Edward Waters University: A Legacy of Education and Resilience

Edward Waters University (EWU), a private Christian historically Black university in Jacksonville, Florida, stands as a testament to the enduring power of education and community upliftment. Recognized as the first historic Black college in the State of Florida, Edward Waters University was initially founded in 1866 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Its rich history, rooted in the AME Church, reflects a commitment to providing educational opportunities to freedmen and their children in the aftermath of the Civil War.

From Theological Institute to University: A Journey of Growth

The institution has undergone several transformations throughout its history, reflecting its evolving mission and the changing needs of the community it serves. Initially named Brown Theological Institute by the Rev. William G. Steward, the first African Methodist Episcopal pastor in the state, the school aimed to train ministers and educators for the burgeoning African American population.

Struggling with financial difficulties, the school closed for much of the 1870s. It reopened in 1883 as "East Florida Conference High School”, then changed to “East Florida Scientific and Divinity High School.” Over the next ten years, the curriculum was expanded. In 1892, the school became Edward Waters College - a tribute to the AME Church’s third bishop. It received accreditation as a junior college in 1955, implemented a four-year curriculum in 1960, and earned accreditation as a four-year institution from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in 1979. In 2021, the college was elevated to university status and its name was changed to Edward Waters University.

Overcoming Adversity: The Great Fire and Beyond

The school’s original Downtown Jacksonville location was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1901. This devastating event, which wiped out the school and swallowed more than 2,000 buildings across the city, presented a significant challenge to the institution's survival. However, the spirit of resilience prevailed. By 1904, the college obtained new land and work was started on the new facility. As a result, the school has been located at its present site since 1904.

The campus also served as the state “negro headquarters” for the National Youth Administration (NYA) during the Great Depression. Established in 1935 by the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, Dr.

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A Hub of Academic Excellence and Community Engagement

Edward Waters University now offers bachelor’s degrees in several academic programs including the following: Bachelor of Arts in communications, Music, Psychology, or Criminal Justice; Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Biology, Computer and Information Science, Elementary Education, Forensic Science, Mathematics, Public Health, Sports Management, or Social Work; and Bachelor of Business Administration.

EWU offers a comprehensive suite of undergraduate programs which provide students with flexible and accessible pathways to degree completion. The university’s Accelerated Bachelor of Business Administration in Organizational Management is offered fully online and prepares students to analyze team dynamics, understand principles of leadership and apply analytical skills to modern business challenges. EWU’s graduate degree programs are delivered exclusively online and are designed for completion within 12 months. Students benefit from individualized support provided by EWU faculty and staff throughout their academic journey. The university’s graduate offerings include the Master of Business Administration, Master of Cybersecurity, Master of Education and Policy Administration and Master of Public Administration. EWU also continues to enhance instructional quality and student success through the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) across online, hybrid and in-person courses. The Charles H. Pearce Institute supports underperforming first-time-in-college (FTIC) students and transfer students by helping them prepare for college during the summer prior to their fall enrollment. The Accelerated Degree Program (ADP) serve non-traditional learners-including veterans, adult learners and first-generation students-by providing an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration. The EWU ADP program is offered exclusively online.

The Edward Waters University historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 8, 2022. Highway 23, the campus as a whole still conveys its historic feel as an early to mid 20th century college campus.

Architectural Landmarks

Completed in 1916 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the AME Church, Centennial Hall is the oldest remaining building on the campus of Edward Waters University. It was designed by Howells & Stockes, a renowned architectural firm based in New York City. It also represents a defining work of Richard Lewis Brown, a prominent local builder who later became Jacksonville’s first Black architect. Centennial Hall, which contains the Obi-Scott-Umunna Collection of African Art, is the oldest building on campus. The Centennial Hall building contains the Edward Waters University Library, which was relocated from the H. Y. Tookes Building in 1979.

