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{{Short description|Historially Black university in Little Rock, Arkansas, US}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox university
{{Infobox university
|name = Philander Smith College
| name = Philander Smith University
|native_name =
| native_name =
|latin_name =
| latin_name =
|image = U.M. Rose School.JPG
| image = Philander_Smith_College_Donald_W._Reynolds_Library_%26_Technology_Center.jpg
|motto =
| motto =
|established = 1877: Walden Seminary <br /> 1882: Philander Smith College
| established = 1877
|type = [[Private school|Private]], [[Historically black colleges and universities|HBCU]]
| type = [[Private college|Private]] [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black college]]
|endowment = $3 million
| accreditation = [[Higher Learning Commission|HLC]]
|staff =
| endowment = $3 million
|faculty =
| staff =
|president = Roderick L. Smothers
| faculty =
|principal =
| president = Cynthia Bond Hopson
|rector =
| principal =
|chancellor =
| rector =
|vice_chancellor =
| chancellor =
|dean =
| vice_chancellor =
|head_label =
| dean =
|head =
| head_label =
|students = 760
| head =
|undergrad =
| students = 760
|postgrad =
| undergrad =
|doctoral =
| postgrad =
|city = [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]
| doctoral =
| city = [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]
|country = U.S.
| country = U.S.
|campus =
| campus =
| former_names = Walden Seminary (1877–1882), Philander Smith College (1882–2023)
⚫
|free_label =
|free =
| free_label =
|colors = {{color box|#1E4D2B}}&nbsp;{{color box|#C8C372}} Green and gold
| free =
| colors = Green and gold<br />{{color box|#1f5b41}}&nbsp;{{color box|#cfb62b}}
|colours =
|mascot =
| colours =
⚫
| mascot =
|sports_nickname =
| sports_nickname = [[Philander Smith Panthers|Panthers]]
|religious_affiliation = [[United Methodist Church]]
| religious_affiliation = [[United Methodist Church]]
|athletics_affiliations = [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]]
| athletics_affiliations = [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] – [[HBCU Athletic Conference|HBCUAC]]
|academic_affiliations = [[United Negro College Fund|UNCF]]
| academic_affiliations = [[United Negro College Fund|UNCF]]
|website = {{url|philander.edu}}
| website = {{url|www.philander.edu}}
}}
}}


'''Philander Smith College''' is a [[Private university|private]] [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black college]], in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]. Philander Smith College is affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]] and is a founding member of the [[United Negro College Fund]] (UNCF). Philander Smith College is accredited by the [[North Central Association of Colleges and Schools]].
'''Philander Smith University''' (previously '''Philander Smith College''') is a [[Private college|private]] [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black college]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]. It is affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]] and is a founding member of the [[United Negro College Fund]] (UNCF). Philander Smith College is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Higher Learning Commission]].


== History ==
== History ==
[[File:Budlong Hall, Philander Smith College.jpg|thumb|275x275px|Budlong Hall, c. 1910. Built 1883, demolished 1963.<ref>{{cite web |title=Budlong Hall |url=https://pscdigitalarchive.omeka.net/items/show/60 |website=D.W. Reynolds Library |publisher=Philander Smith College |access-date=14 September 2022}}</ref>]]
⚫
Philander Smith College was officially founded in 1877 under the name of Walden Seminary to provide educational opportunities for freed slaves west of the [[Mississippi River]]. In 1882 the school was renamed Philander Smith College in honor of the financial contributions of Adeline Smith, widow of [[Philander Smith]]. It was chartered as a four-year college in 1883 and conferred its first bachelor's degree in 1888. In 1933, it merged the assets<!--meaning, it took over the assets? If so, say it --> of the [[George R. Smith College]] in [[Sedalia, Missouri]], which burned down in 1925.<ref>http://www.soulofamerica.com/7723.0.0.1.0.0.phtml</ref> In 1943, Philander Smith was accredited by the [[North Central Association of Colleges and Schools]].

