David Abner Jr.
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David Abner Jr. (November 25, 1860 – July 21, 1928) was an American
educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
. He was the first president of Guadalupe College and then of
Conroe College Conroe Normal and Industrial College (1903–1981) was a private co-educational vocational school and normal school for African American students, founded in 1903 in Conroe, Texas, United States. The school also went by the names Conroe Baptist T ...
.


Early life

David Abner Jr. was born November 25, 1860, in
Upshur County, Texas Upshur County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,892. The county seat is Gilmer. The county is named for Abel P. Upshur, who was U.S. Secretary of State during P ...
, the son of David Abner and Louisa Abner. His family was enslaved until
emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...
, but his father would become a delegate to the state constitutional convention and state legislature. In 1870 they moved to
Marshall, Texas Marshall is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Harrison County, Texas, Harrison County and a cultural and educational center of the Ark-La-Tex region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population of ...
, where Abner attended
Wiley University Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ol ...
. He then enrolled in
Straight University Straight University (known as Straight College after 1915) was an American historically black college that operated between 1868 and 1934 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After struggling with financial difficulties, it was merged with New Orleans U ...
in
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. In 1877 he enrolled at
Fisk University Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...
in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. In 1881 he enrolled at
Bishop College Bishop College was a historically black college, founded in Marshall, Texas, United States, in 1881 by the Baptist Home Mission Society. It was intended to serve students in east Texas, where the majority of the black population lived at the ...
, where he graduated in 1884, becoming the first African American to graduate from a Texas school of higher education. He then became a professor at the school. He was a delegate to the National Convention of Colored men (part of the
Colored Conventions Movement The Colored Conventions Movement, or Black Conventions Movement, was a series of national, regional, and state conventions held irregularly during the decades preceding and following the American Civil War. The delegates who attended these conve ...
) in September 1883; in 1884 he became the corresponding secretary of the Baptist State Convention of Texas. He also edited the convention's paper, known as the ''Baptist Journal'' and later as the ''Baptist Pilot''.


College president

In 1884, Guadalupe College was founded, primarily through the efforts of William B. Ball, who would later serve as president. The school opened in 1887, and Abner was made the first president of the school, a position he served until 1905, when he was forcibly removed due to opposition within the Baptist church leadership. The denomination opened a new (third) convention in the state and created a new college,
Conroe College Conroe Normal and Industrial College (1903–1981) was a private co-educational vocational school and normal school for African American students, founded in 1903 in Conroe, Texas, United States. The school also went by the names Conroe Baptist T ...
. Thereupon, in 1906, Abner was elected the first president of Conroe College.


Personal life

Abner married Ella M. Wheeler (1877–1950), with whom he had two children. He died on August 21, 1928, in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, Texas.


See also

* Men of Mark


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abner, David Jr. 1860 births 1928 deaths 19th-century African-American educators 19th-century American educators African-American journalists American male journalists Bishop College alumni Educators from Texas Fisk University alumni People from Upshur County, Texas Straight University alumni Wiley University alumni 20th-century African-American educators 20th-century American educators