Benedict College

The American Baptist Home Mission Society established Benedict Institute in 1870 for the training of black Baptist ministers and teachers.  Named in honor of Rhode Island abolitionist Stephen Benedict, the institute became known as Benedict College in 1894.  Dr. John Jacob Starks was named the college’s first Black president in 1929.  Students established a college NAACP chapter in 1937 to support a nationwide campaign against lynching.  The Benedict College campus boasts several historic buildings including: Morgan Hall (1885), Pratt Hall (1902), Duckett Hall (1925), Antisdel Chapel (1932) and Starks Center (1937).

KEYWORDS: NATIONAL REGISTER, NAACP, MORGAN HALL, PRATT HALL, DUCKETT HALL, ANTISDEL CHAPEL, COLUMBIA, RICHLAND COUNTY