Alabama State Normal School
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Alabama State University (ASU, Bama State, or Alabama State) is a
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
historically Black university Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...
in
Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...
. Founded in 1867, during the
Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...
, it was one of about 180 " normal schools" established by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. It was one of 23 established to train African Americans to teach in segregated schools. Some of the 180 closed but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century and state universities in the late 20th century. ASU is a member-school of the
Thurgood Marshall College Fund The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is a non-profit organization that supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 55 member-schools that include public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), medical school ...
. Alabama State’s athletic teams, known as the
Hornets Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to yellowjackets, their close relatives. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other vespine wasps by ...
, compete in
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).


History

Alabama State University was founded in 1867 as the
Lincoln Normal School The Lincoln Normal School (1867–1970), originally Lincoln School and later reorganized as State Normal School and University for the Education of Colored Teachers and Students, was a historic African American school expanded to include a normal ...
of Marion in
Marion Marion or MARION may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Marion (band), a British alternative rock group * ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries * ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film * ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short People a ...
. In December 1874, the State Board accepted the transfer of title to the school after a legislative act was passed authorizing the state to fund a Normal School, and George N. Card was named president. Thus, in 1874, this predecessor of Alabama State University became America's first state-supported educational institution for blacks. This began ASU's history as a "teachers' college." The second president,
William Burns Paterson William Burns Paterson was an educator and horticulturist. He is chiefly known as an educational provider, being involved in establishing Alabama State University. He was a Democrat, a Presbyterian, and a charter member of the Alabama State hortic ...
, was appointed in 1878. He is honored as a founder of Alabama State University and was the president for 37 of the school's first 48 years. Paterson was instrumental in the move from Marion to Montgomery in 1887. In 1887, the university opened in its new location in Montgomery, but an Alabama State Supreme Court ruling forced the school to change its name; it was renamed the Normal School for Colored Students. The campus was chosen in 1889 although preparing the buildings at the site took a while longer. In the decades that followed, Lincoln Normal School became a junior college, and in 1928 became a full four-year institution. In 1929 it became State Teachers College, Alabama State College for Negroes in 1948, and Alabama State College in 1954. In 1969, the State Board of Education, then the governing body of the university, approved a name change; the institution became Alabama State University. The 1995 ''Knight vs. Alabama'' remedial decree transformed ASU into a comprehensive regional institution paving the way for two new undergraduate programs, four new graduate programs, diversity scholarship funding and endowment, funding to build a state-of-the art health sciences facility, and a facility renewal allocation to refurbish three existing buildings.
WVAS WVAS (90.7 FM) is a jazz-music formatted radio station in the Montgomery, Alabama, market licensed to the Alabama State University. WVAS is a member-supported non-commercial, educational station featuring news and other programming from Nation ...
-FM was launched on June 15, 1984, beaming 25,000 watts of power from the fifth floor of the Levi Watkins Learning Center for two years before moving to its current location at Thomas Kilby Hall. Today, WVAS has grown to 80,000 watts and has a listenership that spans 18 counties, reaching a total population of more than 651,000. In recent years, the station has also begun streaming its broadcast via the Web, connecting a global audience to the university. The early 1990s witnessed the beginning of WAPR-FM (Alabama Public Radio), which Alabama State University and Troy University, both of which already held station licenses of their own, cooperated with the University of Alabama in building and operating. WAPR-FM 88.3—Selma's signal reaches the region known colloquially as the Black Belt, about 13 counties in the west central and central parts of Alabama, including the city of Montgomery. In 2021, ASU received a $24.7 million federal grant from the
U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet, cabinet-level department of the federal government of the United States, United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, havin ...
to help
Montgomery Public Schools Montgomery Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. The current Superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools is Melvin Brown. The district serves the city of Montgomery and surrounding Montgomery ...
students better prepare for a
higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
. This is the largest single grant in the history of the institution.


