Johnson C Smith University

Johnson C Smith University is a private historically Black university located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1867, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is a member of the United Negro College Fund. The university offers undergraduate programs across the liberal arts, business, social sciences, and STEM fields, as well as selected graduate programs. Its urban campus sits in Charlotte’s Historic West End neighborhood. Johnson C Smith University is known for its mission of educating students from diverse backgrounds, particularly first-generation college students, and for its emphasis on leadership development, civic engagement, and community involvement.

Johnson C Smith University was founded in 1867 in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Freedmen’s College of North Carolina, established by the Presbyterian Church to educate formerly enslaved people. It was soon renamed Biddle Memorial Institute and later Biddle University in 1876. Stephen Mattoon served as the first president, guiding the institution in its early years as it trained ministers and teachers for African American communities in the post–Civil War South. In 1891, Daniel J. Sanders became the first African American president of Biddle University. The institution adopted the name Johnson C Smith University in 1923 in honor of benefactor Johnson C. Smith. During the twentieth century, Johnson C Smith University expanded its academic programs, became fully coeducational, and strengthened its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church. Today, Johnson C Smith University continues to serve students in Charlotte through undergraduate and graduate education.