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Howe Bible and Normal Institute.
Memphis. Tenn.
Prof. Thomas O. Fuller. President
H WE BIBLE D ORMAL I TITUTE had
an int I' ·tin beginninO'. i ionarie employed by
north rn 0 i tie had b n faithfully at work in Tenne
, trying to unteract the evil and vic growing out of
lav ry, and to che k the indulO'en that marr d the lives of
the newly emancipated egroe. The e hri tian workers were
making th· m elve felt for good in the outWand. They
elected 'lemphi as a center of moral and religiou influence,
and, in one of the colored churche of the city, Howe Institute
was establi hed in 1 8.
From the fir t many tude~t were gath red, and the people
in th immediate vicinitv manife ted much intere t in the school. •
The pa tor of the Bapti t Church in which the chool was
orO'anized went 1 orth for assi tance. and ucceeded in interest- " ing the late P t I' Howe and wife of lllinoi , who e sympathy
for the Negroe of the outh had already been arou ed. By the
gen rou O'ift of ir. Howe. money was oon available to purcha e
a corner lot, and to erect upon it a larO'e three- tory brick buildinO'
at a co t of 10,000. Before the new building was complet
d, and b for the work of the hool wa w Il under wa "
r. and frs. How weI' inat d in th ir h m. Thi wa
a eriou blow to th hool.
The pI' pert f How In titut i n w own d and controlled
by th 0101' d Bapti t of T nn ,wh I t a manaO'inO'
board of fift n tru t In conv )'inO' th pI' P rty to the
. h 01 trust , r. How provided that mon. hould not be
rai ed for it upport b,r f tival or x 'u in. H al 0 tipulated
that no on hould rv as a tach l' l' an offi er of th
in titution who was addi t d to the u of nuff, tobac 0, or
pirituou liqu l' as a b v rag. 11'. Howe l' aliz d that th
thin w l' doin much dumag to th Kegroe and he wi h d
to t in motion f ret' that would countera t th e evil .
Early Struggles and Triumphs
For many)' ars th chool had a hard tru gl for xi ten ,
and at on me ting of the tru te a motion wa mad to clo the
chool on ac ount of mbarr ina debt and Ill. k of upport.
116
Thi motion was not seconded, however, and the struggle continued.
On account of its stand against snuff, tobacco, and
pirituou liquors, a systematic boycott was inaugurated a
ho tility developed again t the school. Mter ten years of doubt,
darkne ,and despondency, the day of hope seemed to dawn.
Di criminations against them brought the people to a realization
of the importance of helping them elves. Howe Institute was
greatly aided by the growth of this spirit of self-help, and to-day,
after more than twenty years of existence, the institution stand
a a beacon light.
The school is located in the heart of a dense Negro population.
Within ell. y access are more than one hundred thousand Negroes
Arkansas is just across the Mississippi River, and the state of
Mississippi can be reached within fifteen minute ' ride from
Memphis. These states have a large Tegro population. There
i one private school, besides Howe, of academic grade in
Memphi. The public school , on account of the hostility to the
Bible in the schools, cannot do the work so sadly needed among
the colored people, and Howe Institute splendidly responds to
this great need. In addition to the normal and academic work
of the school, preparing for college and teaching, the school
teache tenography, typewriting, bookkeeping, printing, carpentry.
vocal and instrumental music, and domestic cience.
The minister' course is a simple English course, arranged to
meet the demands of mini ters in the active pastorate, and to
as ist young men who have the ministry in view.
A Bible Training Class for Women
One of the mo t intere ting features of the work is a Bible
training class for women. In 1908 this class numbered 216,
who came from 30 churches, and represented seven different
denominations. They are given a ystematic course in Bible
tudy, arranged to uit their ability to comprehend the les on .
Per onal purity, con ecration of life, the care of the home, the
hildr n and the ick, work in church and neighborhood are
O'iven pecial attention. This cia s made the first contribution
toward the girl' dormitory, now in course of construction.
During the last even years the enrollment has increased from
250 to 729, indu trial and other new features have been added;
there are five building in tead of one; the teachers' home ha
ju t be n completed at a co t of 2,000; the Women' Indu trial
Building, co ting 10,000, i nearing completion, and the value
of the prop rty has increa ed from $20,000 to 60,000.
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