People, Locations, Episodes

Coppin State University is Founded

On this date, we celebrate the founding of Coppin State College (CSC) in 1900 in Maryland. It is among over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America (HBCUs).

An urban, residential college located northwest of Baltimore City is a member of the University System of Maryland. The Baltimore City Public Schools’ Board of Commissioners established the college for African American teachers as a one-year training class. From 1900 to 1952, classes were held in elementary and secondary school buildings located throughout the city. From 1900 to 1963, Coppin was a single-purpose institution designed to prepare elementary school teachers.

In 1926, the Board of School Commissioners authorized the use of the name Fanny Jackson Coppin Normal School in honor of an African American educator who received a degree from Oberlin College in 1865 and made significant contributions to the education of African American youth. In 1938, Coppin Normal School was renamed Coppin State Teachers College, gaining the authority to grant the Bachelor of Science degree. In 1950, it became part of the Maryland Public School System under the State Department of Education. On July 1, 1952, the college moved to its present site on West North Avenue.

Coppin is a four-year, multipurpose college committed to the central city. On its 50-acre campus, there are 500,000 square feet of modern buildings. Over 3,600 students are enrolled in day, evening, and weekend undergraduate and graduate courses. The college is characterized by a unique kind of growth that is attuned to the needs and interests of Baltimore City residents. Coppin became a multipurpose institution in 1963 when the Maryland General Assembly authorized the college to prepare students in arts and sciences majors across various disciplines and offer a secondary education program.

In 1963, Coppin State also became a member of the Board of Trustees of Maryland State Colleges, breaking from the Maryland State Board of Education. In May 1970, the Board of Trustees made Coppin a full-fledged liberal arts college. On July 1, 1988, Coppin State College became part of the newly formed University System of Maryland.

This change in the governance structure did not result in a change in role and mission. The university offers programs in arts and sciences, social work, nursing, criminal justice, and teacher education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as special education at the undergraduate level. Additionally, it offers a Master of Arts in Teaching, rehabilitation counseling, adult education, and criminal justice at the graduate level.

Additionally, its undergraduate and graduate academic programs are accredited by several specialized accrediting agencies. Teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. The Maryland State Board of Examiners of Nurses approves the nursing program and is accredited by the National League of Nursing.

The Council on Social Work Education and the Council on Rehabilitation Education have accredited their Social Work and Rehabilitation Counseling Education programs. Notable alums include Stephanie Ready and others.