Benjamin Franklin Bowles (1869–1928), [1] commonly written as B. F. Bowles, was an African American civil rights leader, teacher, high school principal, and the founder and president of Douglass University, a 20th-century college for African Americans in segregated St. Louis, Missouri.
Benjamin Franklin Bowles was born on a farm near Cooperville in Pike County, Ohio. [2] His parents were Delia (née Nash) and John H. Bowles. [2] Bowles attended Wilberforce University, and received a A. M. degree in 1905. [2] He had been married twice, first to Annie R. Anderson, followed by Caroline "Carrie" King Johnson. [2] In total he had five children. [2]
Early in his career he taught grammar school in Du Quoin and Metropolis, Illinois. [2] He served as principal of Lincoln High School in East St. Louis from 1896 to 1914. [3] [2] He also worked as faculty at Lincoln University, a public historically black land-grant university in Jefferson City, Missouri. [4]
In 1921, Bowles signed a NAACP petition as a representative in Missouri, in support of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill. [5]
Bowles founded Douglass University in St. Louis in 1926, which he operated until the late 1920s due to a decline in his health. [6] [7] The school remained active off-and-on for decades after. At the time of the university's founding, no other college in St. Louis County admitted black students. [8] The first university in the state of Missouri allowing black students to attend was Lincoln University (founded in 1866), which was followed by Douglass University. [9] It was also only one of two schools in the United States offering full law degrees to black students. [7]
Bowles died in September 1928. [1] W. E. B. DuBois wrote to Benjamin F. Bowles' wife Carrie after Bowles death requesting an obituary writeup for The Crisis. [10]
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Benjamin Franklin Bowles (1869–1928), [1] commonly written as B. F. Bowles, was an African American civil rights leader, teacher, high school principal, and the founder and president of Douglass University, a 20th-century college for African Americans in segregated St. Louis, Missouri.
Benjamin Franklin Bowles was born on a farm near Cooperville in Pike County, Ohio. [2] His parents were Delia (née Nash) and John H. Bowles. [2] Bowles attended Wilberforce University, and received a A. M. degree in 1905. [2] He had been married twice, first to Annie R. Anderson, followed by Caroline "Carrie" King Johnson. [2] In total he had five children. [2]
Early in his career he taught grammar school in Du Quoin and Metropolis, Illinois. [2] He served as principal of Lincoln High School in East St. Louis from 1896 to 1914. [3] [2] He also worked as faculty at Lincoln University, a public historically black land-grant university in Jefferson City, Missouri. [4]
In 1921, Bowles signed a NAACP petition as a representative in Missouri, in support of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill. [5]
Bowles founded Douglass University in St. Louis in 1926, which he operated until the late 1920s due to a decline in his health. [6] [7] The school remained active off-and-on for decades after. At the time of the university's founding, no other college in St. Louis County admitted black students. [8] The first university in the state of Missouri allowing black students to attend was Lincoln University (founded in 1866), which was followed by Douglass University. [9] It was also only one of two schools in the United States offering full law degrees to black students. [7]
Bowles died in September 1928. [1] W. E. B. DuBois wrote to Benjamin F. Bowles' wife Carrie after Bowles death requesting an obituary writeup for The Crisis. [10]
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cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)