James Monroe Gregory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Monroe Gregory
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Gregory in 1887
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| Born | January 23, 1849 |
| Died | December 17, 1915 (aged 66) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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| Alma mater | Howard University, Harvard University |
| Occupation | Professor |
| Political party | Republican |
James Monroe Gregory (born January 23, 1849 – died December 17, 1915) was an important American educator and civil rights leader. He was a Professor of Latin and a Dean at Howard University. During the American Civil War, he helped escaped enslaved people in Cleveland.
Gregory was a very bright student. He was the top student (valedictorian) in Howard University's first ever graduating class in 1872. After graduating, he became a teacher there and worked at Howard for many years. He was very active in the fight for civil rights, especially for the education of African American children. He worked to end segregation in Washington D.C. schools in the 1880s. He also took part in the Colored Conventions Movement and was a delegate at the 1892 Republican National Convention. In 1890, he started the American Association of Educators of Colored Youth. He also wrote a book about the famous leader Frederick Douglass in 1893. Later, he became the principal of the Bordentown Industrial and Manual Training School in New Jersey.
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Early Life and Education
James Monroe Gregory was born in Lexington, Virginia, on January 23, 1849. His parents were Maria A. (Gladman) Gregory and Henry L., who was a local minister. His family moved several times when he was young, living in Lynchburg, Virginia, Cleveland, Ohio, La Porte, Indiana, and Chicago. He went to public and private schools in these cities.
In 1865, he started studying at Oberlin College. During his summer breaks, Gregory taught at schools for freed slaves. One of his teachers in Cleveland was Laura Spelman Rockefeller, who later married John D. Rockefeller.
James Gregory was recommended to study at West Point, a famous military academy. However, President Andrew Johnson did not approve his application. While in Washington D.C. for this, he met General Oliver Otis Howard. General Howard was impressed by Gregory. Less than a year later, General Howard offered Gregory a job as an instructor at the new Howard University. He also suggested Gregory finish his college studies there, which Gregory accepted.
Before moving to Washington D.C., Gregory helped escaped and freed slaves in Ohio. He was the secretary of a group called the Fugitives Aid Society in Cleveland. When Gregory started at Howard in September 1868, he was the very first student in the college department.
Career and Activism
Teaching at Howard University
After moving to Washington, D.C., James Gregory graduated first in his class from Howard University in 1872. He was then hired as a tutor of Latin and mathematics. He was the only black teacher in that department at the time.
In 1873, he married Fannie E. Hagan. Three years later, he became a full Professor of Latin at Howard. In the 1880s, he was made Dean of the college department. He also earned a master's degree from Harvard University in 1885.
Fighting for Civil Rights
Gregory was a very important leader in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1880s. In 1881, he started a fight for his children to be able to attend public schools in Washington D.C. During this time, Gregory and George T. Downing found out about a law that would create separate schools for black children.
They formed a group with other civil rights leaders, including Frederick Douglass as president. This group worked hard to fight against discrimination in schools. They were successful in stopping the law that would have created separate schools.
In 1883, after the Civil Rights Cases overturned some protections for African Americans, Gregory helped organize large protest meetings. These meetings included famous speakers like Frederick Douglass. Gregory was also a leader at the 1883 National Convention of Colored Men in Louisville, Kentucky. He served as the secretary for this important meeting. In 1893, Gregory published a biography about Frederick Douglass, called Frederick Douglass the Orator.
Involvement in Politics
Gregory was also very active in politics. He was often considered for political jobs. For four years in the 1880s, he was the secretary of the Republican Central Committee of the District of Columbia.
In 1886, Gregory was appointed to the board of trustees for public schools in Washington D.C.. He served on this board for six years. In 1890, he founded the American Association of Educators of Colored Youth and led it for many years. He was also a delegate to the 1892 Republican National Convention, which is where the Republican Party chooses its candidate for president.
Bordentown School Principal
In 1897, James Gregory became the principal of the Bordentown Industrial and Manual Training School in Bordentown, New Jersey. He was very successful in this role. The school grew a lot in the number of students and improved its buildings during his time there. The school followed the teaching methods of Booker T. Washington, similar to his Tuskegee Institute. Gregory served as principal until February 1915.
Family Life
James Gregory married Fannie Emma Hagan on December 29, 1873. Fannie was born in Frederick, Maryland. Her mother, Margaret A. Hagen, had been freed from slavery.
James and Fannie had several children. Their oldest son, Eugene M. Gregory, graduated from Harvard University. Another son, Thomas Montgomery Gregory, became a well-known writer for plays. Their son James Francis Gregory was the captain of the Amherst College baseball team in 1898. He was the first African American to be elected captain of a baseball team at any college in the eastern United States. He later became a minister and a vice-principal at the Bordentown School. Their daughter, Margaret B. Gregory, was a teacher at Bordentown School. In 1908, James and his son Thomas went to London to watch the 1908 Summer Olympics.
James Monroe Gregory's great-grandson, through James Francis, is astronaut Frederick D. Gregory. He was the first African-American to pilot an American spacecraft. His great-great-granddaughter is the actress and comedian Aisha Tyler.
For many years, Gregory attended the Washington's First Congregational Church. Other famous people like Frederick Douglass and Blanche Bruce also attended this church.
Death
James Monroe Gregory passed away on December 17, 1915, at his daughter's home in Baltimore, Maryland. His funeral was held in Washington D.C., and he was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
