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 Swayne College / Booker T. Washington School - Montgomery, Alabama Posted by:  xptwo
N 32° 22.182 W 086° 18.004
16S E 565846 N 3581630
Two-sided marker telling the story of Swayne College, which was established as a school for blacks in the years after the Civil War, and the school that followed it.
Waymark Code: WMDT9Q
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 02/22/2012
Views: 10
Swayne College was named for Wager Swayne, a Union general and Medal of Honor recipient who served as Alabama's military governor and agent of the Freedman's Bureau in the area in the years immediately after the Civil War. It provided for the education of blacks and eventually led to the establishment of Booker T. Washington School. The marker is located on South Union Street near the intersection with Grove Street. More information on Gen. Swayne can be found at the Alabama Archives site: ( visit link) More information on the dedication of the marker can be found at: ( visit link)
Marker Name: Swayne College / Booker T. Washington School
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information::
The text of the marker reads:
Swayne College
Named for Union general and Freedmen's Bureau agent Wager Swayne, Swayne College was dedicated 21 April 1869. The Bureau appropriated $10,000 for the building, and the local black community purchased 3.5 acres for the site. Future officeholder Elijah Cook submitted the winning location of Union and Grove Streets. The building stood three stories high and was constructed by Henry Duncan with ventilation by Isaac Frazier. George Stanley Pope became the first principal of the school with occupancy in October 1868, and Fisk alumnus Charles Duncan became the first black principal. The American Missionary Association operated the school, and its high standards mirrored the influence of the local Congregationalist church. Swayne contained desks, blackboards, maps, and an organ costing $200. With tuition free to local students, it offered coursework in the alphabet, reading and spelling, advanced reading, arithmetic, geography, and writing. Closing in 1937, Swayne College paved the way for black education in Montgomery and was succeeded by Booker T. Washington School.
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Booker T. Washington School
Named for one of the nation's premier educators, Booker T. Washington School began through the efforts of an expanding Swayne College. Its large enrollment forced Swayne officials in 1916 to erect a new building, which they named for the great educator. An even larger enrollment propelled officials in 1925 to add a junior high department with the same name. Three years later, the Montgomery Industrial School, which had been sold to the city, became a part of the junior high department and the site of the first high school. In May 1940, 88 students became the first graduates, and, in 1948, the old Swayne building was demolished to make way for the new $250,000 high school at Union and Grove Streets. A dedication program was held on 3 April 1949, and an auditorium-gymnasium was added in 1954. Only two principals - Prof. J.A. Edwards, who resigned in May 1942, and former basketball coach and teacher, C.T. Smiley, who assumed his duties in September 1942 - served the school. The school's nickname was Yellow Jackets and its colors blue and gold. It was known for its excellent faculty, students, school spirit, marching band, and athletic teams.
Alabama Historical Association
2003
Date Dedicated / Placed: 2003
Marker Number: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.
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