Lincoln Normal School facts for kids
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Phillips Memorial Auditorium
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Phillips Memorial Auditorium, one of only a few campus buildings still standing
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lincoln Ave. and Lee St., Marion, Alabama |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 88003243 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 13, 1990 |
The Lincoln Normal School was a very important school for African Americans in Marion, Alabama. It started as the Lincoln School. Later, it became a "normal school," which means it trained teachers. This school opened less than two years after the American Civil War ended. It is one of the oldest HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in the United States.
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How Lincoln School Started
The idea for this school came from a Union Army soldier. He stayed in Marion after the Civil War. He wanted to teach African Americans who had recently become free. His teaching was very successful.
In 1867, the school officially opened. It had strong support from African Americans in nearby Perry County, Alabama.
Nine former slaves became the first leaders of the school. Their names were Joey Pinch, Thomas Speed, Nickolas Dale, James Childs, Thomas Lee, John Freeman, Nathan Levert, David Harris, and Alexander H. Curtis.
The community in Marion, both Black and white, worked together. They raised $500 to buy land for the school. The money to build the school came from the American Missionary Association (AMA).
In 1868, the school's leaders asked the AMA for more help. The AMA provided teachers and money to help run the school every day.
In 1871, a member of the Alabama State Board of Education, Peyton Finley, suggested something big. He wanted the school to grow into a normal school and university.
Training Teachers
In 1870, the school added a program to train teachers. For a while, it was called the Lincoln Normal University for Teachers. This program mainly helped African American high school graduates. It trained them to become teachers.
In 1885, Lincoln School was named the best school for formerly enslaved people in the South. On July 26, 1878, William Burns Paterson became the president of the school.
In 1887, a fire destroyed many buildings on campus. Because of this, the teacher training program moved. It went to Montgomery, Alabama. There, it became Alabama State University.
Important Teachers
Several principals led the school. Miss Mary Elizabeth Phillips was one of the most important. She was the principal from 1896 to 1927. During her time, the school campus grew, and more students joined.
In 1939, former students and friends built the Phillips Memorial Auditorium. They built it to honor her.
Other special teachers were Cecil and Fran Thomas. They helped start a great singing program at the school. Under their guidance, the school's choirs traveled and performed. They toured across the Southeast and Midwest.
School's Impact
Lincoln School became famous for something amazing. Many of its students went on to earn advanced college degrees. This was a huge achievement for any school. It was especially impressive for a segregated high school in rural Alabama.
The school closed in 1970. It joined with the new Marion High School. This new school was racially integrated, meaning students of all races could attend.
Only a few buildings from the old campus are still standing. The Phillips Memorial Auditorium is one of them. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. The Lincoln High School Gymnasium was also added to the Alabama Register in 2005.
Famous Former Students
- Coretta Scott King, a civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King Jr.
- Edythe Scott Bagley, an educator and civil rights activist
- William R. Pettiford, a minister and banker from Birmingham
- Jean Childs, wife of civil rights activist Andrew Young
- Odith Thelma Patton, mother of Bishop T. D. Jakes
