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(404) 978-2052
Horace Bumstead Records
1879-1919
4.2 linear feet
Horace Bumstead (b.1841 d.1919) a Congregationalist minister and educator, was commissioned as a Major for the 43rd Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. He joined the faculty of Atlanta University in 1875 as an instructor in Natural Science and in 1880 was appointed Professor of Latin. In 1886-1887 he was asked to serve as Acting President and continued as the second President of the University serving from 1888-1907. As President much of Bumstead's efforts focused on fund-raising. During his administration the physical campus was extended and several new buildings constructed. The curriculum was restructured to include kindergarten, grade school, college prep, and college level courses.
The Horace Bumstead Records consist of correspondence, news clippings, university publications, financial papers and student records that document fund-raising activities, student life, and other administrative matters. Among the correspondents are Charles Chesnutt, W.E.B. DuBois, and Booker T. Washington. Letters from students give insight into their personal background, financial aid, and descriptions of student life. The newspaper clippings note university programs and current events such as the race riots in Atlanta and Brownsville, Texas.
Related collection:
Atlanta University Presidential Records, 1856-1984