Dr. Roderick L. Smothers says he will focus on student retention and raising the colleges profile after taking over as Philander Smiths 14th president in January. The 2023 Commencement speaker is Christopher Chris Womack, who serves as the President and CEO of the Southern Company, one of the largest energy providers in the U.S. Morehouse College Spring graduation ceremonies near From its humble beginnings as Walden Seminary in 1877 to the GREAT Philander Smith College of the present, 1 principal, 14 presidents and several interim presidents have led the institution through flourishing and trying times. 10 a.m., First National Bank Arena, Jonesboro, to honor students who have earned degrees through the Neil Griffin College of Business; the College of Liberal Arts and Communication; the College of Nursing and Health Professions; and University College. During this time Philander Smith College opened its doors to thestudents. Contact the school if you wish to attend in person, as you may need a ticket, or may need to follow safety and health protocols. Philander SmithCollege awarded its first baccalaureate degree in1888 and became accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1949. Right now, we are in the top 30 percent among HBCU liberal arts colleges, said Smothers. The ceremony will also honor graduate students of the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources. Discover how these unique places connect Americans to their pastand to each other. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. During his presidency, fewer than one in ten black Southern youths In the 1950s, Harris approved construction of a presidents residence, a science building, and new dormitories. Speaker: Jeff Crawford, who serves on the WBU Board of Trustees and is the lead pastor of ministries for Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas, will deliver the commencement address. Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, 900 West Daisy L Gatson Bates Drive, Little Rock, AR, 72202. Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Jonathan Ross and Mayor Shirley Washington at community meeting in Pine Bluff. Store managers closed the lunch counter and five Philander Smith Collegestudents were arrested after refusing to leave. And it is one of your oldest buildings on this campus. With that, we become responsible for training those advocates for justice, who are not afraid even of that system. In 1869, the bureau directed that schools be made available to black Arkansans. A small, privately supported, historically Black, four-year liberal arts institution, 900 West Daisy L Gatson D., Eleventh President, The Black Family Studies Seminar: an Inaugural Event Celebrating the Investiture of Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed Eleventh President of Philander Smith College. The legislation is pending, but I am hopeful that it will pass and coupled with the work the National Trust is doing, it will give us and other HBCUs a much-needed injection of supporting resources. L-R Glenn Sergeant (Philander Smith), Charles King (Philander Smith), Yogesh Saoji (DLR Group), Troy Glover (DLR Group), Perez Hepburn (Philander Smith), Tiffany Tolbert, Dr. Roderick L. Smothers. Graduation (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen/The Republican via AP). She discussed her career as a civil rights attorney and the departments efforts to address economic justice issues, including housing discrimination. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The current Philander Smith Master Plan was developed during the administration of former president Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed and identified two building for demolition: the Tate Center and the M.L. AR, 72202, African American High School Honors Ceremony, Institutional Research, Strategy & Innovation, Dr. Joycelyn Elders School of Allied & Public Health, Institutional Research & Accreditation Archives. Edward Waters University In, Gibson, D. (1972). The college was opened under the supervision of the Freedmens Aid Society of The Methodist Episcopal Church, and it was named Walden Seminary. There is a triangle in this community where you have the historic Dunbar neighborhood, the site of so much [Black] excellence and then you have the Little Rock Central High School neighborhood, synonymous with the 20th century struggle for school integration. Bates Drive, Little Rock, That is why I get excited thinking about the opportunities for preservation, but also the experiences many students will have there for generations to come. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Reed increased the college endowment to $9 million and raised $37.6 million to construct three state-of-the-art facilities: the Kendall Health Mission Center for health sciences education, a new dormitory complex, and the Reynolds Library and Technology Center. Tech entrepreneur Natalie Madeira Cofield will be the 2023 Commencement speaker. Philander Smith College Receives $2.5M In Largest Dr. Gregory J. Vincent, a professor and vice president for diversity and community engagement at the University of Texas at Austin Law School, said that he was thrilled when he learned that Smothers has been hired to lead PSC. Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., was named 14th president of Philander Smith College on October 1, 2014, and began his tenure in January 2015. For 18 years, Dr. Walter Kimbrough has made history as president of two Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. This can be done, all while ensuring the triangle stays intact and Philander Smith remains an anchor. Philander Smith College was established inLittle Rock in 1877 to provide educational opportunities for former slaves following the Civil War. If you asked my fellow HBCU presidents, what were the top issues facing our institutions, at the top of that list would be affordability and finding the resources for students; second would probably be related to faculty support and technology; and third dealing with the severity of the deferred maintenance and the condition of the historic buildings on our campuses. Take a moment to learn more about the visionaries who have helped to shape the course of the College over the last 139 years. As we think about the iterations of our master plan, we want to look at Tate as a student success center that maintains it as the nucleus of the campus while allowing it to support increased recreation and serve as a place where students can find themselves. Clark Atlanta University You can click on the school names below to see details of commencement ceremony times and locations. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. Bethune-Cookman University Smothers Dr. Reed says good-bye. All Rights Reserved. This move was made possible by a public plea for gifts to the school. Today Philander Smith sits adjacent to Little Rocks historic Dunbar neighborhood and contains numerous historic buildings that make up the Philander Smith College Historic District, including the Cox Administration Building (1915), Sherman E. Tate Recreation Center (1936) and Kelly Hall (1952). It is absolutely amazing. WebPhilander Smith College. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarkes Trip to Little Spelman College Watson Athletic Center. Guest speaker Tamika D. Mallory, social justice activist,was one of the leading organizers of the 2017 Womens March, for which she and her three other co-chairs were recognized in the TIME 100 that year. He was succeeded by Dr. Walter R. Hazzard, who took office as the seventh president of the Watson Athletic Center. Mr. Nicholas Perkins, Chairman, President, and CEO of Perkins Management Services Company, will provide the commencement address to over 100 graduates and their guests. Allen University WebGeorge Collins Taylor, president of Philander Smith from 1924 to 1936, was a Philander Smith graduate. Webphilander smith college offers four degrees, including the bachelor of business administration, the bachelor of science, the bachelor of social work, and the bachelor of arts, as well as certificates and dual credits for "college and "career" pathways. Rickey Smiley of the Rickey Smiley Morning Show is this years commencement speaker. Responding to an article published in the Christian Advocate in 1882, Adeline Smith of Oak Park, Illinoisthe widow of Philander Smith, a liberal giver to Asiatic Missions with an interest in the work of the church in the Southdonated $10,500 to Walden Seminary. The Panther, 7(1), Sept. 1995, Inauguration Ceremony for Trudie Kibbe Reed, Ed. Reed, T. K. (2004, Spring). You can follow him on Twitter @jamalericwatson. The inauguration of Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., Ph.D. [Program]. James Monroe Cox, served Philander Smith for thirty-eight yearsas a professor of classical languages for eleven years and as president for twenty-seven yearsuntil 1924. LeMoyne-Owen College The Interdenominational Theological Center. Make a vibrant future possible for our nation's most important places. Surgeon General, Charles Adams, an inventor who developed the U.S. Find related and similar companies as well as employees by title and much more. DC The administration of Dr. Marquis LaFayette Harris, 1936-1960. These senior-level officials work closely with the President to establish and implement goals and priorities for Philander Smith College. In, Gibson, D. (1972). (2012). She discussed her career as a civil rights attorney and the departments efforts to address economic justice issues, including McHenry was born in Camden and is an SAU alum. Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Myrick, a Hot Springs native, an SAU Alumni Association Board of Directors member and a physical therapist at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs. In, Gibson, D. (1972). U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas joined her for the meetings and events on both days. Claflin University The Panther Journal, 27(2), Dec. 1964. A project through theHistorically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Grant Program, which helps preserve the historic structures on HBCU campuses, funded restoration and renovation work onthe James Monroe Cox Administration BuildingatPhilander Smith Collegein 2018. WebHe also served as president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and held leadership roles in student affairs at Emory University, Georgia State University, Old The 2 p.m. ceremony will honor undergraduate students from the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education as well as all graduate students. Dr. 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. 8 a.m. Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony (Reynolds Center, Grand Hall) on campus in Magnolia. Student Tuition Assistance and Readiness Tracks, Philander START Summer Bridge Program 2015, Philander START Summer Bridge Program 2017, Philander Smith College History at a Glance: 1877-2017, Melissa and Kevin Katz African Art Collection, D. W. Reynolds Library | PSC Archives and Special Collections, Gibson, D. (1972). Here are six reasons that historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) remain more relevant than ever, and essential to advancing our countrys future. Moral and religious education, including prayer meetings and Bible studies, was required. Alumni of Philander Smith College Little Rock, Arkansas Area Postal Service sorting machine, and HuburtGeese Ausbie, former Harlem Globetrotter. They include accredited two- and four-year aswell as graduate and professional institutions. 600 14th Street NW Philander Smith College. 2 p.m. Dempsey College of Liberal and Performing Arts undergraduate ceremony, W.T.