New Philadelphia and Lincoln Institute
At the close of the Civil War soldiers and officers of the 62nd United States, Colored Infantry stationed at Fort McIntosh in Texas did something remarkable and full of foresight for the future. This unit, composed of primarily Missouri soldiers, many former enslaved persons, took steps to establish an educational institution in Jefferson City, Missouri which they named Lincoln Institute. African American children had not generally been able to go to school in Missouri and they wanted to ensure that this would change.
The following three stipulations were attached to the money:
- The school shall be designed for the special benefit of freed African Americans.
- It shall be located in Missouri.
- Its fundamental idea shall be to combine study and labor.
Members of the 62nd Colored Infantry contributed $5,000 and about $1400 was given by the 65th Colored infantry, both of Missouri.
The new school named Lincoln Institute was established on January 14, 1866. Richard Baxter Foster, a former 1st Lieutenant in the 62nd Colored Infantry was named the first principal. In 1870 the school began to receive aid from the state of Missouri for teacher’s training. College level work was added to the curriculum in 1877. And the passage of the Normal School Law permitted Lincoln graduates to teach for life in Missouri without further examinations. In 1921 the name was changed to Lincoln University. Graduate instruction was added in 1940. The school had added an agricultural course in the early 1900s and the curriculum contained music, home economics as well as variety of subjects. The university continues today.
Several of New Philadelphia’s residents graduated from Lincoln Institute including Reuben McWorter(1903), Stella Zimmerman(1904), Hermes Zimmerman(1909), Troy P. Gorum(1909), and Julia McWorter Coleman’s husband, J.B. Coleman graduated in 1889. In addition, Hermes and Stella’s uncle C.C. Hubbard(1896), and his father, Rev. Alex Hubbard(1898) who both lived in Louisiana, Mo. graduated from Lincoln Institute. J.B Coleman and C.C. Hubbard were both school principals, in Columbia and Sedalia, Mo respectively. C.C.Hubbard was on the Board at Lincoln. Both organized summer teacher’s institutes and were academic and social leaders.
On June 7th this summer Brig. General Donald L Scott, retired will lead off the New Philadelphia 2022 Likes Lecture Series with a presentation about Lincoln University with emphasis around the early part of the 20th century when these graduates attended. He is a graduate of Lincoln University and will not only tell us about the school but compare its importance to New Philadelphia and what they both represent for American citizens in 2022.