⚫
Philander Smith College was officially founded in 1877 under the name of '''Walden Seminary''' to provide educational opportunities for [[Freedman|emancipated slaves]] west of the [[Mississippi River]]. In 1882 the school was renamed Philander Smith College in honor of the financial contributions of Adeline Smith, widow of [[Philander Smith]]. It was chartered as a four-year college in 1883 and conferred its first bachelor's degree in 1888. In 1933, it merged the assets<!--meaning, it took over the assets? If so, say it --> of the [[George R. Smith College]] in [[Sedalia, Missouri]], which burned down in 1925.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.soulofamerica.com/7723.0.0.1.0.0.phtml |title=Philander Smith College - SoulOfAmerica |access-date=2010-02-15 |archive-date=2011-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111411/http://www.soulofamerica.com/7723.0.0.1.0.0.phtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1943, Philander Smith was accredited by the [[North Central Association of Colleges and Schools]].


During the [[Civil Rights Movement]], Philander Smith College was a pioneer in activism: many of its students engaged in [[nonviolent resistance]] against [[Racial segregation|segregation]] laws or customs (such as [[sit-in|sitting in]] at "[[Jim Crow laws|whites-only]]" lunch counters).
During the [[Civil Rights Movement]], Philander Smith College was a pioneer in activism: many of its students engaged in [[nonviolent resistance]] against [[Racial segregation|segregation]] laws or customs (such as [[sit-in|sitting in]] at "[[Jim Crow laws|whites-only]]" lunch counters).


On August 1, 2023, the college announced the addition of its first ever master's degree program and the change of its name from Philander Smith College to Philander Smith University. <ref>[https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/31/philander-smith-college-name-change-from-college-to-university/ Philander Smith College name change — from college to university]</ref>
⚫
===Rankings and Education Conservancy===

⚫
Dr. [[Walter Kimbrough]], former president of Philander Smith College, joined the [[Education Conservancy]] in criticizing the annual ''[[U.S. News and World Report]]'' college rankings; he [[Criticism of college and university rankings (North America)#Letter to colleges|signed a letter circulating among college presidents]] that asks them to refrain from participating in the peer assessment portion of the survey.<ref>{{cite web| first =Margaret| last =Kamara| title =Are U.S. News Rankings Inherently Biased Against Black Colleges?| publisher =Diverse Issues in Higher Education| date =28 June 2007| url =http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7831.shtml| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002159/http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7831.shtml| archive-date =27 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title =Growing Challenge to 'U.S. News'| website = [[Inside Higher Ed]] | date = 18 May 2007 | url= http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/05/18/usnews}}</ref><!-- Expand discussion of issue and reasoning by presidents -->
⚫
===Rankings and education conservancy===
⚫
[[Walter Kimbrough]], former president of Philander Smith College, joined the [[Education Conservancy]] in criticizing the annual ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' college rankings; he [[Criticism of college and university rankings (North America)#Letter to colleges|signed a letter circulating among college presidents]] that asks them to refrain from participating in the peer assessment portion of the survey.<ref>{{cite web| first =Margaret| last =Kamara| title =Are U.S. News Rankings Inherently Biased Against Black Colleges?| publisher =Diverse Issues in Higher Education| date =28 June 2007| url =http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7831.shtml| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002159/http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7831.shtml| archive-date =27 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title =Growing Challenge to 'U.S. News'| website = [[Inside Higher Ed]] | date = 18 May 2007 | url= http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/05/18/usnews}}</ref><!-- Expand discussion of issue and reasoning by presidents -->


