Edward A. Mitchell
*Edward Mitchell was born on this date in 1794. He was a Black minister.
Edward A. Mitchell was born in Martinique, West Indies. President Francis Brown (1815-1820) affiliated Mitchell with Dartmouth College. President Brown was ill and made a trip to the South, accompanied on the return trip by Edward Mitchell, who remained with the Brown family after Brown's death. Mitchell was received on equal terms with President Brown's children and applied for admission to Dartmouth in 1824.
Mitchell was approved after being examined by the faculty and passing honorable examinations. However, the board of trustees feared that his presence would be unacceptable and refused to accept him. A student committee was formed, which included members of all four classes present at Dartmouth at that time. A dark-skinned Caucasian named C.D. Cleveland headed the committee. Cleveland argued that he would not be there if color were excluded from the college.
The trustees reversed their decision, and Edward Mitchell was accepted into Dartmouth College and became the first Black graduate in 1828. He was ordained a Baptist minister and moved to Georgeville, Canada, where he found community and his calling in ministry. Edward Mitchell died on March 21, 1872.
