Founded after the Civil War by members of the 62nd and 65th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiments, Lincoln University was established to give the African-American community a place for education and academic studies.
Five years after opening as Lincoln Institute, the School of Education was founded, and the university celebrates the department's 150 anniversary in 2021.
LU was established with the help of abolitionist and Union Lt. Richard Baxter Foster.
Chad Kish, dean of the School of Education, said Foster spent much of his time within the Missouri Legislature trying to get the proper funding required to maintain the university after its foundation.
"That infantry basically gave all their salary for a year, and Lt. Richard Baxter Foster came back, and he fought throughout the state to try to start a university," Kish said. "He ended up here in Jefferson City because it was close to the Legislature, went to the Missouri Legislature and kept fighting for equal funding for the school. As the university started, education was really the first area that blossomed."
Kish said the first degree program that was granted by the Missouri Legislature was for education. This acted as the foundation for Lincoln's teaching and education program as the school opened to students.
With the School of Education's 150th anniversary under way, the department has been celebrating its programs, faculty and students. This includes virtual celebrations, seminars and activities regarding Black History Month, as well as other events and programs made to benefit those entering education.
"One of our biggest events was we had a virtual 150th anniversary celebration," Kish said. "We had current and past students, faculty, staff and alumni of the university. We told some history of the school, had some music and a DJ, and we were able to break out into different rooms, and have discussions and catch up through Zoom."
Kish said the department has begun a new tradition for students who have entered the educator preparation program. While in the program, students must meet several requirements such as a qualifying score on an ACT exam, a high grade point average, or letters of recommendations before moving on to becoming educators.
Modeling this tradition after Greek organizations within universities, LU's School of Education is rewarding students who have passed all their requirements with their own ceremony.
"For our 150th anniversary, we started a tradition called the 'Soldier's Dream Circle of Scholars,'" Kish said. "We put together an initiation type of ceremony and had all those students come in where we provided them with a pin signifying their hard work."
Kish added innovation is key with education programs.
"We started a new program about a year ago called, 'Para-2-Pro,' which if you're a paraprofessional - that means if you have an associate's degree and you've worked in a school for two years - we have a full course session online or in-person for people," he said. "Right now, we have students going through that program to get an elementary or student special education certificate."
Check out the special Lincoln University Centennial tab, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Lincoln Institute becoming Lincoln University, by clicking here.