Creator: The PVAMU Principals and Presidents
Title of Collection: The PVAMU Principals and Presidents Collection
Dates: 1878-2023
Bulk Dates: 1879-2002
Extent: .25 linear feet (9 boxes)
Abstract: Alta Vista Agriculture & Mechanical College for Colored Youth was led by the Texas A&M Board of Regents. The A&M Board of Directors was authorized to appoint a President Alta Vista College with an assigned principal station at Alta Vista to administer the college’s day to day affairs. This collection is to preserve the previous PVAMU Principals and Presidents that are housed in the Special Collections and Archives Department.
Biographical Note: The Prairie View A&M University (or called, Alta Vista Agriculture & Mechanical College for Colored Youth) was led by the Texas A&M Board of Regents. The A&M Board of Directors was authorized to appoint a President of Texas A&M College and Alta Vista College with an assigned principal station at Alta Vista to administer the college’s day to day affairs. Confederate President Jefferson Davis recommended Mr. Thomas S. Gathright of Mississippi, also from Mississippi and he brought Mr. L.W. Minor, of Mississippi to serve as Principal. The list below are all the previous PVAMU Principals and Presidents that are housed in the Special Collections and Archives Department.
PRINCIPALS, 1878-1948:
These men led the Alta Vista Agriculture & Mechanical College for Colored Youth (also called Prairie View State Normal School, Prairie View State Normal & Industrial College, Prairie View University and Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas) from 1978 to 1948. The eight principals and their tenures were:
• L.W. Minor, 1878 • E.H. Anderson, 1879-1884
• Laurine C. Anderson, 1884-1894
• Edward L. Blackshear, 1895¬1915
• Isaiah M. Terrell, 1915-1918
• J.G. Osborne, 1918-1925
• Willette Rutherford Banks, 1926-1947
• Edward B. Evans, 1947-1948
PRESIDENTS, 1948-Present
In 1948, the Board of Directors changed the title of Principal to President on December 3, 1948. The Presidents and their tenures are:
• Edward B. Evans 1948-1966
• Jesse M. Drew, 1966
• Alvin I. Thomas, 1966-1982
• Percy A. Pierre, 1983-1989
• Julius W. Becton, Jr., 1989-1994
• Willie A. Tempton, Sr. (Interim President), 2002-2003
• George C. Wright, 2003-2017
• Ruth J. Simmons, 2017-2023
• Tomikia P. LeGrande, 2023
Sources: Prairie View Principals and Presidents. (n.d.). Prairie View A&M University. https://www.pvamu.edu/tiphc/texas-celebrates/founders-day-and-honors-recognition-convocation-2021/prairie-view-principals-and-presidents/
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in original order by the creator(s) of each individual Principal and President miniature collection.
Identification: UA 0078
Repository: Special Collections/Archives Department, John B. Coleman Library, Prairie View A&M University
Complied by Evelyn Davis, December 2023
Access Restrictions: Open to research.
Identification: UA 0078
Use Restrictions: Written permission must be obtained from the Special Collections/ Archives Department and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts, or images from any materials in this collection.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections/Archives Department, John B. Coleman Library, Prairie View A&M University
Preferred Citation: The PVAMU Principals and Presidents Collection, UA0078, Special Collections/Archives Department, John B. Coleman Library, Prairie View A&M University
Related Material: Related material may be found in the Special Collections/Archives Department Vertical Files.
African American educators.
Alta Vista Agriculture & Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth.
Anderson, Ernest H., 1850-1885.
Banks, Willette Rutherford, 1881-1969.
Becton, Julius W. (Julius Wesley), 1926-
Blackshear, Edward L. (Edward Levoisier).
Clippings (information artifacts).
Colored Teachers State Association of Texas.
Correspondence.
Educators – United States.
Employees – Administrators.
Evans, Edward Bertram, 1894-1976.
Minor, Lawrence Washburne.
Osborne, John Granville, 1872-1940
Photocopies.
Pierre, Percy A.
Prairie View A & M University.
Prairie View State Normal School.
Prairie View Normal and Industrial College (Prairie View, TX)
Prairie View State College.
Prairie View (TX).
Tempton, Willie A.
Terrell, Isaiah Milligan, 1859-1931.
Thomas, Alvin I. (Alvin Ignace), 1925-
Walton, Thomas O, 1883-1961.
Wright, George C.
Writings.
| Box | Description | Date | Location |
| 1 | L.W. Minor | 1878 | R2/C2/R5 |
| E.H. Anderson | 1879-1884 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| Edward L. Blackshear | 1895¬1915 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| Isaiah M. Terrell | 1915-1918 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| J.G. Osborne | 1918-1925 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| Willette Rutherford Banks | 1926-1947 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| 2 | Alvin I. Thomas | 1966-1982 | R2/C2/R5 |
| Percy A. Pierre | 1983-1989 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| 3 | Julius W. Becton, Jr. | 1989-1994 | R2/C2/R5 |
| Willie A. Tempton, Sr. (Interim President) | 2002-2003 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| George C. Wright | 2003-2017 | R2/C2/R5 | |
| 4-9 | Ruth J. Simmons | 2017-2023 | R2/C2/R5 |
| 5 | Ruth J. Simmons | 2017 | R2/C2/R4 |
| 6 | Ruth J. Simmons | 2017 | R2/C2/R4 |
| 7 | Ruth J. Simmons | 2017 | R2/C2/R4 |
| 8 | Ruth J. Simmons | 2017 | R2/C2/R4 |
| 9 | Ruth J. Simmons | 2017 | R2/C2/R4 |
| 10 | Tomika LeGrande | 2023 | R2/C2/R5 |
| 11 | E. B. Evans Personal Papers Collection | 1936-1965 | R2/C2/R4 |
| 12 | The George C. Wright Speech Collection | 1976-2015 | R2/C1/R3 |
| 13 | The George C. Wright Personal Papers Collection | 2000-2015 | R2/C4/R2 |
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