St. Louis: 250 Years, 250+ Cakes. Here we go....: #98: Harris-Stowe State University

Thursday, June 26, 2014

#98: Harris-Stowe State University

Just within a walking distance from the Grand Central Arts district and Saint Louis University sits this historically black educational institution. Here are some interesting facts about the university:

Motto: Inspiring change
Founded in 1857, it was the first public teacher institution west of the Mississippi River.
It was founded as a 'normal school' (name for a college that trains high school graduates to be teachers) for whites, and was named Harris Teachers College, after William Torrey Harris.
In 1890, a black 'normal school' was founded and was named after author Harriet Beecher Stowe (famous for Uncle Tom's Cabin)
The Harris and Stowe schools were merged as a result from the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling
In 2005, the school attained university status, and the name was changed to Harris-Stowe State University.
Harris Teachers College was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
It is one of only two historically black colleges in Missouri.
Notable alumni include former St. Louis television news anchor Julius Hunter, and Bobby Wilks, the first African-American promoted to Captain of the United States Coast Guard