Philander Smith College

Philander Smith College

Type	Private, HBCU
Established	1877: Walden Seminary 1882: Philander Smith College
Endowment	$3 million
President	Roderick L. Smothers, Ph.D.
Students	760
Location	Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Colors	Green and Gold
Affiliations	United Methodist Church UNCF
Website	philander.edu

Philander Smith College is a private historically black college, four-year undergraduate liberal arts institution, located in Little Rock, Arkansas . Philander Smith College is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and a founding member of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Philander Smith College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Mission of Philander Smith College is, "To graduate academically accomplished students who are grounded as advocates for social justice, determined to change the world for the better."

Philander Smith College was officially founded in 1877 under the name of Seminary as a means of providing education opportunities for freed slaves west of the Mississippi River. The school was renamed Philander Smith College in 1882 to recognize the financial contributions of Adeline Smith, widow of Philander Smith. The college was chartered as a four-year college in 1883 and conferred its first bachelor's degree in 1888. In 1933, it merged the assets of the George R. Smith College in Sedalia, Missouri, which burned down in 1925. In 1943, Philander Smith was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Philander Smith College was a pioneer during the civil rights movement as many of its students engaged in nonviolent resistance against segregation laws (such as sitting in at "whites-only" lunch counters).