Now known as the Lee-Cousins Building, the B.F. Lee Theological Seminary Building is a four-story brick structure prominently located along Kings Road. The building was designed by prominent local architectural firm Mark & Sheftall. Completed in 1925, this building historically housed the AME seminary. The recently completed B.F. Lee Theological Seminary Building on Kings Road in 1928.

Adjacent to the B.F. Lee Theological Seminary, the Milne Auditorium is a two-story brick structure that features distinctive use of stained glass windows separated by prominent capped pilasters. Historically, the auditorium has served as an important gathering place and venue for the university. An early 20th century graduation ceremony inside of the Milne Auditorium (UNF Thomas G.

The Bishop Henry Tookes Building is a one-story brick structure that is relatively restrained in appearance. It was designed by noted Black architect and builder James Edward Hutchins. After arriving in Jacksonville, Hutchins was a carpenter with the Dawkins Building and Supply Company several years before establishing his own construction company in the 1930s. One of the few local African-American contractors that also designed their buildings, Hutchins is responsible for several African American churches and residences in the College Gardens and Durkee Gardens subdivisions. Originally serving as the school’s library.

Under the direction of Bishop M.B. Salter, who made education a priority during his time as the bishop of the Florida Conference, the original Salter Hall was built circa 1909. Functioning as a women’s dormitory, dining hall, and classroom building, the lumber used in its construction came from noted local Black architect and builder Joseph H. Blodgett. Unfortunately, the college experienced a devastating fire in April 1936, resulting in the original Salter Hall and an annex building being destroyed by the blaze. In 1950, after several years of construction, the current M.B. Salter Hall building was completed on the site of the destroyed structure.

Located at 1740 Kings Road, the Hatcher-Steward Science and Mathematics Building is a 24,000-square-foot structure completed in 1968. Situated at the intersection of Kings Road and Pearce Street, the Hatcher-Stewart building is a large two-story reinforced concrete building with yellow brick veneer. George N.

The George N. Collins Student Center was designed by Boyer & Boyer, Architects and completed in 1972. The firm was owned and operated by David B. Boyer and Mary-Louise Boyer. The husband and wife team were both graduates of Harvard and lived in Atlantic Beach. An excellent example of the International Style of architecture adapted to an African American institution of higher learning, the Collins center is a large two-story reinforced concrete building with a large, overhanging flat roof and second story veranda supported by exposed steel beams. Since its completion, the George N.

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Commitment to Business Education

EWU is proud to announce that our Department of Business Administration has been granted accreditation by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), a globally recognized accrediting body for business programs. This accreditation underscores our commitment to excellence in business education, ensuring that our curriculum and co-curricular experiences equip students with the knowledge and skills essential for effective performance in business and industry. Dr. Francis Ikeokwu, Chair of the Business Department at EWU, remarked, “The Department of Business Administration strives to prepare our students for responsible positions in business, industrial, and government entities. This accreditation signifies that we are training our students beyond the basic standards. In addition, we are training our students to be confident, competent, ethical, and responsible business managers and leaders in today’s society.”The IACBE’s accreditation principles are designed to promote and stimulate excellence in business education, with each principle linked to characteristics of excellence in the field.

Public Health Initiatives

The EWU Center for the Prevention of Health Disparities actively engages in numerous public health initiatives. Dr. Brian Seymour, an EWU professor, serves on the board of the Northeast Florida Health Education Center. In partnership with EWU, the Center provides tobacco cessation classes in Health Zone 1 of Duval County, Florida, helping community members quit smoking. Additionally, Dr. Seymour serves as the lead evaluator for a health literacy improvement initiative focused on vulnerable populations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has received multiple grant awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

A Legacy of Leadership and Social Justice

Edward Waters has intimate ties with the fight for Black liberation. The college has a long association with the Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP, with multiple members of the faculty and administration serving in leadership roles. Perhaps the most famous alumni was A. Philip Randolph, the founder and leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and later one of the “Big Six” national civil rights leaders responsible for the organization of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom made famous by the Rev. Dr.

