William Jasper Hale

William J. Hale
President of Tennessee State University
In office 1912–1943
Succeeded by	Walter S. Davis
Personal details
Born	William Jasper Hale September 26, 1874 Marion County, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	October 5, 1944 New York City, U.S.
Spouse	Harriet Hodgkins
Children	3
Alma mater	Maryville College

William Jasper Hale (September 26, 1874 – October 5, 1944) was an American academic administrator. He was the first president of Tennessee State University, a historically black university in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1912 to 1943.

Early life

Hale was born in rural poverty in Marion County, Tennessee, on September 26, 1874.[1][2] He was of mixed race, and was often considered white.[3] Hale attended Maryville College for several terms.[2][3]

Career

Hale was a teacher in Coulterville, Retro and Chattanooga.[2][3] From 1912 to 1943, he served as the founding president of Tennessee State University, a historically black university in Nashville, Tennessee.[2] Thanks to his efforts, TSU was accredited in 1933.[2] Hale expanded the campus, with the completion of six more buildings by 1935.[1] He was succeeded as president by Walter S. Davis in 1943. He fundraised $40,000 for the War savings stamps of the United States.[3]

Hale was the president of the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools in 1927 and the president of the State Interracial Commission in 1929.[2] He was awarded the William E. Harmon Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes in 1930.[3] He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Wilberforce University in 1936, and another honorary doctorate from Howard University in 1939.[1]

Personal life, death and legacy

Hale married Harriet Hodgkins.[3] They had three children.[3] His wife was his secretary at TSU, and their three children graduated from the university.[1][3]

Hale died on October 5, 1944, in New York City.[2][3] He is the namesake of Hale Stadium on the TSU campus.[4]

References

1. Pursley, Billie P. "WILLIAM JASPER HALE (1874–1944)". Tennessee State University Library. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
2. "Black History Month: William J. Hale a leader in education". The Tennessean. February 6, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
3. Lovett, Bobby L. (December 25, 2009). "William Jasper Hale". Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Tennessee Historical Society and the University of Tennessee Press. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
4. "HALE to HOLE". The Tennessean. November 20, 1998. p. 21. Retrieved December 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.