Bishop College (Marshall) was a Baptist-sponsored historically Black institution established in Marshall, TX in 1881 — and closed in 1988.

Its founding was supported by the American Baptist Home Mission Society, which sought to establish a college for African Americans in East Texas, where a significant share of the Black population lived.

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Originally called South-Western Baptist College, the school was later named after Nathan Bishop, a Massachusetts educator and supporter of Black education, whose planned donation initially inspired the project. After his death, his widow, Caroline Caldwell Bishop, contributed funds to support the college’s development. An East Texas Baptist ministers’ committee chose Marshall for the campus and acquired the former Wyalucing plantation for this purpose.

African American Baptists in Marshall played a crucial role in founding the college, raising funds for land and building its initial support base. David Abner Sr., a notable Black Republican leader, helped establish Bishop College in 1881 and served as one of its first trustees. His son, David Abner Jr., became Texas’s first Black college graduate upon completing his studies at Bishop in 1884. The early curriculum blended ministerial training and teacher preparation with literary, scientific, and practical subjects, enabling Bishop to serve Black churches and communities throughout Texas and the Southwest.

During most of its Marshall era, Bishop offered both preparatory and college-level courses, reflecting the limited access Black students had to well-funded public secondary schools.

In 1929, Joseph J. Rhoads became its first Black president. He gradually phased out the preparatory program and focused on strengthening college and ministerial training, including the Lacey Kirk Williams Institute. Throughout the 20th century, Bishop earned regional accreditation and recognition for training Baptist ministers, teachers, and community leaders.

In 1961, with support from a Hoblitzelle Foundation grant, Bishop relocated to a 360-acre campus in South Dallas. Student enrollment increased significantly, approaching 2,000 students by around 1970. The Dallas campus expanded the college’s influence and became a key cultural and educational hub in the city’s southern neighborhoods.

Notable alumni include NFL players Emmitt Thomas and Ike Thomas, as well as clergy and educators who continued the school’s Baptist and community-service legacy.

Bishop’s final years were characterized by financial instability and governance disputes. In December 1986, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools revoked its accreditation, rendering the college ineligible for key federal and charitable funding.

Bishop filed for bankruptcy in 1987 and closed in 1988. In 1990, businessman Comer S. Cottrell Jr. bought the Dallas campus, which then became Paul Quinn College.

The legacy of Bishop College (Marshall), which educated Black Texans for over a century, is preserved through its records, alumni projects, and the 2019 Texas historical marker in Marshall.

Selected Sources:

• Texas State Historical Association. “Bishop College.” Handbook of Texas Online. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, September 30, 2020.
• American Baptist Historical Society. “Bishop College—Marshall, Texas, 1880–1925.” American Baptist Home Mission Societies, Group 4, Henry L. Morehouse Historical Files, Box 12, Folder 5. Mercer University Libraries, Atlanta, GA.
• East Texas History. “Bishop College.” East Texas Historical Association digital collections.