Leonard Hall (Shaw University)
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Leonard Hall is a historic
educational Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education also fol ...
building located on the campus of
Shaw University Shaw University is a private historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in the Southern United States. The school had its origin in the fo ...
in
Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. Built in 1881 and originally named Leonard Medical Center, it became known as Leonard Medical School, and then Leonard Hall. It was established when medical schools were professionalizing and was the first
medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...
in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to offer a four-year
curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...
. It was also the first four-year medical school that African Americans could attend. The building was named after Judson Wade Leonard, the brother-in-law of Shaw's founder Henry Martin Tupper. Classes began in 1882 and the annual
tuition Tuition may refer to: *Formal education, education within a structured institutional framework *Tutoring, private academic help *Tuition payments Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth ...
was $60, a substantial sum at the time. It is a contributing part of the East Raleigh-South Park Historic District, listed in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1990. In 1994 it was designated a North Carolina Historic Landmark. Shaw University is the oldest
historically black college 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 the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
and often called the "mother of African-American colleges in North Carolina", because its alumni founded other colleges. It is named after Elijah Shaw, an entrepreneur from Massachusetts who contributed financially for the establishment of the school. On March 31, 1886, it awarded the college's first medical degrees to six men. Leonard Medical Center was one of fourteen medical schools founded in the late 19th century for the education of African-Americans. Describing the history of the building, then-President Talbert O. Shaw said, "For Shaw University and the black community, it stands out as one of the
bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
s of education for our people. We are very proud of it."


History

In 1865, the university was founded by Rev. Henry Martin Tupper and his wife Sarah Leonard Tupper, American Baptists, to educate
freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...
following the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. Donations from people such as Judson Wade Leonard and Jacob Estey assisted in developing the college's growing
campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...
. Estey donated money for construction of Estey Hall, first in the nation built for the education of African-American women. In 1881, Leonard Hall began operating as the first four-year medical school in the country. Leonard Hall, Leonard Medical Center's first building, opened in 1882. It was named after Judson Wade Leonard, Sarah Tupper's brother, who donated money to help construct the school. Leonard Hall held classrooms. A 34-bed medical
dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
and a 25-bed hospital were constructed next to it, the latter in 1910. The medical school complex was used to train
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
s serving African Americans. Prominent faculty members at the medical school included Kemp B. Battle Jr., son of President Kemp P. Battle of
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
; and Wisconsin I. Royster, great-uncle of ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' editor Vermont C. Royster. Leonard Hall served as a medical school until 1918, when financial problems arose from rising costs associated with implementing recommendations of the Flexner Report on Medical Education for curriculum, research, and medical equipment. During its 36-year history, the school graduated nearly 400 physicians, most of whom provided critical services to underserved populations throughout the South. After the medical school closed, Leonard Hall continued to serve as a classroom building until 1986 when a fire destroyed the roof. In 2000, a $3.6 million grant from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Fund and corporate donations resulted in the building's restoration. The historic facility is now used for classes and administrative offices. In 2006 the North Carolina Highway
Historical Marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...
Program installed a plaque to mark the location of Leonard Hall.


Architecture

The twin-turreted brick building is of the
Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...
style. The two corner towers feature arched bay windows and a rear addition with a matching
corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal keyed into and projecting from a wall to carry a wikt:superincumbent, bearing weight, a type of bracket (architecture), bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in t ...
led
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...
was later added to the building. The
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
of Leonard Hall is unknown, but many believe it was Gaston Alonzo Edwards, a Shaw faculty member and designer in 1910 of the Leonard Hospital. To save on construction costs, Shaw students made the bricks for the building.


Alumni

Nearly every member of the first graduating class of 1886 went on to have a notable career and was deeply involved in civic life. M.T. Pope became a prominent physician in Raleigh and was also involved in local politics of the capital. During the time of
racial segregation Racial segregation is the separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, ...
imposed
disfranchisement Disfranchisement, also disenfranchisement (which has become more common since 1982) or voter disqualification, is the restriction of suffrage (the right to vote) of a person or group of people, or a practice that has the effect of preventing someo ...
, Pope was one of only seven African-American men in the city of Raleigh who managed to register to vote. He went on to run for
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Raleigh in 1919 on a non-partisan ticket with Calvin E. Lightner. His home is now a registered landmark and museum. J.T. Williams practiced medicine at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Charlotte and was twice elected to the Board of Aldermen. Williams was appointed an
ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
to
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
by President
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
, serving from 1898 to 1907. J.T. Williams Middle School in Charlotte is named after him. Class
valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States. The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...
Lawson Andrew Scruggs founded the Old North State Medical Society, the nation's oldest association of black physicians. He also founded a
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...
in Southern Pines that treated many people from Raleigh. Aaron McDuffie Moore, graduate of the 1888 class, became the first African-American physician in Durham. He co-founded the North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company, the largest and oldest black-owned business in the United States. Moore convinced
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
Washington Duke to build a hospital instead of a monument as a better way to honor black troops who fought for the
Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...
during the Civil War. Clinton Caldwell Boone, earned the Doctor of Medicine degree in 1910 at Leonard Hall. He had already spent years in the Congo as a missionary. Upon graduation in 1910 he was posted to the newly developing Republic of
Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
to represent the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention as a medical missionary Liberia. He helped to build a schoolhouse and hospital in the Congo, as well as a school in Liberia. Also became the President of the first church in Liberia, Providence Baptist Church, founded by Lott Carey in 1822. George Louis Alphonso Pogue graduated from the medical school at Leonard Hall with a Doctor of Medicine in 1911. In 1912 Pogue moved his family to Bedford Virginia where he opened an integrated pharmacy at 111 S Bridge Street.Woodcock, Noelle. “Dr. George Louis Alfonso Pogue – Pharmacist, Doctor & Civil Rights Activist in Bedford.” '' Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library'', Find G Local, 1 Feb. 2021, www.findglocal.com/US/Bedford/311951041346/Bedford-Museum-%26-Genealogical-Library. He served the community in a number of ways and saw patients in his office and home until his death March 6, 1956.


References


External links

* {{authority control 1881 establishments in North Carolina Historically black schools Historically black universities and colleges in North Carolina Medical schools in North Carolina Buildings and structures in Raleigh, North Carolina Shaw University Historically black hospitals in the United States