A. Philip Randolph: A Champion of Labor and Civil Rights

A. Philip Randolph was a groundbreaking leader, organizer, and social activist who championed equitable labor rights for African American communities, becoming one of the most impactful civil rights and social justice leaders of the 20th century. His activism spanned 60 years, and included the organization of the largest labor union for Black workers in the United States and the coordination of two Marches on Washington (1941 and 1963).

Randolph spent the formative years of his early life in Jacksonville, Florida. He was born on April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, Florida, to an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, the Rev. James William Randolph, and his wife, Elizabeth Robinson Randolph. In 1891, when he was three years old, his family moved to Jacksonville. He attended Edward Waters College (a Historically Black College founded in 1866) from ages fourteen to sixteen before transferring to the Cookman Institute (a Historically Black educational institute founded in 1872 and located in Jacksonville), from which he graduated as valedictorian in 1907.

In 1911, recognizing the constraints that racial segregation placed on his life in his native Florida, Randolph left Jacksonville for New York City. Initially he hoped for a life on the stage but redirected his talents to issues of fairness and equity in employment and civic life. During World War I, Randolph faced formidable odds as he worked to unionize African American shipyard workers and elevator operators. During this time, along with his friend and collaborator Chandler Owen, Randolph edited and published the Messenger magazine between 1917 and 1925, during which it served as a promotional vehicle for the Harlem Renaissance.

Randolph’s career as a labor leader took a new turn when he became the first president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, which by 1937 would become the first official African American labor union. After his victories in the arena of organized labor, in the 1940s, Randolph focused his attention on the larger goal of ending racial discrimination in government defense factories and desegregating the armed forces, both accomplished through presidential decrees. Becoming involved in additional civil rights work, he was a principal organizer of the proposed March on Washington in 1941, and the more famous 1963 March on Washington during which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

On May 16, 1979, at age 90, Mr. Randolph passed away. He was cremated, and his ashes were interred at the A. Philip Randolph Institute in Washington, D.C. There are several sites in Jacksonville that pay tribute to the legacy of A. Philip Randolph. He is the namesake of the A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology, A. Philip Randolph Boulevard (formerly Florida Avenue), and the adjoining A.

Recent Developments and Future Directions

In 2004, Edward Waters University had submitted documents to SACS to support their request for reaccreditation. A Florida Times-Union investigation in October discovered that the EWU documents plagiarized sections of text and statistics from a similar Alabama A&M University document.

Claudette Williams became the first female president of Edward Waters in 2007. The former college President Nathaniel Glover is a 1966 graduate of the school. And he ultimately became Florida’s first black sheriff since Reconstruction. At 43 years old, Dr. A. Zachary Faison Jr. holds the distinction of being one of the youngest presidents and CEOs at an HBCU and in Edward Waters’ history.

The Edward Waters (EWU) athletic teams are called the Tigers and the Lady Tigers. Prior joining the NCAA, The Tigers previously competed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2010-11 to 2020-21 (with an associate transitional membership period for competing in conference championships during the 2021-22 school year); and in the Sun Conference (formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) until after the 2007-08 school year) from 2006-07 to 2009-10. The university broke ground on a permanent on-campus football facility in February 2020. The team previously played at local high schools. Edward Waters' marching band is officially known as the "Triple Threat Marching Band." The band was established in 2001 and has twice received an invitation to the Honda Battle of the Bands in 2009 and 2013.

As Florida’s only private HBCU competing at the NCAA Division II level, EWU is redefining student-athlete support with new initiatives such as the Student-Athlete Wellness Room-the first of its kind among HBCUs.

On December 9, 2025, EWU was notified of its reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), with no recommendations for improvement. This reaffirmation-approved through 2035 by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees during its 2025 Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN.

In 2025, EWU secured $12.4 million in funding through the Focus on Florida’s Future budget-the largest single-year allocation in the university’s history.

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