History

Daniel Sanders

first African American president of Biddle University

first African American president of Biddle University

In the record (1)

  1. 1891

    In 1891, Daniel Sanders — who had been born enslaved in South Carolina, was educated at Western Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, and had served as a pastor and school principal in Wilmington, NC — became Biddle University's first African American president, serving until his death in 1907, and making Biddle the first southern four-year institution to have both a Black professor and a Black president.

    Unverified — sourced but not confirmed against a primary record.

    Johnson C. Smith UniversityHarding High SchoolSecond Ward High SchoolCentral High SchoolBiddle Memorial InstituteMary Deborah Baird BiddleHenry J. Biddle

    Source · checked 2026-08-13