Notable people · Education · Black Ohioans · Founder
Benjamin F. Bowles
Born in Pike County, Bowles became a Black educator, principal of Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, and in 1926 founded Douglass University in St. Louis, one of only two schools then offering full law degrees to Black students.
At a glance
- Born
- 1869
- Died
- 1928-09
- Education
- Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, OH, to 1905, M.A.
- Known as
- Education, Black Ohioans, Founder
- Organizations
- Douglass University, Wilberforce University
Life story
Benjamin Bowles was born in Pike County in 1869 to John H. Bowles and Delia Nash. He attended Wilberforce University, the historically Black school in Ohio, and earned a master's degree there in 1905.
He taught grammar school in Du Quoin and Metropolis, Illinois, then served from 1896 to 1914 as principal of Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, a leading Black school. He later taught at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.
In 1926 he founded Douglass University in St. Louis. It was one of only two schools in the country offering full law degrees to Black students at the time. In 1921 he signed an NAACP petition backing the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill.
He died in St. Louis in September 1928. W. E. B. Du Bois asked his widow for an obituary for The Crisis.
Timeline
- 1869: Born (Pike County, OH) source
- 1896: Becomes principal of Lincoln High School (East St. Louis, IL) source
- 1905: Earns master's degree at Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, OH) source
- 1914: Leaves the Lincoln High School principalship (East St. Louis, IL) source
- 1921: Signs NAACP petition backing the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill source
- 1926: Founds Douglass University (St. Louis, MO) source
- 1928-09: Dies (St. Louis, MO) source
What Benjamin is known for
- Principal, Lincoln High School, East St. Louis (1896-1914)
- Founded Douglass University, St. Louis (1926)
- Douglass University (1926)
Honors and things named for them
- Founder of Douglass University
Family
- father: John H. Bowles
- mother: Delia Nash
- wife: Annie R. Anderson (first)
- wife: Caroline 'Carrie' King Johnson (second)
Ohio places
Where Benjamin F. Bowles was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Pike County (town not stated), Pike County ZIP 45690 · Pike County
- School: Wilberforce, Greene County ZIP 45384 · Greene County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Benjamin F. Bowles birth in Pike County 1869, Wilberforce MA 1905, East St. Louis principal, Douglass University 1926, NAACP petition 1921, death 1928