William J. Simmons | |
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| Born | June 29, 1849 |
| Died | October 30, 1890 (aged 41) |
| Occupation(s) | Baptist pastor, educator, activist, author |
| Known for | President and namesake of Simmons College of Kentucky |
William J. Simmons (June 29, 1849 – October 30, 1890) was an American Baptist pastor, educator, author, and activist. He was a former enslaved person who became the second president of Simmons College of Kentucky (1880–1890), for whom the school was later named.
Simmons greatly developed Howard University's teacher training programs when he took over the school. In addition, he was a writer, journalist, and educator. In 1886 he became president of the American National Baptist Convention, one of the organizations that would merge to form the National Baptist Convention, USA. He was elected president of the Colored Press Association for his work as editor of the American Baptist, a newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky. Simmons was also the author of Men of Mark (1877), an anthology of 177 short biographies of notable African American men.