==Campus==
==Campus==
Line 56: Line 65:
| location= Roughly bounded by 13th, 11th, Izard, and State Sts., [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]
| location= Roughly bounded by 13th, 11th, Izard, and State Sts., [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]
| architect = [[John Parks Almand|Almand, John Parks]]
| architect = [[John Parks Almand|Almand, John Parks]]
| architecture = [[Colonial Revival architecture|Colonial Revival]], [[Bungalow/Craftsman architecture|Bungalow/Craftsman]], et al
| architecture = [[Colonial Revival architecture|Colonial Revival]], [[Bungalow/Craftsman architecture|Bungalow/Craftsman]], et al.
| added = September 13, 1999
| added = September 13, 1999
| area = less than one acre
| area = less than one acre
| refnum = 99000229<ref name="nris">{{NRISref |refnum=99000229|version=2010a}}</ref>
| refnum = 99000229<ref name="nris">{{NRISref |refnum=99000229|version=2010a}}</ref>
}}
}}
{{Multiple image
⚫
The school campus is located in central Little Rock. [[Interstate 630]] (the Mills Freeway) was constructed just north of the campus, which is bounded by 10th and 14th streets to the north and south, and Gaines and Chester streets to the east and west. The core of the campus was originally built for [[Little Rock Junior College]] (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock), and a two-block section of it is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. One of its centerpieces is the former [[U.M. Rose School]] building, now the Cox Administration Building, designed by the noted Arkansas architect [[John Parks Almand]] in 1915, when he was working for [[Charles L. Thompson]]. The campus also includes the "Old Gym", a gymnasium built by the [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] during the [[Great Depression]]; and a former barracks building of the [[Camp Robinson Air Force Base]], which was moved here in 1948.<ref name=NRHP>{{cite web|url=https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/PU9799-pdf|title=NRHP nomination for Philander Smith College Historic District|publisher=Arkansas Preservation|access-date=2015-12-09}}</ref>
| header = Campus
| align = right
| direction =
| total_width = 300
| perrow = 1/1
| image1= Philander_Smith_College_Harry_R._Kendall_Center.jpg
| caption1 = Harry R. Kendall Center, home to the Dr. [[Joycelyn Elders]] School of Allied and Public Health.
| image2= Philander_Smith_College_Cox_Administration_Building.jpg
| caption2 = Cox Administration Building
}}

⚫
The school campus is located in central Little Rock. [[Interstate 630]] (the Mills Freeway) was constructed just north of the campus, which is bounded by 10th and 14th streets to the north and south, and Gaines and Chester streets to the east and west. The core of the campus was originally built for [[Little Rock Junior College]] (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock), and a two-block section of it is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. One of its centerpieces is the former [[U.M. Rose School]] building, now the Cox Administration Building, designed by the noted Arkansas architect [[John Parks Almand]] in 1915, when he was working for [[Charles L. Thompson]]. The campus also includes the "Old Gym", a gymnasium built by the [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] during the [[Great Depression]]; and a former barracks building of the [[Robinson Army Airfield|Camp Robinson Air Force Base]], which was moved here in 1948.<ref name=NRHP>{{cite web|url=https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/PU9799-pdf|title=NRHP nomination for Philander Smith College Historic District|publisher=Arkansas Preservation|access-date=2015-12-09}}</ref>


== Athletics ==
== Athletics ==
Philander Smith teams, nicknamed the Panthers, are part of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[Gulf Coast Athletic Conference]] (GCAC). Men's sports include basketball and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, track & field and volleyball.
The Philander Smith athletic teams are called the Panthers. The college is a member of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[HBCU Athletic Conference]] (HBCUAC), formerly the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC), since the 2011–12 academic year. The Panthers previously competed as an [[NAIA independent schools|NAIA Independent]] within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2009–10 to 2010–11.

Philander Smith competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading.


