Levi John Rowan (August 7, 1871 – June 28, 1934) was an American academic administrator, educator, and photographer. He served two terms as the president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now

Alcorn State University Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a public historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first black land grant college established in the United States. ...

) a historically black public university in Lorman, Mississippi. He also used the name L. J. Rowan.

Life and career

Levi John Rowan was born in August 7, 1871, in Rodney, Mississippi, to parents Martha (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Walker) and Sidney Rowan. He graduated with a B.S. degree in May 1893 from Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University). In 1896, Rowan married Mattie Foote, and they had four daughters. After graduation, Rowan taught for 5 years near his hometown of Rodney, Mississippi. In 1905, he became the 7th president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College, a role he held until 1911 when he was succeeded by John Adams Martin. After his first term, Rowan taught English at Alcorn. He served as second term as president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College from 1915 until 1934. During his tenure as president, the campus was expanded.

Death and legacy

Rowan died on June 28, 1934, in a hospital in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He had been sick, and suffered from

kidney disease Kidney disease, or renal disease, technically referred to as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is an Inflammation, inflammatory kidney disease and has several types according to the location of the inflammation. Infla ...

and

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...

. From 1950 until 2017, the Rowan School (or L. J. Rowan Middle School) in

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

, Mississippi was named in his honor. An exhibition of his photography was held at the Columbus–Lowndes Public Library in 2017. The Levi J. Rowan Photograph Collection is held at the Margaret Walker Center at

Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a Public university, public Historically Black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowan, Levi J. 1871 births 1934 deaths 19th-century African-American educators 19th-century American educators African-American academic administrators African-American photographers Alcorn State University alumni Alcorn State University faculty American academic administrators American photographers People from Jefferson County, Mississippi