Lincoln University: A Legacy of Notable Alumni

Lincoln University, the first degree-granting Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the nation, has fostered a legacy of excellence, empowerment, and progress for over 165 years. Founded in 1854 as Ashmun Institute and renamed Lincoln University in 1866, the institution has consistently produced alumni who have shaped society and achieved numerous national and international "firsts." This article explores the lives and accomplishments of some of Lincoln University's most notable alumni, highlighting their contributions to various fields and their enduring impact on the world.

The Visionary Founders and Early Years

The dream of Lincoln University began with John Miller Dickey, a Presbyterian minister, and his wife, Sarah Emlen Cresson, a Quaker. Dickey, who had served as a missionary and preached to slaves in Georgia, became pastor of a church in Oxford, Pennsylvania, in 1832. He was deeply involved in the American Colonization Society and actively participated in the legal efforts to free a young African-American girl who had been abducted from southern Chester County.

In 1854, the Dickeys founded Ashmun Institute, named after Jehudi Ashmun, a religious leader and social reformer. The institution was renamed Lincoln University in 1866, honoring President Abraham Lincoln. Dickey envisioned the school expanding into a full-fledged university that would enroll students of "every clime and complexion," with plans for law, medical, pedagogical, and theological schools, in addition to the College of Liberal Arts.

Shaping Society: Alumni Achievements

Since its founding, Lincoln University has graduated alumni who have become leaders in various fields. During its first 100 years, the university produced approximately 20% of the African American physicians and more than 10% of the African American attorneys in the United States. Its alumni have also led more than 35 colleges and universities and scores of prominent churches.

Christian Fleetwood, an 1860 graduate, was the first African American Congressional Medal of Honor recipient in 1865. The Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes graduated from Lincoln in 1929, followed by Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in 1930. The legendary soul and jazz poet, musician, and author Gil Scott-Heron attended Lincoln in the late 1960s.

Pioneers and Groundbreakers

Lincoln University's alumni have consistently broken barriers and achieved significant "firsts" in their respective fields.

Thurgood Marshall: Champion of Civil Rights and Supreme Court Justice

Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-American justice. Prior to his judicial service, he was an attorney who fought for civil rights, leading the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Marshall was a prominent figure in the movement to end racial segregation in American public schools. He won 29 of the 32 civil rights cases he argued before the Supreme Court, culminating in the Court's landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which rejected the separate but equal doctrine and held segregation in public education to be unconstitutional. President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967. A staunch liberal, he frequently dissented as the Court became increasingly conservative. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and American literature.

Langston Hughes: Voice of the Harlem Renaissance

James Mercer Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary form called jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes bequeathed the contents of his personal library to the university upon his death in 1967. The Langston Hughes Memorial Library (LHML) opened in 1972.

Kwame Nkrumah: Leader of Pan-Africanism and First President of Ghana

Francis Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained independence from Britain. He was then the first Prime Minister and then the President of Ghana, from 1957 until 1966. An influential advocate of Pan-Africanism, Nkrumah was a founding member of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and winner of the Lenin Peace Prize from the Soviet Union in 1962. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in theology.

Hildrus A. Poindexter: Authority on Tropical Diseases

Hildrus A. Poindexter (Class of 1924) was the first African American to earn both an M.D. (1929, Harvard University) and a Ph.D. (1932, Columbia University). He was also the first African American internationally-recognized authority on tropical diseases.

Sheila Oliver: Pioneering Politician in New Jersey

Sheila Oliver (Class of 1974) was the first African American woman elected Assembly Speaker in the New Jersey General Assembly and the first African American woman elected Lt. Governor of New Jersey.

Other Notable Pioneers

Christian Fleetwood (1860 graduate): The first African American Congressional Medal of Honor recipient in 1865.
Horace Mann Bond: An alumnus of Lincoln, became the first African-American president of the university in 1945.

Leaders in Arts and Culture

Lincoln University has produced a remarkable array of alumni who have made significant contributions to the arts and culture.

Cab Calloway: Master of Swing

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (1907-1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the swing era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years.

Gil Scott-Heron: The Bluesologist

Gilbert Scott-Heron (1949-2011) was an American jazz poet, singer, musician, and author known for his work as a spoken-word performer. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackson fused jazz, blues, and soul with lyrics relative to social and political issues of the time. His poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is considered a major influence on hip hop music.

Roscoe Lee Browne: Versatile Actor and Director

Roscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director. He resisted playing stereotypically black roles, instead performing in several productions with New York City's Shakespeare Festival Theater, Leland Hayward's satirical NBC series That Was the Week That Was, and a poetry performance tour of the United States in addition to his work in television and film.

Melvin B. Tolson: Modernist Poet and Educator

Melvin B. Tolson (Class of 1924) was an educator and one of the most significant African American modernist poets.

Impacting the World: Alumni in Various Fields

Lincoln University's alumni have made their mark in diverse fields, demonstrating the breadth and depth of the institution's impact.

Politics and Public Service

Nnamdi Azikiwe: The first president of Nigeria.
Saara Kuugongelwa: The Prime Minister of Namibia since 2015.
Cherelle Parker: The 100th mayor of Philadelphia and the first woman to hold the office.
Herb Wesson: An American politician who served as a councilmember representing the 10th District for three terms, and also the President of the Los Angeles City Council and Speaker of the California State Assembly.
Robert N.C. Nix, Sr: An American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1958 until 1979.

Sports

Monte Irvin: An American left fielder and right fielder in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB).
Robert Walter Johnson: Tennis coach of Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe.

Other Notable Alumni

Frederick D. Alexander: Civil rights activist.
Robert L. Carter: An American lawyer, civil rights activist and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr: An American civil rights activist and was the chief lobbyist for the NAACP for nearly 30 years.
Alexander Darnes: The first African-American physician in Jacksonville, Florida, and the second in the state.
Cecil Dennis: A Liberian political figure who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under President William Tolbert.
Ebenezer Ako-Adjei: A Ghanaian statesman, politician, lawyer and journalist.
Charles L. Blockson: An American historian, author, bibliophile, and collector of books, historical documents, art, and other materials related to the history and culture of African Americans, continental Africans, and the African diaspora throughout the rest of the world.
Abdulalim Abdullah Shabazz: An African American Professor of Mathematics.
Nathan Francis Mossell: An American physician who was the first African-American graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1882.

Legacy of Leadership: Alumni Shaping Higher Education

Lincoln University alumni have also made significant contributions to higher education, founding and leading colleges and universities both in the United States and abroad. These institutions include:

South Carolina State University (Founded by Thomas E. Miller)

Women of Lincoln: Breaking Barriers and Leading the Way

Lincoln University's rich history is interwoven with the stories of remarkable women who have defied expectations and carved pathways to leadership, scholarship, and service.

In 1901, Lucy Craft Laney received Lincolnâs first honorary degree awarded to a woman. Later, Ruth Fales became the universityâs first woman to graduate in 1953, and Gladys W. In 2017, Brenda A. Allen became Lincoln's new president. Dr. Niara Sudarkasa made history as Lincoln's first female president. Delores Kirby Coleman (class of '72) became the first alumna elected to the Lincoln University Board of Trustees.

Lincoln University Today

Today, Lincoln University continues to uphold its commitment to being a leading liberal arts school. With its main campus in Lower Oxford Township, Pennsylvania, and a second location in University City, Philadelphia, the university provides undergraduate and graduate coursework to approximately 2,000 students. Lincoln University remains dedicated to its founding mission of providing access to quality education and fostering the development of future leaders.

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