James E. Shepard
Encyclopedia
James E. Shepard was the founder of what became the only taxpayer-funded liberal arts
college for blacks in the nation, North Carolina Central University
in Durham, North Carolina
.
, the son of Rev. Augustus and Harriet Whitted Shepard. He received undergraduate and professional training at Shaw University
, from which he graduated in 1894. The following year, he married Annie Day Robinson.
They had two daughters, now both deceased: Marjorie A. Shepard of Durham and Annie Day Shepard Smith of New Bern, North Carolina
. Smith had two daughters, Annie Day Smith Donaldson and Carolyn Marie Smith Green; both daughters had children, and Green has grandchildren.
Shepard lobbied the North Carolina General Assembly
for support of the "N.C. College for Negroes"; when traveling to lobby the legislature, Shepard traveled by car since the train to Raleigh was separated into segregated sections. When the North Carolina legislature gave taxpayer support in 1923, the name changed to Durham State Normal School. In 1925, the institution became North Carolina College for Negroes, the first state-supported liberal arts college
for black people in the United States. Its first four-year college class was graduated in 1929. In 1947, the name became North Carolina College at Durham. The 1969 General Assembly established the institution as one of the State’s regional universities, and the name was changed to North Carolina Central University
. Since 1972, NCCU has been a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina
.
Shepard faced great difficulties in keeping the school’s doors open. He traveled many miles and made physical and financial sacrifices. At Christmas, white Durham merchants would bring selections of products to Shepard's office so that he could avoid "the possibility of dealing with rudeness downtown."
Durham's James E. Shepard Middle School is named for him.
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
college for blacks in the nation, North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
.
Personal life and family
Shepard was born in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, the son of Rev. Augustus and Harriet Whitted Shepard. He received undergraduate and professional training at Shaw University
Shaw University
Shaw University, founded as Raleigh Institute, is a private liberal arts institution and historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest HBCU in the Southern United States....
, from which he graduated in 1894. The following year, he married Annie Day Robinson.
They had two daughters, now both deceased: Marjorie A. Shepard of Durham and Annie Day Shepard Smith of New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
. Smith had two daughters, Annie Day Smith Donaldson and Carolyn Marie Smith Green; both daughters had children, and Green has grandchildren.
NCCU
After working as a pharmacist, civil servant, and religious educator, Shepard founded the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua in Durham in 1910. Originally, this institution was conceived as a center for religious training. Later, it was named the National Training School and was supported by the philanthropy of Shepard’s numerous black and white friends in both the North and the South. In this capacity, it provided professional development opportunities for black teachers of the Jim Crow era; the utility of such training can be seen in the development of black education in rural Durham County.Shepard lobbied the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
for support of the "N.C. College for Negroes"; when traveling to lobby the legislature, Shepard traveled by car since the train to Raleigh was separated into segregated sections. When the North Carolina legislature gave taxpayer support in 1923, the name changed to Durham State Normal School. In 1925, the institution became North Carolina College for Negroes, the first state-supported liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
for black people in the United States. Its first four-year college class was graduated in 1929. In 1947, the name became North Carolina College at Durham. The 1969 General Assembly established the institution as one of the State’s regional universities, and the name was changed to North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....
. Since 1972, NCCU has been a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
.
Shepard faced great difficulties in keeping the school’s doors open. He traveled many miles and made physical and financial sacrifices. At Christmas, white Durham merchants would bring selections of products to Shepard's office so that he could avoid "the possibility of dealing with rudeness downtown."
Durham's James E. Shepard Middle School is named for him.