Presidents

''Interim presidents excluded'' #1874–1878: George N. Card #1878–1915:
William Burns Paterson William Burns Paterson was an educator and horticulturist. He is chiefly known as an educational provider, being involved in establishing Alabama State University. He was a Democrat, a Presbyterian, and a charter member of the Alabama State hortic ...
#1915–1920: John William Beverly #1920–1925:
George Washington Trenholm George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...
#1925–1961: Harper Councill Trenholm #1962–1981: Levi Watkins Sr. #1981–1983:
Robert L. Randolph Robert Lee Randolph (January 2, 1926 – April 11, 2003) was an American academic administrator who served as president of Westfield State University, Westfield State College and Alabama State University. Early life Randolph was born on January 2, ...
#1983–1991: Leon Howard #1991–1994: Clifford C. Baker #1994–2000: William Hamilton Harris #2001–2008: Joe A. Lee #2008–2012: William Hamilton Harris #2012: Joseph H. Silver Sr. #2014–2016:
Gwendolyn Boyd Gwendolyn Elizabeth Boyd (born December 27, 1955) is an American scientist and university administrator. She served as president of Alabama State University from 2014 to 2016. Before entering administration, she worked as a mechanical engineer at ...
#2017–present: Quinton T. Ross Jr.


Academics

ASU has eight degree-granting colleges, schools, or divisions: * College of Business Administration * College of Education * College of Health Sciences * College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences * College of Science, Mathematics & Technology * College of Visual & Performing Arts * Division of Aerospace Studies * Continuing Education Alabama State offers 47 degree programs including 31 bachelor's, 11 master's, 2 Education Specialist, and 3 doctoral programs. In addition, the university offers the W.E.B. DuBois Honors Program for undergraduate students who meet the above average performance criteria. Due to Alabama State offering only bachelor's degree in
Biomedical Engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare applications (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic purposes). BME also integrates the logica ...
and
Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...
, the university established a
dual degree Joint degrees are academic qualifications awarded through integrated curricula often jointly coordinated and delivered by multiple higher education institutions, sometimes across different countries. Graduates may receive a single qualification ...
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
partnership with
Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...
and the
University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1969 and part of the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than ...
(UAB) that gives qualified ASU students automatic admissions into Auburn and UAB undergraduate engineering programs. ASU undergraduate students who successfully complete the program will receive a
STEM Stem or STEM most commonly refers to: * Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant * Stem group * Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Stem or STEM can also refer to: Language and writing * Word stem, part of a word respon ...
related bachelor's degree from ASU and an engineering bachelor's degree from Auburn or UAB in approximately five years. Alabama State is
accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees app ...
. Specific programs are also accredited by relevant specialized accreditors.


Research centers

Research centers at the university include: *Center for Nanobiotechnology Research *Research Infrastructure & Minority Institutions *Center for Leadership & Public Policy *East Asian Institute for Business Research and Culture *Urban Economic Research Development Center *National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture


Campus

ASU's urban, 172-acre (0.70 km2) campus has Georgian-style red-brick classroom buildings and architecturally contemporary structures. ASU is home to the state-of-the-art 7,400-seat academic and sports facility the ASU Acadome; the Levi Watkins Learning Center, a five-story brick structure with more than 267,000 volumes; the state-of-the-art John L. Buskey Health Sciences Center which is an 80,000 square foot (7,400 m2) facility which houses classrooms, offices, an interdisciplinary clinic, three therapeutic rehabilitation labs, a state-of-the-art Gross Anatomy Lab, Laboratory for the Analysis of Human Motion (LAHM), a Women's Health/Cardiopulmonary lab, and a health sciences computer lab; and WVAS-FM 90.7, the 80,000-watt, university operated public radio station.


Student life

Alabama State University has nearly 6,000 students from more than 40 states and over 20 countries. Approximately 40% of the student body come from outside Alabama.


Athletics

The Alabama State University Department of Athletics currently sponsors men's intercollegiate
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
,
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, golf, tennis, track and cheerleading, along with women's intercollegiate
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, soccer, softball, bowling, tennis, track, volleyball, golf and cheerleading. Sports teams participate in
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA) Division I (FCS –
Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision (F ...
for
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
) in the
Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United St ...
(SWAC), which it joined in 1982. The university's colors are black and old gold and their athletic teams are known as the Hornets.


