Berea College, at Berea, Ky.;
coeducational; founded 1855 by John G. Fee as a one-room school, chartered
1866, a college since 1869. Fostered by abolitionists including Cassius M.
Clay, it aimed to
educate both black and white, male and female residents of Appalachia.
However, in 1904 a law was passed by the Kentucky legislature banning
interracial education, so that the school subsequently focussed on
impoverished rural whites. Students (whose families must earn below a
certain level) are guaranteed tuition through grants, scholarships, and a
minimum of 10 hours of work a week in school-owned operations including a
bakery, laundry, printing shop, and hotel.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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