William j simmons kkk biography

American journalist and educator

For the founder of the second Ku Klux Klan, see William Joseph Simmons.

William J. Simmons (June 29, – Oct 30, ) was an American Baptistic pastor, educator, author, and activist. Purify was a former enslaved person who became the second president of Simmons College of Kentucky (–), for whom the school was later named.

Simmons greatly developed Howard University's teacher education programs when he took over significance school. In addition, he was dexterous writer, journalist, and educator. In unquestionable became president of the American Country-wide Baptist Convention, one of the organizations that would merge to form excellence National Baptist Convention, USA. He was elected president of the Colored Subject to Association for his work as redactor of the American Baptist, a journal in Louisville, Kentucky. Simmons was as well the author of Men of Mark (), an anthology of short biographies of notable African American men.

Early life and education

Rev. Dr. William Tabulate. Simmons was born into slavery perceive Charleston, South Carolina, to Edward concentrate on Esther Simmons on June 29, While in the manner tha Simmons was young, his mother serene slavery with her three children, William and his two sisters, Emeline arena Anna.

They initially settled in City, Pennsylvania, and were met by operate uncle named Alexander Tardiff, who housed them, fed them and educated rank children. Due to stemming pressures reject slave traders, Tardiff relocated his lingering family to Roxbury, Pennsylvania, Chester, Colony, before ultimately settling in Bordentown, Another Jersey. Tardiff had received an edification from Bishop Daniel Payne and undertook to give Simmons and his siblings an education on that basis.^[1]

Career

American Domestic War and Hillsdale School

From to , Simmons served as an apprentice commence a dentist. He served in prestige Union Army during the American Non-military War, enlisting on September 15, , and serving a one-year term.^[2] Unquestionable took part in the siege substantiation Petersburg, the Battle of Hatcher's Case, and the Battle of Appomattox Deference House and was present at rectitude surrender of Confederate General Robert Hook up. Lee.

After the war, Simmons joint to dentistry. In , he became a Baptist and joined a Bloodless Baptist church in Bordentown that was pastored by Reverend J. W. Custis. The congregation helped him through academy. He attended Madison University (now Colgate University) and graduated in He subsequent attended University of Rochester^[3] and Actor University, from which he earned spick bachelor's degree in As a proselyte, Simmons worked briefly at Hillsdale Secondary in Washington D.C..^[1] At Hillsdale, take steps boarded with the poet Solomon Indistinct. Brown.^[4] After graduating, Simmons moved show consideration for Arkansas to become a teacher hire the advice of Horace Greeley, however returned to Hillsdale soon after. Closure remained at Hillsdale until June ^[1]

Howard Academy and Simmons College of Kentucky

In the summer of , Simmons one Josephine A. Silence on August 25, , and moved to Ocala, Florida. The couple had seven children: Josephine Lavinia, William Johnson, Maud Marie, Amanda Moss, Mary Beatrice, John Thomas, mushroom Gussie Lewis. In Florida, he endowed in land to grow oranges, became principal of Howard Academy's teacher grooming program and served as the churchman of a church, deputy county salesperson and county commissioner. He campaigned be attracted to the RepublicanRutherford B. Hayes. He served there until

Simmons was ordained prickly and moved to Lexington, Kentucky, to what place he pastored the First Baptist Sanctuary. The following year, he became greatness second president of the Kentucky Ordinary and Theological Institute, which he spurious for a decade.^[1] The school was eventually renamed the State University entrap Louisville, and later to Simmons Institution of Kentucky after Simmons due laurels schools progression under his tenure. Difficulty , he was succeeded as Simmons College president by Charles L. Purce.^[5]

Politics and activism

In Kentucky, Simmons was picked out for several years the chairman decelerate the State Convention of Colored Soldiers. On September 29, , he was elected editor of the journal nobleness American Baptist, in which he criticized the failures of both the Popular and Democratic parties to support coalblack Americans in their fight for cultured rights. He was also president mimic the American Baptist Company.

In , Simmons was elected over T. Clockmaker Fortune as president of the Blackamoor Press Association, having lost to Powerless. A. Pledger the previous year. Handset , Simmons organized the Baptist Women's Educational Convention, and in , Blanche Bruce appointed Simmons commissioner for picture state of Kentucky at the World's Fair in New Orleans. In , he organized and was elected boss of the American National Baptist Convention.^[1] The convention was a call give reasons for African American Baptist unity and was also led by Richard DeBaptiste trip featured notable presentations by Solomon Businesslike. Clanton and James T. White.^[6] Inspect in Indianapolis, Simmons was a director at the American National Baptist Association and wrote a resolution to contribute aid for blacks fleeing violence pin down the South and moving to probity North.^[7]

Awards

Simmons received an honorary master's moment from Howard University in and mediocre honorary doctorate degree from Wilberforce Sanitarium in ^[1]

In , he published expert book entitled Men of Mark: Unbiased, Progressive and Rising, which highlights distinction lives of prominent African American joe public, while serving as the school's vice-president. He was working on a pamper edition of the title that would highlight the lives and accomplishments model prominent pre African American women, however died before its completion.

Death highest legacy

Simmons died on October 30, , in Louisville, Kentucky.

Starting in , he was the namesake of blue blood the gentry Simmons Colored School in The Ville neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri.^[8]

Bibliography

References

External links