The Mighty Marching Hornets

Alabama State's marching band is officially known as "The Mighty Marching Hornets". The band has been nationally recognized. The Mighty Marching Hornets were featured in the documentary series, ''Bama State Style'', which followed the lives of the students in the band. In 2016, The Mighty Marching Hornets made an appearance in
Ang Lee Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...
's film ''
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk ''Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'' is a satirical war novel written by Ben Fountain, which was published in early May 2012 by Ecco Press, a publishing imprint of HarperCollins. The novel chronicles the experience of a group of Iraq War vetera ...
''. In 2017, the band's 2012 halftime performance at the Magic City Classic garnered over three million views on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. The band performed in the 2019
Rose Parade The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if New ...
in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
on New Year's Day. In 2023, Alabama State became the first HBCU to host the annual
Honda Battle of the Bands The Honda Battle of the Bands (sometimes abbreviated The Honda or HBOB) is an annual marching band exhibition in the United States which features performances by bands from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Sponsored by the Am ...
. The band is traditionally led by four or five
drum majors A drum major or field commander is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or cor ...
. The band performs at most football games, all SWAC basketball home games, and other special events. The featured auxiliary is "The Sensational Stingettes", a danceline that debuted in 1977. They were invited to appear in the "
Give It 2 U "Give It 2 U" is a song by American singer-songwriter Robin Thicke from his sixth studio album, ''Blurred Lines'' (2013). It was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut, with additional writing by Thicke, the featured artist Kendrick Lamar, ...
" music video and a live televised performance with artists Robin Thicke, Kendrick Lamar, and 2 Chainz. Also, they were shown in Beyonce's Netflix special " HΘMΣCΘMING: A film by Beyonce". The most recently added auxiliary is "The Honey-Beez", a danceline composed of only plus-size young women that debuted in 2004. In 2017, they were selected to showcase their talents and compete on ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...
''. In 2020, they starred in a docuseries on
Snapchat Snapchat is an American multimedia social media and instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of the app are that pictures and messages, known as "snaps", are usually availa ...
.


The Bama State Collegians

The Bama State Collegians is a
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
jazz orchestra A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
sponsored by Alabama State University. In the 1930s, the ensemble was directed by noted jazz trumpeter
Erskine Hawkins Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914 – November 11, 1993) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is best remembered for composing the jazz standard " Tuxedo Junction" ( ...
, an inductee of both the
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (AJHF) is an organization and museum in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1978, and opened as museum on September 18, 1993, with a mission "to foster, encourage, educate, and cultivate a general ...
and the
Alabama Music Hall of Fame The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then oversaw construction of a facility after a statewide referendum in 1987 ...
. After moving to New York City, the Collegians, directed by Hawkins, became the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra and produced a string of national hit records, including "
Tuxedo Junction "Tuxedo Junction" is a popular big band song recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, becoming a No. 1 hit in 1940. The music was written by Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, and Julian Dash and the lyrics by Buddy Feyne. The song was introduce ...
", "
After Hours After Hours or Afterhours may refer to: Film and television * ''After Hours'' (film), a 1985 black comedy by Martin Scorsese * ''After Hours'' (Canadian TV series), a 1953 variety series * ''After Hours'' (1958 British TV series), a comedy s ...
", "
Tippin' In "Tippin' In" is an American song with music by Robert Lewis "Bobby" Smith and lyrics by Marty Symes. It was a 1945 instrumental hit by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra. The single went to number one on the Race Records chart for six non-consecuti ...
" and others. The song "Tuxedo Junction", with its recordings by Hawkins and by the
Glenn Miller Orchestra Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was an American swing dance band that was formed by Glenn Miller in 1938. Arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, and three other saxophones playing harmony, the band became the most pop ...
, became one of the anthems of World War II. In 2011, Hawkins' story of and his start in the Bama State Collegians was the subject of a Florida State University Film School MFA thesis film, ''The Collegians'', written and directed by Alabama State University alumnus Bryan Lewis.


Student publications

Students are served by two media publications, ''The Hornet Tribune'' (student newspaper) and ''The Hornet'' (the student yearbook).


See also

* WVAS 90.7 FM Radio, Alabama State radio station *
Magic City Classic The Magic City Classic is an annual American football "classic" that features Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University, the two largest historically black universities in the state. It is played at Legion Field in Birmingham (nick ...
, One of the largest HBCU events and FCS football games in the nation *
Turkey Day Classic The Turkey Day Classic is a college football game, traditionally held annually on Thanksgiving Day. Originally, it was played between Alabama State University and Tuskegee University, two historically black universities. The game was originally p ...
, One of the oldest HBCU football classics in the nation


Notable alumni


Notable faculty


Further reading

* * * * * *


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Universities and colleges in Montgomery, Alabama Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools African-American history in Montgomery, Alabama 1867 establishments in Alabama Historically black universities and colleges in the United States Historically segregated African-American schools in Alabama Public universities and colleges in Alabama Universities and colleges established in 1867