HISTORY OF ALLEN UNIVERSITY

Allen University was founded by the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in South Carolina under the leadership of Bishop John M. Brown on July 29, 1870. In an effort led by Reverend Simon Miller, 150 acres of land was purchased for the institution in Cokesbury, SC.  The newly founded school was named Payne Institute in honor of Bishop Daniel A. Payne, a South Carolinian and noted advocate for Black education. For its first ten years, the school prospered in fulfilling its mission of developing an educated clergy in the face of repression and violent opposition during the Reconstruction Era. Delegates to the Annual Conference in Spartanburg, SC, in 1880, with Bishop William F. Dickerson presiding, voted to move Payne Institute to Columbia, SC. Concurrently, Payne Institute was renamed Allen University in honor of Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the AME Church. Into the 20th century, Allen met the needs of students at all educational levels. The curriculum not only included courses in law, theology, and the arts, but also coursework at the elementary and high school levels. It was possible to enter Allen as a child in first grade and leave prepared to teach, preach, or prosecute/defend in the courts as fully trained educators, ministers, and lawyers. The grammar school closed in the mid-1920s, and the high school in 1933.

An influx of veterans pursued studies at Allen following World War II. In the 1940s, the Departments of Humanities, Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion were added to existing academic programs. During the 1960s, the University fielded highly successful athletic teams that competed in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). In 1970, the University marked a century of service with a Centennial celebration and rededicated itself to the principles upon which it was founded. Responsive to societal changes, Allen revised its curricula in the 1980s and pursued regional accreditation. The 1990s was a period of growth and development that resulted in the first accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. During that period, the John Hurst Adams Gymnatorium was constructed. In the early 2000s, Arnett Hall received a major restoration, the Williams Residence Halls were erected, and Chappelle Auditorium and Gallery were restored/renovated.

In 2016, Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr. brought an enlightened system of governance to the institution that fueled dramatic change and growth. Under the leadership of its 30th President, Dr. Ernest McNealey, the campus received a dramatic aesthetic facelift, NCAA athletics were returned, Reid and Higgins Halls were renovated, noteworthy capacity in information technology was acquired, the historic Waverly Hospital building was renovated and expanded, and the Boeing Institute on Civility at Allen University was launched. In 2018, the University moved from Level II to Level III to offer its first graduate program, the Master of Divinity degree, via the newly formed Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary. The Seminary attained associate membership in the Association of Theological Schools 3-years later. In 2023, the University moved from Level III to Level V to offer its first doctoral program, the Doctor of Ministry. The University has a distinguished history, rich in the tradition of promoting personal and spiritual growth and educating men and women to become productive leaders and citizens in an ever-changing world.