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Rev. John Frederick Augustus Sykes Fayette (c. 1810 – February 27, 1876) was an American and Canadian college-educated
Often described as an "educated
Israel D. Bowman
The Institute did not attract enough students to make ends meet, and closed after two years. Fayette was finally licensed in Canada by the Presbytery of Niagara. He then became a minister for several Presbyterian congregations, first in Ancaster in 1844 and then at Barton Stone Church from 1845 to 1850. The church, which still stands in
First Documented African American Alumnus
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fayette, John Sykes 1876 deaths Case Western Reserve University alumni African-American abolitionists American abolitionists Canadian abolitionists Canadian Presbyterian ministers 19th-century American Presbyterian ministers Place of birth unknown
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
minister. Fayette attended Western Reserve College, present day Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1967 by a merger between Western Reserve University and the Case Institute of Technology. Case ...
, beginning in 1832 and graduated in 1836, notably as Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
's first African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
college student.
Early life and education
Fayette arrived inHudson, Ohio
Hudson is a city in northern Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,110 at the 2020 census. It is a suburban community in the Akron metropolitan area. John Brown made his first public vow to destroy slavery here and the ci ...
, via New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, when his minister, Rev. Samuel Hanson Cox of Laight Street Presbyterian Church, wrote a letter of recommendation to President Charles Backus Storrs of Western Reserve College. In 1832, Fayette became the first African American to enroll at a university in Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and west of the Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
. In 1836, John Sykes Fayette became the first African American to graduate from a university in Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and west of the Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
. Staying for another year, Fayette earned a graduate degree in divinity, graduating again in 1837.
As a participating Abolitionist
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world.
The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
, Fayette spent time associating with local Hudson resident John Brown.
Presbyterian ministries
Often described as an "educated mulatto
( , ) is a Race (human categorization), racial classification that refers to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African, African and Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the ...
", Fayette moved to Canada in 1839 after being licensed by the Cleveland Presbytery. In 1840, he founded the "Wellington Institute" in the Waterloo region of Berlin, Ontario (known today as Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, about west of Toronto. It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is the regional Administrative centre, seat. Kitchener was known as Berlin until a ...
), teaching local and Mennonite
Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...
children for two years. A couple notable names who attended the school included Jacob Yost Shantz anIsrael D. Bowman
The Institute did not attract enough students to make ends meet, and closed after two years. Fayette was finally licensed in Canada by the Presbytery of Niagara. He then became a minister for several Presbyterian congregations, first in Ancaster in 1844 and then at Barton Stone Church from 1845 to 1850. The church, which still stands in
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...
, was completed in 1847. Other cities Fayette served as minister included St. Vincent, Tecumseh
Tecumseh ( ; (March 9, 1768October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the Territorial evolution of the United States, expansion of the United States onto Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
, and Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
.Presbyterian Year Book of the Dominion of Canada and New Foundland 1877 Toronto, https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.41369/1
Fayette died on February 27, 1876, in London, Ontario
London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...
, and was buried in Oakland Cemetery next to his third wife Elizabeth Bartlett Forbes.
See also
* List of African-American pioneers in desegregation of higher educationReferences
External links
First Documented African American Alumnus
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fayette, John Sykes 1876 deaths Case Western Reserve University alumni African-American abolitionists American abolitionists Canadian abolitionists Canadian Presbyterian ministers 19th-century American Presbyterian ministers Place of birth unknown