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marched her 75 students - some adults, some large and small children - to the new campus. They were met by Dr. Gaines and Miss Thomas with their 32 students. Thus was Morris Brown College's beginning. 

Self-Help Produces School

One of Morris Brown's most revered figures, Miss Ann Thomas, the first to complete 50 years of teaching at the school, commented with rare insight on the significance of the founding of Morris Brown College:

"The birth of Morris Brown College was among the early attempts of Negroes in America to make themselves articulate for their own education. No great number of schools had been started by members of our group, and the schools which were born of Negro effort and expected to maintain themselves entirely by Negro support were exceedingly small...

"Morris Brown grew out of the efforts of Negroes to help themselves, and even though the growth of the institution has been such that outside help became advisedly acceptable in later years, it only emphasizes the value of the self-help that brought the school into being." 

Dr. Atticus G. Haygood, agent of the Slater Fund, echoed a similar note in his dedicatory address, according to a report in the Atlanta Constitution: "To both races this dedication is a notable event. The negroes [sic] have here set their white brother a noble example of energy and liberality. The gathering of more than $10,000 in small sums from a poor people for such a cause is a work seldom equalled. It indicates that it is in the colored race of this country to be self-sustaining. 

It was the Rev. Wesley John Gaines, however, who exemplified the doctrine of self-help: Like most of his peers Gaines was born a slave, but unlike many of them he was possessed with ingenuity, charisma and a profound dedication. He was the youngest of fourteen children born to William and Louise 

[[image: photo of Rev. Wesley John Gaines, "A School of Our Own" 1881-1981 Rev. Wesley John Gaines]]

Gaines on the plantation of Gabriel Toombs in Wilkes County, Georgia, near Washington on October 4, 1840. He was physically frail as a youth. "However, this seems to have been the opportunity that God had given him to learn to read and write," notes his biographer. "He was ill before he learned the alphabet. By divine help and some instruction from a white youth, George Daniels, he learned to spell fairly well in a week. He soon learned to write without aid, except when he was occasionally copied from a copy-book." 

While ill he would lie in bed and read, though his books had to be concealed from whites, lest his fingers be cut off. One night, during the Civil War, the "patrollers" called at his home in search of books and weapons. Wesley hid his books in this mother's ash hopper. Much to his sorrow, a heavy rain fell that night and the lye thus formed ruined his books. The first letter he ever wrote was addressed to his brother Stephen. Having no money, Wesley dropped it without a stamp and ran from the post office. The postmaster notified Stephen at Washington (Ga.), who forwarded the postage.

1890: First Graduate

In 1888, Rev. Gaines was elected bishop and assigned to Georgia. Morris Brown College was his priority. He supervised the building of the south wing, Grant Hall, and canvassed the state for funds. One account of those early days asserts that Bishop Gaines convinced a soap manufacturer to put the picture of Morris Brown College on its soap wrappers and to give the school a certain percentage of the sales. Accordingly, most blacks would buy no other brand. The school, allegedly, realized several thousand dollars from the promotion.

Despite the frequent changes in administration, the school flourished in its early years. The first Normal Department graduate was Miss Laurene Chandler in 1890 who became a public school teacher (Under the direction of Dr. Ann Cochran, Morris Brown pioneered in the field of teacher training.) The first college graduates were William L. Lane and James R. Stroud in 1898, both of whom subsequently received medical degrees from Howard University and became practicing physicians. Charles L. Harper, a 1899 graduate, was the first principal of Atlant's first public high school and pioneer leader in the Atlanta NAACP Branch. 

In 1912 the charter was changes from Morris Brown College to Morris Brown University. Degrees were awarded in Theology, Nursing, and Law. Branch institutions were established at Cuthbert, under the name of "Payne College" and at Savannah, "Central Park Normal and Industrial Institute." During the 1920s Morris Brown began to experience economical difficulties. The "university" was dissolved. In 1932 with the help of the General Education Board and other foundations Morris Brown College was moved to the former undergraduate campus of Atlanta University. There the school made spectacular gains.

Moreover, Morris Brown's curriculum had undergone several changes, necessitated by the demands of its students as well as by those of other colleges. For example, Morris Brown has an arrangement with the George School of Technology, known as the dual degree program, whereby students take two years at Morris Brown and three at Tech and upon graduation receive an A.B. from Morris Brown and a B.S. in engineering from Tech. During the 1980 Commencement, Morris Brown awarded more than thirty degrees in as many different areas. 

Centennial Observance

This year Morris Brown College observes its Centennial - "A Century of Pride and Strength." Enrollment is about 1,800 and the school has an annual budget of over $9,000,000. The market value of the present plant is reported to be in excess of $28,000,000. The school has a modest endowment and the regional accrediting agency has awarded the school an "A" rating with full membership. Morris Brown is one of the member institutions of the Atlanta University Center. Though sponsored by the A.M.E. Church, it is non-sectarian. Additionally, the trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and student body are all integrated.

After 100 years of service, Morris Brown College remains an illustrious example of black educational entrepreneurship. Because it was determined to raise the banner of self-help, to sound the cry of race-pride, to provoke blacks to achieve a sense of worth and dignity; it has carved for itself and the race a niche in the higher annals of human history. It is important and inspirational to note that this signal undertaking was initiated by an ex-slave - the Reverend Wesley John Gaines. 

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