William Henderson Franklin

Rev. William Henderson Franklin
1st Principal of Swift Memorial College
In office 1883 – May 1926
Personal details
Born	April 14, 1852 Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Died	October 19, 1935 United States
Spouse	Laura Crofton (m. 1894–1935; his death)
Education	Maryville College (AM), Lane Theological Seminary (DD)
Occupation	Educator, minister, journalist, school founder, academic administrator

Rev. William Henderson Franklin (1852–1935) was an American educator, minister, journalist, and school founder.[1][2][3] Franklin dedicated his life to the education of Black children in rural Tennessee during the time of racial segregation.[4] He founded Swift Memorial College in 1883, and served as the principal until 1926.[5] He was the first minister the congregation at St. Marks Presbyterian Church in Rogersville, Tennessee.[6] He was also known as W.H. Franklin.[3]

Early life and education

William Henderson Franklin was born on April 14, 1852, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to free Black parents Elizabeth (née Bates) and Henderson Franklin.[1][2] He attended schools in Knoxville, before heading to Hudsonville, Mississippi to earn money teaching.[2]

Franklin attended Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee, and was the first African American to graduate with a A.M. degree in 1880.[7][8] He continued his studies at Lane Theological Seminary in Walnut Hills, Ohio, and graduated with a D.D. degree in 1883.[2][7]

Career

Franklin was the minister of the congregation of St. Marks Presbyterian Church in Rogersville, Tennessee, where he served from 1883 until his retirement in 1926.[1][6]

Franklin was ordained by the Union Presbytery Synod of Tennessee shortly after graduating from Lane.[2] In 1883, Franklin founded the Swift Memorial Institute (later known as Swift Memorial College) in Rogersville, Tennessee, with financial help from Maryville College.[9] He acted as the principal from the time of the school's opening until 1926.[5]

He was also a journalist, and regularly wrote for The Tennessee Star, The Herald Presbytery, and The Critic.[2] Additionally he acted as a correspondent for The New York Age, and the Negro World.[3]

Death and legacy

Franklin died on October 19, 1935. He is buried at Saint Mark's Presbyterian Cemetery in Rogersville.

A profile of him is included in the books The Afro-American Press and Its Editors (1891), and An Encyclopedia: Experiences of Black People in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1844–1974 (2017) by Robert J. Booker.[10] The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) placed Franklin in the Hall of Fame in 2020.[4] The town of Rogersville has a historical marker in his honor on West Kyle Street.[11]

References

1. "Franklin, William Henderson". Who's Who in Colored America. Who's Who in Colored America Corporation. 1927. p. 65 – via Google Books.
2. Smith, Jessie Carney (2012-12-01). Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events. Visible Ink Press. p. 367. ISBN 978-1-57859-425-2 – via Google Books.
3. Penn, Irvine Garland (1891). The Afro-American Press and Its Editors. unknown library. Springfield, Mass.: Willey & Co. pp. 347–348 – via Internet Archive.
4. "TICUA Hall of Fame Spotlight: William Henderson Franklin". Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA). Retrieved 2024-05-31.
5. Lovett, Bobby L. (October 8, 2017). "Swift Memorial College". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
6. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: St. Marks Presbyterian Church" (PDF). Tennessee Historical Commission. November 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2006.
7. Herringshaw, Thomas William (1907). Herringshaw's American Statesman and Public Official Year-book. American Publishers' Association. p. 233 – via Google Books.
8. Presbyterian Historical Society (1898). Church at Home and Abroad, The (July–Dec. 1898). Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work. p. 143 – via Internet Archive.
9. Lovett, Bobby L. (October 8, 2017). "Swift Memorial College". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
10. Booker, Robert J. "Bob Booker: New book traces black experience in Knoxville". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
11. "Dr. William Henderson Franklin Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved 2024-05-31.