Louisville Municipal College was a historically black college located in Louisville, Kentucky which existed from 1931 to 1951.
History In 1920, a bond issue for funding of University of Louisville (which required a two-thirds affirmative vote) failed in part due to Negro opposition, as the bond issue would have used taxes of Negros, however University of Louisville did not allow Negros to attend.Notable Kentucky African Americans Database - Louisville Municipal College for Negroes In 1925, after compromises including sharing 10% ($100 thousand of the $1 Million of the bond) proceeds with a College for Negros.University of Louisville, Archives & Special Collections (ASC), Louisville Municipal College History: LMC History
Progress on the College for Negros was delayed by the deaths of two University of Louisville Presidents while in Office: President Arthur Younger Ford (President from 1914 to 1926) and his successor, George Colvin (President from 1926 to 1928).New York Times, July 23, 1928 GEORGE COLVIN DEAD.; President of University of Louisville Victim of Appendicitis.
The school was founded on the former location of Simmons College of Kentucky. Simmons, founded in 1879 had had its location at Seventh and Kentucky foreclosed in 1930,Simmons College of Kentucky nears accreditation Simmons College continued operations elsewhere in Louisville, eventually returning to the Seventh and Kentucky location in 2006.
Deans Deans of Louisville Municipal College:
Rufus Early Clement, 1931–1937 David A. Lane, 1937–1942 Bertram W. Doyle, 1942–1950 In the last year before the merger, Louisville Municipal College did not have a dean.
Student activities
The school newspaper was The Bantam.Linda L. Wilson Louisville Municipal College collection
Fraternities and Sororities The college had chapters of the following National Pan-Hellenic Council Fraternities and Sororities. Alpha Phi Alpha - Alpha Pi chapter - May 7, 1934Alpha Phi Alpha Historical Marker Alpha Kappa Alpha - Beta Epsilon chapter - November 6, 1933Alpha Kappa Alpha Historical Marker Kappa Alpha Psi - Alpha Omicron chapter - June 15, 1933Kappa Alpha Psi Historical MarkerKappa Alpha Psi holds ‘Kappa Week’ to connect with students and community The Louisville Cardinal Delta Sigma Theta - Xi chapter - April 15, 1922Delta Sigma Theta Historical Marker (originally chartered at Simmons College) Phi Beta Sigma - Tau chapter - April 25, 1925Phi Beta Sigma Historical Marker (originally chartered at Simmons College) Sigma Gamma Rho - Delta chapter - 1930sSigma Gamma Rho Historical Marker Zeta Phi Beta - Delta Alpha chapter - 1934Zeta Phi Beta Historical Marker
Athletics
The football team was the Bantams.
Football seasons ran from at 1931 to 1949 and included 1946 and 1947.Baltimore Afro American Newspaper Archives October 31, 1931 Page 15
Basketball was also played through 1950Wilson Daily Times Newspaper Archives December 7, 1950 Page 12
Notable alumni, faculty and staff
Alumni Elmer Lucille Allen - Ceramic artist and chemist Leon Bibb - American folk singer Fannie R. Givens - artist, missionary, and political activist Cynthia Jenkins - American librarian, community activist, and politician from New York. Alberta Odell Jones - African-American attorney and civil rights icon Georgia Davis Powers - First African American and first woman elected to the Kentucky State Senate.Georgia Davis Powers Gallery of Great Black Kentuckians Poster
Faculty and Staff Earl Brown - American Negro league pitcher, journalist, and politician Rufus Early Clement - American academic administrator and university president, first dean of LMC. Donald Anderson Edwards - African American physicist Eliza Atkins Gleason - African American librarian Virginia Lacy Jones -African American librarian Dwight T. Reed - Football coach at LMC and Lincoln University in Missouri Hazel Browne Williams - African American librarian
References
External links Louisville Municipal College (LMC) scrapbook, University of Louisville Archives & Special Collections Louisville Municipal College records, University of Louisville Archives & Special Collections