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Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a private, co-ed, four-year liberal arts institution of higher learning located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina; it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. JCSU is also a historically black college. JCSU offers an assortment of academic programs, aimed at ensuring that its graduates are prepared for success in the workforce. JCSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and Council on Social Work Accreditation (CSWE). The school awards Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Social Work degrees to its graduates. The school also presents many internship oppourtunities.

History

Johnson C. Smith University was established in April 7,1867 as the Biddle Memorial Institute at a meeting of the Catawba Presbytery in the old Charlotte Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Mary D. Biddle, a churchwoman, donated $1,400 to the school. In appreciation of this first contribution, friends requested Mrs. Biddle to name the newly established school after her late husband, Major Henry Biddle. Two ministers, Rev. Samuel C. Alexander and the Rev. Willis L. Miller, saw the need for an school in the south and after the birth of the school they were elected as some of the first teachers.

In 1876, the charter was changed by the Legislature of the State of North Carolina, and the name became Biddle University. The institution operated under this name until 1923.

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 tell 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 (JCSU). The charter of the school, accordingly, was amended on March 1, 1923, by the Legislature of the State of North Carolina.

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 plants, to promote faculty growth, and to create new areas of service.

In Fall 2000, JCSU launched the IBM Laptop Initiative becoming one of few colleges in the country and the first historically black college to provide an IBM laptop computer to every student. Known as "Thinkpad U", JCSU gives students and their computers complete access to the campus-wide network and Internet services. Since 1994, the ratio of computers to students improved from 1:10 to 1:1.1. With this new initiative and the commitment to integrate technology throughout the curriculum, JCSU gained national recognition.

Full Text: http://www.jcsu.edu/future/heritage.htm

Sports and other campus activities

Student-athletes compete in intercollegiate and intramural athletics. Students can choose to be involved in various on-campus organizations, including fraternities, sororities, and intramural sports. JCSU is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division II, and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). It's intercollegiate sports programs include basketball, bowling, cross-country, football, golf, softball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field.

  • In 2001 the men's basketball team advanced to the Division II Elite Eight.
  • Both JCSU men’s and women’s basketball teams are the 2006 CIAA Western Division Champions and the 2006 CIAA Tournament Runner-Ups.

Due to its location in a large urban area, there are many social and cultural activities for JCSU students and faculty to enjoy, including theater/movies, concerts, art exhibits, bands, chorale, poetry readings, and dance, among others.

Notable alumni

External links

Part of the Tom Joyner Foundation for HBCUs.

Universities and colleges in North Carolina | Historically black universities and colleges in the U.S. | Charlotte, North Carolina | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools | Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association | 1867 establishments

 

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