Shaw University Celebrates 160 Years

Shaw University, a UNCF-member institution and the first historically Black college and university (HBCU) in the Southern United States, is celebrating its 160th anniversary.

Established in 1865, Shaw University wasn’t only the first HBCU in the South, but also the first to open admission to African American women and to offer a four-year medical program.

Shaw’s Homecoming Founder’s Day Convocation on Oct. 17 brought together current students, alumni, faculty and staff from throughout the decades. Dr. Paulette R. Dillard, president and chief executive officer, Shaw University, welcomed the community to the convocation and thanked alumni and partners who invest in the university’s future. Dillard, the 18th president of Shaw University, honored the university’s founders and discussed the power of education, faith and perseverance, values that have moored Shaw’s mission for 160 years, she said.

Norman E. Joyner, a 1967 Shaw alumnus and president and chief executive officer, NEJ Consulting, delivered the keynote address. University and community leaders also provided remarks during the program. Portia Brandon speaking on behalf of the Woman’s Baptist Home and Foreign Missionary Convention and the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, shared that Shaw remains supported by faith-based partners who have stood alongside the institution since its founding.

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