Harris–Stowe State University
Former names | Harris Teachers College (1857–1954) Sumner Normal School (1890–1929) Stowe Teachers College (1929–1954) Harris–Stowe State College (1954–2005) |
---|---|
Motto | Inspiring change. |
Type | Public |
Established | 1857 |
President | LaTonia Collins Smith |
Provost | Edward Hill |
Students | 1,630[1] |
Location | , , United States |
Campus | Urban |
Colors | Brown & Gold |
Nickname | Hornets |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA – American Midwest |
Website | www |
Location | 3026 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103 |
Coordinates | 38°38′00″N 90°13′27″W / 38.63333°N 90.22417°W |
Area | 1.9 acres (0.77 ha) |
Built | 1905 |
Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 04000787[2] |
Added to NRHP | August 4, 2004 |
Harris–Stowe State University is a historically black public university in St. Louis, Missouri. The university offers 50 majors, minors, and certificate programs in education, business, and arts & sciences. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. It is immediately east of the Saint Louis University campus. The school enrolled 1,630 students in 2019.[1]
History
In 1857, St. Louis Public Schools established a normal school (teaching college) for white students; it was subsequently named Harris Teachers College, after William Torrey Harris, a former St. Louis superintendent of schools and United States Commissioner of Education. In 1863 philosopher Anna Brackett became principal of the school, and it became the first normal school led by a woman in the United States. In 1920, it was authorized to issue a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Education degree.[3]
In 1890, the St. Louis school system established Sumner Normal School to train black teachers. In 1929, its name was changed to Stowe Teachers College, after author Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, had promoted the abolitionist cause in the antebellum United States.[3]
The U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education mandated integration of public school systems. In response to this, Harris and Stowe Colleges were merged into one institution, which retained the "Harris Teachers College" name. At the behest of Stowe alumni and other St. Louisans, the name "Stowe" was added, and the school became Harris-Stowe College.[3]
In 1979, the college was added to the state system of public higher education, under the name of Harris-Stowe State College. Its four-year education degree was changed to a Bachelor of Science in Education. It subsequently expanded its programs to offer several new degrees in education, including the B.S. in Urban Education, designed to enable non-teaching urban education personnel to address problems specific to urban schools; and a degree in Business Administration with various professional options.[3]
In 2005, the college attained university status, and was renamed Harris–Stowe State University.[3]
Academics and accreditation
Academics
The Department of Academic Affairs comprises three academic units:
- Anheuser-Busch School of Business
- College of Arts & Sciences
- College of Education
All degree programs at Harris-Stowe begin with general education studies. Then upper-level courses concentrate on disciplinary studies.[4]
William L. Clay, Sr. Early Childhood Development/Parenting Education Center
The William L. Clay, Sr. Early Childhood Development/Parenting Education Center is an early childhood child care center located on campus. Harris-Stowe invested $11 million into the new facility to train early learning professionals, provide parenting education, and offer high quality day care for children. Harris-Stowe was awarded an FY09 Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) start-up and expansion grant to assist in the purchase of developmentally appropriate materials for the center's new infant/toddler rooms.[5]
Accreditation
Harris–Stowe State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Anheuser-Busch School of Business receives additional accreditation through the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. The School of Education receives additional accreditation through the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.[6]
Ranking
Harris-Stowe State University is ranked #55-#70 in Regional Colleges Midwest in 2020 by U S News & World Report.[7]
Student activities
Student organizations
The Office of Student Engagement sponsors or hosts more than thirty activities or special interest clubs and approximately a dozen academic clubs and honor societies, several campus affiliate chapters of national organizations, and nearly 12 Greek organizations (mostly in conjunction with other St. Louis area colleges and universities).[8]
Academic organizations
- Sigma Alpha Pi National Honor Society
- Alpha Chi Honor Society
- Accounting Students Association
- Kappa Delta Pi
- Kappa Mu Epsilon (Math Honor Society)
- Delta Mu Delta
Athletics
The Harris–Stowe State athletic teams are called the Hornets. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) since the 1986–87 academic year. Their mascot is the Hornet.[9]
Harris–Stowe State competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, soccer and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading.
Men's basketball
The Harris–Stowe State men's basketball team won the American Midwest Conference tournament championship in 2017 and 2018.
Notable alumni
- Arlene Ackerman, former superintendent of public schools in District of Columbia, San Francisco and Philadelphia
- John Burton (1910–1992), first African-American mayor in Michigan[10][11]
- Cori Bush, Representative for Missouri's 1st congressional district
- David S. Cunningham, Jr., Los Angeles, California, City Council member, 1973–87
- Kimberly Gardner, reformist prosecutor in City of St. Louis
- Julius Hunter, retired television anchorman, former St. Louis University vice-president, author
- Bobby Wilks, U.S. Coast Guard aviator, first African-American promoted to Captain in the Coast Guard
- DJ Tab, hip hop DJ, record producer, and entrepreneur[12]
References
- ^ a b "Trends in Headcount Enrollment, 2013-2019". Missouri Department of Higher Education. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Campus History". Harris-Stowe State University. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
- ^ "Harris-Stowe State University (314) 340-3366". hssu.edu. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ "ARCHS' PRE-K PARTNER SET TO OPEN NEW CENTER". ARCHS. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ "Harris-Stowe State University (314) 340-3366". hssu.edu. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ "Harris-Stowe State University". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report, L.P. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ "Harris-Stowe State University (314) 340-3366". hssu.edu. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^ "Athletics". Archived from the original on 2006-01-13.
- ^ "The Mayors of Ypsilanti (1858-1981)" (PDF). Ann Arbor District Library.
- ^ Clay, William (November 15, 1989). "A Tribute to John Burton - p. 29306" (PDF). Congressional Record.
- ^ "DJ Tab – Passion is Pursuit Conference". Retrieved 2020-11-06.
External links
- Harris–Stowe State University
- University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
- Tudor Revival architecture in Missouri
- Public universities and colleges in Missouri
- Historically black universities and colleges in the United States
- Universities and colleges in St. Louis
- Educational institutions established in 1857
- 1857 establishments in Missouri
- National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis
- Buildings and structures in St. Louis