TABLE 6.-Statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race, for 1889-90 Location. Continued. Name. INSTITUTIONS FOR SECONDARY INSTRUC Religious Indenomina- structtion. ors. Students. TION-Continued. Institute for Training Colored Ministers. Presb Washington, D. C.... Theological Department of Howard Univer Nonsect sity. Do Wayland Seminary Atlanta, Ga.. Atlanta Seminary. Bapt 3848 leans University). 40 12 a Students in preparatory departments are not included here. See Secondary schools. Many of these gave instruction to students in the preparatory departments also. 7 TABLE 6.-Statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race, 1889–90— Location. Continued. Name. SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB AND THE Religious Indenomina-structtion. Students. ors. TABLE 7.—Summary of statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race, for 1889-90. TABLE 8.-Summary of statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race, for 1889-90. TABLE 9.-Summary of statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race, States. for 1889-90. TABLE 10.-Number of schools for the colored race and enrollment in them by institutions without reference to States. The number of students in the colleges and schools for secondary instruction of the colored race does not show the rapid increase from year to year which would naturally be expected, when we consider the large number of children that have been attending the common schools, many of whom should now be qualified for entering higher institutions. But an examination of the reports of colored schools and of journals devoted to colored education soon discloses one reason why there is not the increase expected, viz, the want of accommodations for more students. Many of the colored schools of higher grade are already badly overcrowded; some of them are so crowded as to seriously endanger the health of the students and hundreds of others have been refused admission on account of want of room, while others still have not applied because they already knew there was no place for them. Very few new schools of the higher grades are established for colored students, as the colored people themselves have not the means for doing so, and the missionary societies generally content themselves with sustaining or at least strengthening the institutions they have already established. Many of the schools adopt all sorts of expedients to make room for applicants begging for admission, allowing them to sleep on cots in the halls, making use of old buildings which had been discarded as no longer fit for occupancy, and very generally crowding the students in excessive numbers in the buildings designed for them. Judging from the accounts given it would seem reasonable to suppose that the number of colored students would be largely increased immediately if there were accommodations for them. A want of accommodations is especially to be regretted when it is considered how anxious the young men and women are to receive an education and what sacrifices both students and parents willingly make in order that they may receive one. A few quotations on this subject are given from various sources. Dr. C. H. Parkhurst, editor of Zion's Herald, says: "We should have ten schools where we now have one. Every institution is crowded to overflowing. If God is saying anything in this jubilee hour to the church it is, enlarge, enlarge, enlarge your beneficence; enlarge the scope of operation; enlarge the teaching and boarding capability. We rejoice over the achievements of these twenty-five years; but at the same time we are humbled that the church has done so little." Morristown Normal Academy, Tennessee; number of students, 306.-"This institution is situated in the midst of a colored population of not less than 250,000. To meet the educational requirements of this vast number of people, there is only one other school of a similar grade within a radius of 300 miles. The people are realizing, as never before, their great need of an education, and are crowding every room to its utmost capacity. Last year scores of bright, earnest, and self-sacrificing young people were sent away for want of room." "The present dormitory is entirely too small for the number of students crowded into it. For the last two years we have been compelled to put three students in each bed, and to place cots in the halls. Even then it was difficult to satisfy applicants that we were crowded and could not accommodate them." Grand View, Tenn.—“ The classes are full and the accommodations inadequate. The school numbers one hundred and eleven. It is necessary to crowd four boys into each room of the boys' hall. Four boys are boarding themselves in a shackly log building at the foot of the hill. Their grit is admirable." Tougaloo, Miss. Both the dormitories are crowded. The ladies' hall is supposed to accommodate 75 girls. One hundred and six are crowded into it to-day. We have turned away nearly one hundred more because we had not room for them. Every indication is that the crowd of applicants will be greater next year than ever. Already applications are coming in." Meridian, Miss.-"The work of the school is hindered by lack of room. We have enrolled this year 232 pupils, and many have been turned off because we could not seat them. We opened in December of 1888 with 28 pupils. A school for more advanced pupils is needed in this part of Mississippi. We have 30 young people in school who come from the five adjoining counties." Straight University, New Orleans.-"It has been a golden year for Straight University. Financially it has been our best year. A larger proportion of students able to pay came to us. We want to grow, and have every opportunity to do so save that our quarters are too small. We have turned away during the year probably 200 applicants, many of them for the boarding department. We have had to put cots in nearly all the rooms, packing them too full for comfort, as it was very hard to say No to young people who came hundreds of miles and begged tearfully for admission. The school has grown during the last eight years from 200 to 600 and is not 1,000 only because we had no room for them. Our graduates are filling important positions all over the South. Several are superintendents in Texas, Kansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. One holds an important office in Honduras; others are doing good work in Cuba and Mexico. Eight are filling important positions in this city. We have no trouble in getting positions for our young people. Indeed, we can not supply as fast as demanded. Often as many as twenty are called for when we have none to send." Bennett College, Greensboro, N. C.-"Our chief need is a new dormitory building. The present building, though large, is far too small for the increasing demands upon us for more commodious quarters. Students are pouring in upon us every day, and still we hear of others coming." Wiley University, Marshall. Tex.-"There should be at once erected a large central building, which would be at once filled with students." Gilbert Academy, Winsted, La.-"We could have an attendance of a thousand students within a year if we had buildings to accommodate them." Central Tennessee College." The attendance during the past year (1889–90) is such as to encourage the thought that the desire for education, and that more advanced, is growing rather than diminishing among the colored people. The number in attendance during the past year has tested our buildings to their utmost capacity. We need additional accommodations. This educational work has really just begun, and the outlook is that all our schools will be crowded more and more. We need a new chapel. Our present one is not sufficiently large to seat our students. We have been compelled to fill up the platform and crowd every seat, and yet have not room for all our students. We need a larger chapel for our ordinary purposes, and a much larger one for our public occasions." In January, 1892, the main building of Straight University, New Orleans, La., was consumed by fire. Fortunately, however, the property was adequately insured, and a larger structure i now being erected in its stead. |