonner	1939	Daughter of former President Dr. David D. Jones, successfully led a boycott and protest of downtown Greensboro movie theaters during her Freshwoman year at Bennett College for Women. Dr. Jones Bonner was the First winner of the Helen C. Putnam Fellowship at Radcliffe College in advanced study in Genetics and Mental Health. She is also the First African American physician to train and to become a faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Jones Bonner also taught psychology in Bennett's feminist psychology course.
Dr. Allethia Lee Allen		Professor Emeritus, University of Washington
Faye Robinson	1964	Opera Singer, Saprano, currently an artist in residence at the University of Arizona in Tucson
Dr. Linda Beatrice Brown	1963	Author, Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Professor of English and Dr. Willa B. Player Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Bennett College for Women
Kimberly Morton Cuthrell	1996	Author of Splinters of My Soul
Michelle Huff	1995	Founder of Huff Entertainment
Dr. Hattie Caldwell	1970	Retired from the Department of Energy, Dr. Caldwell is a noted research scientist and expert in radiation. She is the current President of the National Technical Association, the oldest minority technical association in the United States
Gladys Robinson	1971	Serving Senator of Greensboro, NC
Dr. Glendora M. Putnam	1945	Civil Rights attorney and former President of the National YWCA
Roslyn Smith	1961	Civil Rights Activist, one of many Bennett Belles instrumental in the Greensboro sit-ins Feb 1960
Amikka Smith	2009	News Anchor/Reporter
Tammi McCall	1994	Actress, Radio Host, TV Host of the show Gossip Queens
Andrea Harris	1970	President and Co-Founder of the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development
Rev. Sekinah Hamlin	1994	Former Director of Multicultural Education at Guilford College
Belinda Foster	1979	First African American District Attorney in North Carolina
Dr. Talia McCray	1990	Noted research scientist
Barbara L. Hamm	1978	Fourth African American female television news director in the US. In the 90s, she was the only African American news director in the top 50 market
Yvonne Jeffries Johnson	1964	First African American Mayor of Greensboro, NC
Patricia L. Brown	1966	Former Moderator of Presbytarian Church. Currently she is the Commissioned Lay Pastor of the Norwood Presbytarian Church
Marion L. Bell	1970	Noted educator
Mary Jacobs	1967	Former Durham City Council at Large 1997-2001
Marissa Jennings	2003	Founder and CEO of SOCIALgrlz LLC. Website: www.socialgrlz.com. This website offers mentorship to African American pre-teen and teen girls ages 11-17, the first of its kind.
Patrice Vailes-Macarie	1980	Former runway model. Currently a fashion advisor for Lord & Taylor.
Dr. Joyce Martin Dixon	1956	Co-Founder of Creative Management Technology,Inc (CMT).
Dr. Jacquelyn Grant	1970	Author of the widely acclaimed White Women's Christ and Black Women's Jesus: Feminist Christology and Womanist Response. Jacquenlyn Grant is the first African American woman to earn a doctoral degree in systematic theology at Union Theological Seminary. She is also an author, theology professor and minister.
Beverly Buchanan	1962	Noted artist for her exploration of Southern vernacular architecture. She went on to Columbia University where she received a master's degree in parasitology(1968) and public health(1969). Beverly decided not to attend medical school in order to pursue her dream as an artist.
Chaundra Luckett	2006	Producer at WAGA-TV,Fox 5 in Atlanta
Joyce Garrett	1965	Founder and Advisor of the Washington Youth Choir
Dr. Myrtle Laurestine Brown	1945	Professor, noted nutritionist and government research scientist. Dr. Brown graduated from Bennett at age 19. She was Executive Secretary of the National Academy of Science's Food and Nutrition board. She was also co-author of the popular book Nutrition: An Integrated Approach.
Dr. Lillie Madison Jones	1965	Pastor, nationally distinguished educator and sought after speaker. In July 2001, Dr. Jones became the first woman to be appointed pastor of the Faith United Methodist Church. She was pastor from 2001-2006.
Shauntae Smith	2008	Youth pastor at Crown Ministries International, Youth Ministry
Hideko Tamura Snider	1956	A Hiroshima, Japan nuclear bomb survivor, activist and author of One Sunny Day: A Child's Memories of Hiroshima. Today Dr. Snider speaks out against the use of nuclear weapons and on creating a "nuclear free world".
Dr. Valerie Callendar	1982	Internationally recognized dermatologist, featured on The Dr. Oz show.

See also

• Women's Colleges in the Southern United States
• Morehouse College

External links

• Official website