PCR190

1972 - Cheyney State College Beacon yearbook ​

Cheyney State College was originally founded on February 25, 1837 as the African Institute. It was the first school created specifically for African American people, a designation known today as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The funding needed to start the school came from the will of a Quaker philanthropist named Richard Humphrey who wanted to teach young African American boys and girls the skills needed to be more competitive workers. The school taught reading, writing, math, mechanics, and agriculture. In 1902 the institute was relocated to a farm owned by a man named George Cheyneys and Cheyney became associated with the name. The institution went through a couple of name changes before landing on the current name Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in
Sources: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/cheyney-university-pennsylvania-1837/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyney_University_of_Pennsylvania
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