===Accomplishments===
Philander Smith's 2012–13 men's basketball team made history by bringing home their first [[Gulf Coast Athletic Conference]] (GCAC) tournament title.<ref>{{cite web|title=Panthers Bring the GCAC Championship Home|url=http://www.philanderathletics.com/article/65.php|access-date=12 June 2013}}</ref>
The 2012–13 Philander Smith men's basketball team made history by bringing home their first GCAC conference tournament title.<ref>{{cite web|title=Panthers Bring the GCAC Championship Home|url=http://www.philanderathletics.com/article/65.php|access-date=12 June 2013}}</ref>


On Feb. 21, 1989, Philander Smith gained a 92–89 victory over [[Rust College]] of Holly Springs, Mississippi, on their court, ending the longest home-court winning streak in NCAA Division III women's basketball history.
On February 21, 1989, the Philander Smith women's basketball team gained a 92–89 victory over [[Rust College]] of Holly Springs, Mississippi, on their court, ending the longest home-court winning streak in NCAA Division III women's basketball history.


== Notable alumni ==
== Notable alumni ==
Line 75: Line 99:
{{Alum|name=[[Hubert Ausbie|"Geese" Ausbie]]|year=|nota=former [[Harlem Globetrotters]] player and coach|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Hubert Ausbie|"Geese" Ausbie]]|year=|nota=former [[Harlem Globetrotters]] player and coach|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Al Bell]]|year=|nota=founder of [[Stax Records]] and former president of [[Motown Records]]|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Al Bell]]|year=|nota=founder of [[Stax Records]] and former president of [[Motown Records]]|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[John A. Bell]]|year=1951|nota=Director of the Education and Secondary Education Division of the Office of Civil Rights, [[United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare]]|ref=<ref name="Bell, Louisiana Weekly">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Coaches Named At Vocational |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114418974/the-louisiana-weekly/ |newspaper=[[The Louisiana Weekly]] |location=[[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]] |date=July 25, 1959 |page=9 |access-date=December 10, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}} }}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Isaac M. Burgan]]|year=|nota=President of [[Paul Quinn College]] from 1883–1891, 1911–1914|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Isaac M. Burgan]]|year=|nota=President of [[Paul Quinn College]] from 1883–1891, 1911–1914|ref=}}
⚫
{{Alum|name=[[Deon Cole]]|year=|nota=comedian|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[James Hal Cone]]|year=1958|nota=major figure in [[systematic theology]] and [[liberation theology]]|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[James Hal Cone]]|year=1958|nota=major figure in [[systematic theology]] and [[liberation theology]]|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[L. Clifford Davis]]|year=1945|nota=civil rights, attorney, judge|ref=<ref name="ABL">{{cite web |last1=Kilpatrick |first1=Judith |title=Desegregating the University of Arkansas School of Law: L. Clifford Davis and the Six Pioneers |url=https://arkansasblacklawyers.uark.edu/articles/ahq68-2.pdf |website=Arkansas Black Lawyers |access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[L. Clifford Davis]]|year=1945|nota=civil rights, attorney, judge|ref=<ref name="ABL">{{cite web |last1=Kilpatrick |first1=Judith |title=Desegregating the University of Arkansas School of Law: L. Clifford Davis and the Six Pioneers |url=https://arkansasblacklawyers.uark.edu/articles/ahq68-2.pdf |website=Arkansas Black Lawyers |access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref>}}
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{{Alum|name=[[Calvin King]]|year=1975|nota=farm developmer, and the President of the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corp|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Calvin King]]|year=1975|nota=farm developmer, and the President of the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corp|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Amina Claudine Myers]]|year=|nota=musician|ref=<ref>{{cite book |first=George E. |last=Lewis |author-link=George E. Lewis |title= A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music |year=2008 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |pages=127–128}}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Amina Claudine Myers]]|year=|nota=musician|ref=<ref>{{cite book |first=George E. |last=Lewis |author-link=George E. Lewis |title= A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music |year=2008 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |pages=127–128}}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Elijah Pitts]]|year=1961|nota=former [[Green Bay Packers]] player|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Elijah Pitts]]|year=1961|nota=former [[Green Bay Packers]] player, 2x [[Super Bowl]] champion |ref=}}
⚫
{{Alum|name=[[Devon Scott (basketball)|Devon Scott]]|year=|nota= basketball player in the [[Israel Basketball Premier League]]|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Lottie Shackelford]]|year=|nota=former mayor of [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Lottie Shackelford]]|year=|nota=former mayor of [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Robert Williams (psychologist)|Robert L. Williams]]|year=1953|nota=prominent figure in the history of African-American psychology|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Robert Williams (psychologist)|Robert L. Williams]]|year=1953|nota=prominent figure in the history of African-American psychology|ref=}}
⚫
{{Alum|name=[[Deon Cole]]|year=|nota=comedian|ref=}}


