African Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist denomination (see Methodism). It was established in 1816 in Philadelphia with Richard Allen as its first bishop. In 1991 there were about 3.5 million members in the United States.

Meharry Medical College , at Nashville, Tenn.; coeducational; organized 1876 as the medical department of Central Tennessee College, granted an independent charter 1915. There are schools of medicine, dentistry, allied health professsions, and graduate studies. Although it was founded to train black doctors, it has never been segregated.

Atlanta University Center, at Atlanta, Ga.; coeducational. The largest consortium of historically African-American educational institutions in the country, it was organized in 1929 when three schools—Atlanta Univ. (chartered 1867), Morehouse College (1867), and Spelman College (1881)—became affiliated in a university plan. Atlanta Univ. was to be devoted exclusively to graduate education, with the other two colleges providing undergraduate programs. Later Clark College (chartered 1877), Interdenominational Theological Center (1958), Morehouse School of Medicine (1982), and Morris Brown College (1885) also joined the university center's affiliation agreement. In 1988 Clark College and Atlanta Univ. merged to form Clark Atlanta Univ., which is still part of the university center.

Howard University, at Washington, D.C.; coeducational; with federal support. It was founded in 1867 by Gen. Oliver O. Howard of the Freedmen's Bureau, to provide education for newly emancipated slaves. A normal and preparatory department was opened the same year. In 1868 the collegiate department and the departments of law, pharmacy, and medicine were opened, followed by the theological (1871), dentistry (1882), music (1883), and engineering and architecture (1910) departments. The university also has schools of fine arts, nursing, business and public administration, and social work. The Founders Library houses the Moorland-Spingarn and Channing Pollock collections on African-American literature and history, which date back to the 16th cent. Although predominantly a black university, the school has been open since its founding to all qualified students.

SNCC
Pronunciation: (snik),
—n.
a U.S. civil-rights organization formed by students and active esp. during the 1960s, whose aim was to achieve political and economic equality for blacks through local and regional action groups.

Mississippi, University of, main campus at Oxford; state supported; coeducational; chartered 1844, opened 1848. The university medical center, which includes the schools of medicine, dentistry, and nursing, is in Jackson. The university's additional facilities include the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the National Center for Physical Acoustics, and the Marine Minerals Technology Center. The school also maintains a cooperative program with the national laboratories at Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Wallace, George Corley, 1919–98, governor of Alabama (1963–67, 1971–79, 1983–87), b. Clio, Ala. Admitted to the bar in 1942, he was active in the Alabama Democratic party, serving in the state assembly (1947–53) and as a district court judge (1953–59). In 1962 he won election as governor as an avowed segregationist, and promised to defy federal orders to integrate Alabama schools. In June, 1963, Wallace blocked two black students from entering the Univ. of Alabama, but capitulated when President Kennedy federalized the Alabama national guard. Prevented by state law from succeeding himself as governor in 1966, Wallace had his wife, Lurleen Burns Wallace,. 1926–68, run successfully in his place. As a leading opponent of the civil-rights movement, Wallace campaigned for president in 1968 on a third-party ticket, capitalizing on racist and anti-Washington attitudes in both North and South to energize many. In 1970, he was reelected governor of Alabama. In 1972, he entered the Democratic presidential primaries; his campaign ended abruptly on May 15, when an assassination attempt by Arthur H. Bremer left him paralyzed below the waist. In 1974 Wallace was overwhelmingly reelected governor, and in 1976 he made another unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination. He later moved to reconcile with African Americans and recanted white supremacist positions, and in 1982 he was again elected governor, this time with the support of many black Alabamans; he retired in 1987.

Alabama, University of, main campus at Tuscaloosa; state supported, coeducational; chartered 1820, opened 1831. An experimental station of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the state natural history museum, the state geological survey, and a business research bureau are there. The university's medical school is at Birmingham, and there is also a campus at Huntsville. The university also has a campus at Huntsville and a branch offering medical programs at Birmingham.

Ford Foundation, philanthropic institution, established (1936) in Michigan by Henry Ford and his son, Edsel, for the general purpose of advancing human welfare. Until 1950 the foundation was involved in local philanthropic activities, mainly aiding the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and the Edison Institute of Dearborn. Since 1950, after receiving the bulk of the estates of Henry Ford, his wife, and Edsel, the foundation has engaged in broad philanthropic work from its New York City headquarters. It is one of the largest philanthropic trusts in the world. By 1998 it had assets of about $9.5 billion, and disbursed approximately $517 million in grants. The foundation's stated goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. The Ford Foundation's involvement in controversial programs, such as its establishment (1951) of the civil rights and civil liberties oriented Fund for the Republic, drew criticism from conservatives and led to a congressional investigation. In attempting to maintain flexibility in its operations, the foundation concentrates on aiding efforts for the initial attack on problems, leaving the follow-up action to other institutions.

Yale University, at New Haven, Conn.; coeducational. Chartered as a collegiate school for men in 1701 largely as a result of the efforts of James Pierpont, it opened at Killingworth (now Clinton) in 1702, moved (1707) to Saybrook (now Old Saybrook), and in 1716 was finally moved to its permanent location in New Haven. Its name was changed to Yale College in 1718 in honor of Elihu Yale, who had been persuaded by Cotton Mather and Jeremiah Dummer to contribute to the college. Its present charter was drawn up in 1745.

Extensive changes were made in the college during the 19th cent. Numerous schools were added, such as medicine (1813), divinity (1822), law (1824), graduate studies (1847), and art and architecture (1865); as a result in 1887, under Timothy Dwight, the college was renamed Yale Univ. Later, other schools were added: music (1894), forestry (1900), nursing (1923), engineering (1932), drama (1955), and organization and management (1975). Women were admitted to the graduate school in 1892 and to Yale College in 1969. Further expansion included the founding of the Institute of Far Eastern Languages. The Yale Library, one of the largest in the nation, houses a large number of important collections, including the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Also notable are the Peabody Museum of Natural History, the well-known Yale Art Gallery, and the Yale Center for British Art. The Yale Univ. Press was established in 1908.