Benjamin F. Hubert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin F. Hubert
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Hubert pictured in The Hubertonian 1947, Savannah State yearbook
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| President Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth and Georgia State College | |
| In office 1926–1947 |
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| Preceded by | Cyrus G. Wiley |
| Succeeded by | James A. Colston |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1884 Hancock County, Georgia |
| Died | April 29, 1958 (aged 73) Atlanta, Georgia |
| Profession | educator |
Benjamin Franklin Hubert (December 25, 1884 – April 29, 1958) was a key leader in education. He served as president of Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth and Georgia State College from 1926 until 1947. These schools are now known as Savannah State University.
Contents
Benjamin Hubert's Life Story
Early Life and Education
Benjamin Hubert was born on December 25, 1884. His parents, Zach and Camilla Hubert, were African-American farmers. They owned a lot of land in Hancock County, Georgia. Their family was part of a small community called Springfield. This community had a church, a general store, and a small elementary school.
The Hubert family believed strongly in education. They sent all twelve of their children to college. Benjamin was the sixth child. He attended Atlanta Baptist, which is now known as Morehouse College. This was a private historically black college (HBCU). He earned his high school diploma and then a college degree in 1909.
Focus on Agriculture and Rural Life
After college, Hubert studied agricultural science. He went to Massachusetts Agricultural College. There, he learned from Kenyon Butterfield. Butterfield was a leader in understanding rural communities. He was part of the Country Life Commission, started by President Theodore Roosevelt.
This experience was very important for Hubert. At that time, many people were moving from farms to cities. There was a concern about keeping family farms strong. For the rest of his life, Hubert worked with the Country Life Movement. This group wanted to make life in rural areas better and more appealing for young people. They taught scientific farming methods. They also helped communities work together to improve their economy and social life.
In 1912, Hubert became a professor of agriculture. He taught at South Carolina State Agricultural and Mechanical College. He soon became the director of agricultural programs there. During World War I, he even helped with agricultural rebuilding efforts in Europe.
When he returned to the U.S. in 1920, Hubert joined Tuskegee Institute. He became a supervisor for the Negro Division of the Agricultural Extension Service in Alabama. Here, he met people who would later help him in his next big role.
Leading a College
In 1926, Benjamin Hubert became president of Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth. This was the first public historically black college (HBCU) in Georgia. Under his leadership, the college grew a lot. He turned it into a full four-year degree-granting school. In 1932, it became a full part of the University System of Georgia. Its name also changed to Georgia State College.
Hubert used his knowledge of rural life to start a special project. In 1928, he created the Association for the Advancement of Negro Country Life. He wanted to make Springfield, his home community, a model for other Black communities. He got support from wealthy donors.
Under Hubert's guidance, Springfield became a thriving community. It had a health clinic and a community center with a swimming pool. Farmers worked together to buy seeds and machinery. They also sold their crops and products together. The local high school improved greatly. Eighty percent of its graduates went on to college. Hubert also used the community to train African-American teachers in Georgia.
However, these efforts faced challenges. Small farms struggled against bigger market forces. Also, many young people from Springfield went to college and then moved to cities for work. This was part of the Great Migration. Many African Americans left the rural South to escape unfair Jim Crow laws and seek better opportunities.
In 1947, Hubert retired from Georgia State College. He passed away on April 30, 1958.
Hubert's Legacy
Today, the Benjamin F. Hubert Technical Science Center is on the university's campus. It houses the school's chemistry, computer science, and engineering departments. This building honors his important contributions to education and community development.
Suggested Reading
- Hall, Clyde W (1991). One Hundred Years of Educating at Savannah State College, 1890–1990. East Peoria, Ill.:Versa Press.
- Schultz, Mark, "Benjamin Hubert and the Association for the Advancement of Negro Country Life," in Beyond Forty Acres and a Mule: African American Landowning Families Since Reconstruction. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012, 83-105.
- Schultz, Mark. "A More Satisfying Life on the Farm: Benjamin F. Hubert and the Log Cabin Community," M.A. thesis, University of Georgia, 1989.