{{AlumniEnd}}
{{AlumniEnd}}
⚫
*[[Devon Scott (basketball)|Devon Scott]] (born 1994), basketball player in the [[Israel Basketball Premier League]]


==Notable faculty==
==Notable faculty==
Line 99: Line 124:


==See also==
==See also==
{{portal|Arkansas}}
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Little Rock, Arkansas]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Little Rock, Arkansas]]


==Notes==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* {{official website|http://www.philander.edu/}}
* {{official website|http://www.philander.edu}}
* [http://www.philanderathletics.com/ Official athletics website]
* [http://www.philanderathletics.com Official athletics website]


{{Gulf Coast Athletic Conference navbox}}
{{Gulf Coast Athletic Conference navbox}}
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{{HBCU}}
{{HBCU}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}

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{{Portal bar|Architecture|Education|National Register of Historic Places|United States}}
{{Portal bar|Architecture|Education|National Register of Historic Places|United States}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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{{Coord|34.73686|-92.28249|type:edu_globe:earth_region:US-AR|display=title}}
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[[Category:Philander Smith College| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->

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[[Category:Philander Smith University| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:1877 establishments in Arkansas]]
[[Category:1877 establishments in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Colonial Revival architecture in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Colonial Revival architecture in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1877]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1877]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Historically black universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:Historically black universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Little Rock, Arkansas]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Little Rock, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Reconstruction Era]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Little Rock, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Little Rock, Arkansas]]

Revision as of 00:16, 21 August 2024

Philander Smith University
Former names
Walden Seminary (1877–1882), Philander Smith College (1882–2023)
TypePrivate historically black college
Established1877
AccreditationHLC
Religious affiliation
United Methodist Church
Academic affiliations
UNCF
Endowment$3 million
PresidentCynthia Bond Hopson
Students760
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
,
U.S.
ColorsGreen and gold
   
NicknamePanthers
Sporting affiliations
NAIA – HBCUAC
Websitewww.philander.edu

Philander Smith University (previously Philander Smith College) is a private historically black college in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is a founding member of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Philander Smith College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

History

Budlong Hall, c. 1910. Built 1883, demolished 1963.[1]

Philander Smith College was officially founded in 1877 under the name of Walden Seminary to provide educational opportunities for emancipated slaves west of the Mississippi River. In 1882 the school was renamed Philander Smith College in honor of the financial contributions of Adeline Smith, widow of Philander Smith. It was chartered as a four-year college in 1883 and conferred its first bachelor's degree in 1888. In 1933, it merged the assets of the George R. Smith College in Sedalia, Missouri, which burned down in 1925.[2] In 1943, Philander Smith was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Philander Smith College was a pioneer in activism: many of its students engaged in nonviolent resistance against segregation laws or customs (such as sitting in at "whites-only" lunch counters).

