Bishop College, historically black college in Marshall, Texas
Bishop College was a higher education institution in Marshall, Texas, founded to serve African American students. The campus included several buildings: Marston Hall, a bell tower, student dormitories, classrooms, and a chapel.
The college was founded in 1881 by the American Baptist Home Mission Society to offer education to African American students in Texas. After decades of growth, the institution moved to Dallas in 1961 and closed in 1988.
Bishop College was a gathering place for the African American community in Marshall, drawing students, teachers, and families from the surrounding area. Today, photographs kept at the Marshall Public Library give a sense of what daily life on the campus once looked like.
The original campus in Marshall no longer stands, as the buildings were torn down after the college left the city. Visitors interested in the college's story can find photographs and documents at the Marshall Public Library.
Joseph J. Rhoads, the college's first African American president, was born in Marshall and had himself studied there before leading the institution from 1929 until his death in 1951. Throughout those years, he worked against racial segregation and helped the college grow despite strong external opposition.
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