 Seal of Wilberforce University | |
Former names | Wilberforce College (1856–1965) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Suo Marte |
Motto in English | By one's own toil, effort, courage |
| Type | Private historically black university |
| Established | 1856 |
Religious affiliation | African Methodist Episcopal Church |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
| President | Vann R. Newkirk, Sr. |
| Students | 557 |
| Location | , U.S. 39°42′27″N 83°52′50″W / 39.70750°N 83.88056°W |
| Campus | Rural |
| Colors | Green & Gold |
| Nickname | Bulldogs |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA – HBCUAC |
| Website | www |
Carnegie Library (Old Wilberforce University Campus) | |
   | |
| Location | 1055 North Bickett Rd. Wilberforce, Ohio 45384 |
| Coordinates | 39°43′04″N 83°52′55″W / 39.7177°N 83.8820°W |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | David Riebel |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000610[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 16, 2004 |
Wilberforce University is a private historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans. Central State University, also in Wilberforce, Ohio, began as a department of Wilberforce University. The college was founded in 1856 to provide classical education and teacher training for black youth. It was named for the English statesman William Wilberforce, who achieved the end of the slave trade in the British Empire.
The outbreak of the American Civil War (1861–65) caused the college to close in 1862 because of reduced enrollment and financial losses. The AME Church purchased the institution in 1863, and Bishop Daniel Payne was president, the first African American to become a college president in the United States. In the late 19th century, Wilberforce enlarged its mission to include black students from South Africa.