On August 1, 2023, the college announced the addition of its first ever master's degree program and the change of its name from Philander Smith College to Philander Smith University. [3]

Rankings and education conservancy

Walter Kimbrough, former president of Philander Smith College, joined the Education Conservancy in criticizing the annual U.S. News & World Report college rankings; he signed a letter circulating among college presidents that asks them to refrain from participating in the peer assessment portion of the survey.[4][5]

Campus

Philander Smith College Historic District
LocationRoughly bounded by 13th, 11th, Izard, and State Sts., Little Rock, Arkansas
Arealess than one acre
ArchitectAlmand, John Parks
Architectural styleColonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, et al.
NRHP reference No.99000229[6]
Added to NRHPSeptember 13, 1999
Campus
Harry R. Kendall Center, home to the Dr. Joycelyn Elders School of Allied and Public Health.
Cox Administration Building

The school campus is located in central Little Rock. Interstate 630 (the Mills Freeway) was constructed just north of the campus, which is bounded by 10th and 14th streets to the north and south, and Gaines and Chester streets to the east and west. The core of the campus was originally built for Little Rock Junior College (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock), and a two-block section of it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One of its centerpieces is the former U.M. Rose School building, now the Cox Administration Building, designed by the noted Arkansas architect John Parks Almand in 1915, when he was working for Charles L. Thompson. The campus also includes the "Old Gym", a gymnasium built by the WPA during the Great Depression; and a former barracks building of the Camp Robinson Air Force Base, which was moved here in 1948.[7]

Athletics

The Philander Smith athletic teams are called the Panthers. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC), formerly the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC), since the 2011–12 academic year. The Panthers previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2009–10 to 2010–11.

Philander Smith competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading.

Accomplishments

The 2012–13 Philander Smith men's basketball team made history by bringing home their first GCAC conference tournament title.[8]

On February 21, 1989, the Philander Smith women's basketball team gained a 92–89 victory over Rust College of Holly Springs, Mississippi, on their court, ending the longest home-court winning streak in NCAA Division III women's basketball history.

Notable alumni

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
"Geese" Ausbie former Harlem Globetrotters player and coach
Al Bell founder of Stax Records and former president of Motown Records
John A. Bell 1951 Director of the Education and Secondary Education Division of the Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [9]
Isaac M. Burgan President of Paul Quinn College from 1883–1891, 1911–1914
Deon Cole comedian
James Hal Cone 1958 major figure in systematic theology and liberation theology
L. Clifford Davis 1945 civil rights, attorney, judge [10]
Joycelyn Elders 1952 former Surgeon General of the United States
Stephanie Flowers Arkansas State Senator since 2011 and former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Pine Bluff [11]
Scipio Africanus Jones coursework before transfer to Shorter College lawyer and businessman
Calvin King 1975 farm developmer, and the President of the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corp
Amina Claudine Myers musician [12]
Elijah Pitts 1961 former Green Bay Packers player, 2x Super Bowl champion
Devon Scott basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
Lottie Shackelford former mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas
Robert L. Williams 1953 prominent figure in the history of African-American psychology

Notable faculty

Name Department Notability Reference
Lee Lorch mathematician and civil rights activist
Georg Iggers historian 10

See also

References

  1. ^ "Budlong Hall". D.W. Reynolds Library. Philander Smith College. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  2. ^ "Philander Smith College - SoulOfAmerica". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
  3. ^ Philander Smith College name change — from college to university
  4. ^ Kamara, Margaret (June 28, 2007). "Are U.S. News Rankings Inherently Biased Against Black Colleges?". Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  5. ^ "Growing Challenge to 'U.S. News'". Inside Higher Ed. May 18, 2007.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System – (#99000229)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. ^ "NRHP nomination for Philander Smith College Historic District". Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  8. ^ "Panthers Bring the GCAC Championship Home". Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  9. ^ "Coaches Named At Vocational". The Louisiana Weekly. New Orleans, Louisiana. July 25, 1959. p. 9. Retrieved December 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. ^ Kilpatrick, Judith. "Desegregating the University of Arkansas School of Law: L. Clifford Davis and the Six Pioneers" (PDF). Arkansas Black Lawyers. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  11. ^ "Stephanie Anne Flowers". intelius.com. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  12. ^ Lewis, George E. (2008). A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music. University of Chicago Press. pp. 127–128.
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34°44′13″N 92°16′57″W / 34.73686°N 92.28249°W / 34.73686; -92.28249

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