Conroe Normal and Industrial College

Private school

Conroe Normal and Industrial College

Location

10th Street,
Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas, U.S.

Coordinates| 30°19′06″N 95°26′45″W﻿ / ﻿30.318311°N 95.445788°W﻿ / 30.318311; -95.445788
Information
Other name| Conroe College,
Conroe Baptist Theological Institute
School type| Private vocational
Religious affiliation(s)| Baptist
Established| April 1903
Founder| Jimmie Johnson
Closed| 1981

Conroe Normal and Industrial College (1903–1981) was a private co-educational vocational school and normal school for African American students, founded in 1903 in Conroe, Texas, United States.[1] The school also went by the names Conroe Baptist Theological Institute,[2] and Conroe College.[3]

## History[edit]

Conroe Normal and Industrial College faculty (c. 1903)

Conroe Normal and Industrial College was established in April 1903, by founding president Jimmie Johnson.[2] Johnson fundraised for the formation of the school through extensive travel within Texas and lecturing; he solicited for funds from black churches, black associations, and black conventions.[2]

Johnson and his wife were among the small number of early teachers at the school in the early years. David Abner Jr. took over as the second president.[2][4] William A. Johnson served as the third president.[2]

It was on 10th Street. Its five-story main building burned in 1915 and a new two-story building constructed for it.

The school had a lot of land, approximately 105 acres which was an active farm that students worked on tending livestock, growing crops, and indoor domestic work.[2][5] Boys and girls were taught at the school separately, and were required to wear uniforms.[2][5]

In the 1980s, the school was one of the organizational locations for the "Free Clarence Brandley" movement.[3]

In October 2014, the Conroe Baptist Theological Institute deeded the remaining 20-plus acre campus to a private investor.[2]

## Presidents[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (April 2023)

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* Jimmie Johnson (1903–1906)
* David Abner Jr. (1906–1919)[6][7]
* William A. Johnson (1919–?)[7]
* Warren S. Brent[7]
* C. H. Durden[7]
* A. L. Bradley[7]
* J. S. Curry[7]
* I. S. Spencer[7]
* P. J. Walker (1971–?)[7]

## Archives and legacy[edit]

UTSA Libraries has a 1947 photograph of Baptist ministers in front of the school.[8] TCU Libraries have a collection of photographs, interviews, and documents about the school.[9]

In 2017, Robin Navarro Montgomery and the Montgomery County Historical Commission were working on adding a state historical marker to the 10th Street location.[2] In 2021, plans were announced to restore the one remaining college building into a youth community center.[10]

## See also[edit]

* Guadalupe College

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Roots of Conroe Normal and Industrial College". The Courier. August 28, 2012.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hernandez, Sondra (April 3, 2017). "Early educators dedicated to bringing opportunity for all". The Courier.
3. ^ a b Krochmal, Max; Moye, Todd (2021-11-09). Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 446\. ISBN 978-1-4773-2381-6.
4. ^ Montgomery, Robin (18 July 2020). "Seattle, Huntsville, Conroe and the rest of the story". Itemonline.com.
5. ^ a b Foerster, Sondra Bosse Hernandez, Dr Robin Montgomery, Joy Montgomery and Larry (2021). Conroe. Arcadia Publishing. p. 93\. ISBN 978-1-4671-0599-6.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ^ "Harmony Among Negro Baptists". The Galveston Daily News. 1910-09-20. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
7. ^ a b c d e f g h The History of Conroe Normal and Industrial College (1903–1981) (PDF). 1981.
8. ^ "Baptist ministers outside Conroe Normal and Industrial College, 1947". UTSA Libraries.
9. ^ "Conroe Normal and Industrial College (2) [tax exemption denied], 2001-2013". TCU Libraries. Texas Christian University.
10. ^ Vigh, Eva (March 25, 2021). "Historic Black college in Conroe to become youth community center". impact.