People, Locations, Episodes

Mary Holmes College is Founded

On this date's Registry, we celebrate the founding of Mary Holmes College in 1892. It was one of over 100 historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in America.

Originally named the Mary Holmes Seminary, it was created by the Board of Missions for Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Located in Jackson, Mississippi, the school was dedicated to the Christian education of "Colored" girls, largely in the domestic arts. When fire destroyed the original school, it was rebuilt in West Point, Mississippi, where it is still located and where, despite two more destructive fires, it continues to seek to educate youth for worthy, purposeful lives.

Conceived and initiated through the efforts of the Reverend Mead Holmes and his daughter, Miss Mary Holmes, the school was named for Mrs. Mary Holmes, wife and mother. She had long been a tireless and devoted missionary for the Freedmen’s Mission. In 1932, the school became coeducational and also added the college department, with the primary purpose of training elementary teachers. At this time, private schools like Mary Holmes were the main sources for Black teachers in the South, and the preparation of Mary Holmes graduates had them in great demand.

By 1959, the State of Mississippi was assuming a greater responsibility for elementary and secondary education, so the high school department of Mary Holmes was dropped, leaving it free to concentrate on being a Junior College. The Board of Missions of the United Presbyterian Church, USA, still operates the school, but its stance has always been non-sectarian.

In June 1969, the State of Mississippi granted a charter, making the institution a legal entity under Mary Holmes College, Inc. Since then, it has operated under its Board of Trustees.

In 2002, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools revoked its accreditation, and the college closed in March 2005. By then, the property (which had expanded to 184 acres) and the school's archives had returned to the Presbyterian Church. In 2010, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History approved a historical marker for the college.

Also, in 2010, the church made a deal to sell the campus with its 25 buildings to Community Counseling Services, an organization that provides mental health and addiction counseling services. The organization renovated several of the existing buildings, including the chapel, and plans to turn one building into a small museum honoring the college's history and serving as a location for reunions.