THE CaivPUS herald
Page 2.
js' (Exclusive to the CAji/PUS HEiiALD)
BIOGiLPHY OT DR^ JOHN ADmC COTTON
Interviovved by Annie Belle Brame
Rcvs-.r^nd John Adams Cotton(A.B. ,B,
3.,D.D.-1895) was born in Clay County,
Kentucky. His father, Nelson Cotton,
was a fnimei'. He was roarrie d in 1900 to
rtlss ilaude brooks, an accora{:)lished
teacher and a graduate of Oberlin College
They have one child, ilLss Carol Blanche
Cotton, now one of the outstanding Tvomen
in the state.
In working out his educataon. Dr.
great inspiration.
0
THE HISTORY OF HENDERSON INSTITUTE
Cotton att..,nded Berea College, located
in Berea, Kentucky. His parents moved
there because the educational opportuni
ties in Clay County W'ere poor. He was
eleven years of age when he enterevd the
Tirst grade at Bsrea, After completing
three grades in one ye..r, Dr. Cotton's
family returned to their original home
in Clay County, He remained there until
he v;as nineteen years of age, being -
tutored by his cousin, two days a week,
r'ridays and Saturdays. His parents paid
two dollars a day for this. At the age
of nineteen, he v.ent back to Berea Colleg
where he had three years of preparatory
work, iie completed two years’ of college
work there also, ■ He entered with thirty-
three dollars and had to carry his trunk
to his room on a wheelbarrow, because he
Vi/asn't able to pay the fee to have it
carried foi* him. He then worked his way
through those years without securing any
aid from home. However, he did have' five
dollars at thv, end of the term. He went
from Berea to Knoxville College from
v;hich he receiv.,.d his b. S. and A. B.
.degree. He won the latte-r in 1S93. He
taught school in Te-nnessoe for two years.
He returned to Kr.oxville and took the
theological course offered there leading
to the B. D. degree. In 189S he studied
at Pittsburgh, Pa, Later, the Honorary
Degree of Doctor of Divinity was
oonferred upon him by the National
Training School in Durham in recognition
of his work in North Carolina. He caiue
into the work of the church when about
twenty-seven years of age, and v/as
ord-ained into the ministry in 1893.
Coming out of college, he was c-'illed to
Cleveland v;here h-e preached for four
years. In fact, it may be said, that he
created the Presbyterian Vvork there.
After his pastorate there, he vms called
to Henderson. He remained there for
thirty-seven years, during which time,
Henderson Institute prospered under his
leadership. Beginning with a teaciiing
staff of seven, he left v;ith a staff of
eighteen teachers. The plant has been
greatly enlarged and a number of new
buildings erecEed,
Dr. Cotton was called to the
presidency of Knoxville. Collette in 1940.
He spent a successful year there, after
which he retired to his beautiful hoaie in
Henderson, near the campus of Henderson
Institute where he spi-^nt so many useful
years and where he continues to be a
Henderson Institute was founded
September 7, 1891; it is a school
established and conducted to .afford the
colored people an cpiortunity of
obtaining an education. It is part of
the tiissionary work of the United
Presbyterian church. The United
Presbyterian church gives each year
about 450,000,00 in raomy to carry on
the t;ork. For the last few years, the
church has been cooperating wdth the
city and county.
The Institute occupies a beautiful
site outsiae the corporate, limits.
The first principal of Henderson
Institute was lic, JameS 11, Fulton,
(the girls dormitory is named after
him);-he served in the Institute from
1891-1893.
In the year of 1891, when the
school was founded, ther. W'ere only
five teachers and 353 pupils(all in
the lower grades). The educcdiorial
system was all under the United Presby-
terj.an Board until 1933, since then it
has been operated jointl^^ bj'’ the Board
and the County.
j'ir. Tulton sent in a report to the
Board November 9, 1891 concerning the
night school. The report was: "Our
night school is held four nights in the
waPtek, the enrollment is 90; average
attendance 75/^, There -are 50 reciting
charts and first readers. Each teacher,
exceot I',. S, iulton, who teaches every
night, iS’’required to teach one night,
D.e all deem this jaost interesting
work.^ bits the,exception of half a dozen
boys, ranging in age from 20 to 60, jaost
of them arc parents and labor«-.rs."
The principal succeeding j.!r. Fulton
was j'ir. C. L. i.fcCracken, 1893-1898,
I'ir. Albert m. Porter succeeded him from
1898-1899, then came i.ir. D.A.W.Johnson,
Mr. Cook, and in 1903 Dr. J. A. Cotton,
During Dr. Cotton's ti;Je, there were
13 pupils enrolled in high school, liir.
0. T. Robinson was active principal
unocr Dr. Cotton from 1933-1940, and
in 1940 he became principal in charge.
The nuj^ber of pupils during their time
is 421 and 17 teachers.
There are 15 girls in the dormitory
and 9 boys,
I have said before that the school
is outside the. corpor.ate limits. The
adninsti'atlon building contains chapd,
class rooms, and offices. The chapd
has Seating capacity of 358 and each
room is wcll-lighted, vrell-v. ntilated
and provided vjith modern equipment for
school vjork, having water connections
and steaja heat.
The girls dormitory is an L-shaped,
three story building 115 feet by 75 feet.