Spelman College: A Legacy of Education and Empowerment
Spelman College stands as a historically Black college and a global leader in the education of women of African descent. It is a private, historically Black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and a founding member of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium. The college is dedicated to academic excellence and the holistic development of its students.
The Genesis of Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman's story began with a vision to provide quality education to Black women and girls in the post-Civil War era. The institution, originally called the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, traces its roots to the basement of Friendship Baptist Church, where it was established by two dedicated schoolteachers and Baptist missionaries, Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles.
Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles: The Founding Visionaries
Harriet E. Giles and Sophia B. Packard, two teachers from the Oread Institute of Worcester, Massachusetts, established the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary on April 11, 1881, in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta. These women were driven by a commitment to providing educational opportunities for Black women, and with $100 from the First Baptist Church of Medford, Massachusetts, they embarked on their mission.
The Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary's first student body consisted of eleven women, including ten formerly enslaved women and one young girl, all eager to acquire basic educational skills.
Early Financial Support
In 1882, Packard and Giles returned to Massachusetts to seek further financial support. During a church conference in Cleveland, Ohio, they met businessman John D. Rockefeller, an industrialist and a Northern Baptist. Rockefeller was impressed by Packard's vision.
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In April 1884, Rockefeller visited the school, which at the time had 600 students and 16 faculty members. So impressed was he that he settled the debt on the property. His wife, Laura Spelman Rockefeller; her sister, Lucy Spelman; and their parents, Harvey Buel and Lucy Henry Spelman, also supported the school. The Spelmans were longtime activists in the abolitionist movement.
From Seminary to College: Evolution and Growth
The institution underwent several transformations in its early years, reflecting its growth and expanding mission.
Renaming and Recognition
In 1884, the school changed its name to Spelman Seminary in honor of Laura Spelman Rockefeller and her parents, acknowledging their significant financial and moral support. Packard was appointed Spelman's first president in 1888, after the charter for the seminary was granted.
After Packard's death in 1891, Giles served as president until her own death in 1909. From 1910 to 1953, the seminary experienced substantial growth and transition under the presidencies of Lucy Hale Tapley and Florence Matilda Read.
Achieving Collegiate Status
In September 1924, Spelman Baptist Seminary officially became Spelman College. Florence Matilda Read became president in 1927. Soon afterward, Spelman entered into an "agreement of affiliation" with nearby Morehouse College and Atlanta University by chartering the Atlanta University Center in 1929. Atlanta University would provide graduate education for students, while Morehouse and Spelman were responsible for undergraduate education.
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Key Developments and Milestones
Throughout its history, Spelman College has achieved numerous milestones that have shaped its identity and mission.
Campus Expansion and Infrastructure
In 1927, Sisters Chapel, one of the most important buildings on campus, was dedicated. The chapel was named for its primary benefactors, sisters Laura Spelman Rockefeller and Lucy Maria Spelman. In 1930, the Spelman Nursery School was created as a training center for mothers and a practice arena for students who planned careers in education and child development. The school continued to expand, building and acquiring more property to accommodate the growing student body.
Academic Recognition and Accreditation
In 1947, Spelman joined the list of "approved institutions" of the Association of American Universities. Spelman is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The Spelman College Glee Club
The Spelman College Glee Club was founded in 1925, beginning the popular Atlanta tradition of the annual Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert.
Leadership and Social Impact
Spelman College has been led by a succession of influential presidents who have guided the institution through periods of growth, change, and social activism.
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Trailblazing Presidents
After Giles' death, Lucy Hale Tapley became president. Florence Matilda Read became the president in 1927. In 1953, Florence Read retired, and Albert E. Manley became the first Black and first male president of the college. Under his presidency and the presidency of his successor, Donald Stewart, Spelman experienced significant growth.
Johnnetta Betsch Cole became the first Black female president of Spelman College in 1987. During this time, the college became noted for its commitment to community service and its ties to the local community. In 1997, Cole stepped down and Audrey Forbes Manley became Spelman's first alumna president. In April 2022, Helene Gayle was named the 11th president of Spelman College.
Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement
Going into the 1960s, Spelman College students became involved in civil rights actions in Atlanta. In 1962, the first Spelman students were arrested for participating in sit-ins in the Atlanta community. Noted American historian Howard Zinn was a professor of history at Spelman during this era and served as an adviser to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee chapter at the college.
Spelman Today
Spelman College continues to uphold its mission of providing a transformative education to women of African descent.
Academic Programs and Student Life
Spelman offers bachelor's degrees in over 30 academic majors. Students are all women and predominantly African-American. Approximately 30% come from Georgia, 69% from the rest of the United States, and 1% are international. All new Spelman students are required to attend a six-day new student orientation (NSO) in August immediately before the fall semester begins. One of Spelman's oldest traditions is Spelmanites wearing "respectable and conservative" white attire to designated formal events on campus.
Traditions and Organizations
NAACP and Sister Steps are registered campus organizations. Spelman also has chapters of Colleges Against Cancer, Circle K, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, Habitat for Humanity, National Council of Negro Women, National Society of Black Engineers, Operation Smile, United Way, and Young Democrats of America. Spelman's 2005 robotics team, the SpelBots, became the first all-women, all-black robotics team to compete in the RoboCup Four-Legged League Soccer competition. Spelman has several sororities on campus including all four of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
Notable Alumnae
Spelman's notable alumnae include the first African-American CEO of Sam's Club and Walgreens Rosalind Brewer, Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, former Dean of Harvard College Evelynn M. Hammonds, activist and Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Dovey Johnson Roundtree, college organist Joyce Johnson, musician, activist, and historian Bernice Johnson Reagon, politician Stacey Abrams, writer Pearl Cleage, TV personality Rolonda Watts, opera singer Mattiwilda Dobbs, and actresses Cassi Davis, LaTanya Richardson, Adrienne-Joi Johnson, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Tati Gabrielle, Assemblywoman of the 18th district of New York State Taylor Darling, designer and curator Sara Penn, and economist Lisa Cook.
Recent Developments
In January 2024, Spelman received the largest single donation in its history and one of the largest ever to a HBCU with $100 million given by Spelman trustee Ronda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston.
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