United Negro College Fund

¶ … United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the largest, oldest, most comprehensive, and most successful minority higher education assistance organization in America. They provide assistance in a variety of manners, including: operating funds and technology enhancement services its 38-member, historically black, universities and colleges, internships and scholarships for minority students at nearly 1,000 institutions, as well as faculty and administrative professional training ("About UNCF," 2004).

The United Negro College Fund has been in existence for more than 60 years. In this time, it has raised more than $2 billion that has assisted more than 300,000 students to attend college. They have distributed more money, in the assistance of minorities attending school, than any other organization, other than the United States government ("About UNCF," 2004).

Today, UNCF supports approximately 65,000 students at nearly 1,000 colleges and universities. 60%, of these students, are the first in their families to attend college. 62%, of these students, have family incomes of less than $25,000 per year. Their 450 scholarships and fellowships assist minority students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels of study ("About UNCF," 2004).

In addition, UNCF's support of its 38-member historically black universities and colleges helps these schools keep their tuition rates down. These colleges have tuitions that are 54% lower than comparable non-member schools ("About UNCF," 2004). Yet, it has not always been easy for UNCF. It has been a long road and the challenges they faced early in their history are almost a mirror image of those faced in the historic black empowerment struggle. Through early visionary leadership, UNCF grew from one man's idea to a multi-billion dollar philanthropic organization.

Introduction:

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the largest, oldest, most comprehensive, and most successful minority higher education assistance organization in America. They provide assistance in a variety of manners, including: operating funds and technology enhancement services its 38-member, historically black, universities and colleges, internships and scholarships for minority students at nearly 1,000 institutions, as well as faculty and administrative professional training ("About UNCF," 2004).

The United Negro College Fund has been in existence for more than 60 years. In this time, it has raised more than $2 billion that has assisted more than 300,000 students to attend college. They have distributed more money, in the assistance of minorities attending school, than any other organization, other than the United States government ("About UNCF," 2004).

Today, UNCF supports approximately 65,000 students at nearly 1,000 colleges and universities. 60%, of these students, are the first in their families to attend college. 62%, of these students, have family incomes of less than $25,000 per year. Their 450 scholarships and fellowships assist minority students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels of study ("About UNCF," 2004).

In addition, UNCF's support of its 38-member historically black universities and colleges helps these schools keep their tuition rates down. These colleges have tuitions that are 54% lower than comparable non-member schools ("About UNCF," 2004).

Yet, it has not always been easy for UNCF. It has been a long road and the challenges they faced early in their history are almost a mirror image of those faced in the historic black empowerment struggle. Few states in the 19th and early 20th century supported black education, and as such, private black colleges were forced to struggle, without assistance. Through early visionary leadership, UNCF grew from one man's inspiration to combat this financial inequity to a multi-billion dollar philanthropic organization.

Early History and Struggles of UNCF:

Prior to the abolishment of slavery, black colleges and universities were working desperately to educate blacks. However, few states recognized this as a worthwhile endeavor, and as such, private black colleges were formed. These private black colleges outnumbered their public black brethren almost three to one. These schools often served a multitude of purposes, not only providing higher education, but also educating children and teaching adults just learning to read ("Roots that Run," n.d.).

However, as these efforts were private endeavors, for the most part, with little to no government support, often schools struggled financially. Financial challenges were compounded by the fact that these schools served one of the lowest economic societal classes of the time. In 1943, the president of what is now known as Tuskegee University, Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, decided to do something about this financial challenge.

Dr. Patterson advocated to his fellow black college presidents the need to raise money, collectively, for the assistance of struggling black students and schools. He saw that an "appeal to the national conscience" (as cited in "About UNCF") would be effective in raising the money these students and schools desperately needed.

The following year, on April 25, 1944, Dr. Patterson, Dr. Mary LcLeod Bethune, along with others, incorporated the United Negro College Fund. The UNCF began with 27-member colleges. The plea to national conscience appeared to be a success. Early supporters of the UNCF included both President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. ("About UNCF," 2004).

Steps Taken to Overcome their Obstacle:

Certainly, educating an entire class of people who had been ignored by the establishment was an enormous undertaking, from the beginning. Private black schools had taken on a challenge that would serve to improve all of society, yet government was unwilling to see how important their efforts were. As such, financial challenges became their most difficult obstacle.

"By 1943, financing of African-American private higher education was in a downward spiral as gifts from benefactors diminished. Even so, the need for private historically black colleges was greater than ever, as half of all African-American college students were enrolled in those schools" ("Roots that Run," n.d.). One man saw a potential solution to this problem.

Dr. Patterson not only recognized this obstacle at his school, what would become Tuskegee University, but saw that it was an obstacle that many of the private black schools shared. On January 30, 1943, Dr. Patterson publicized his findings, regarding the limited funding, in an article that appeared in the Pittsburgh Courier. In this article, he suggested that private black universities and colleges "should pool their small moneys and make a united appeal to the national conscience" (as cited in "Roots that Run," n.d.). This recognition was the first step in overcoming the challenge.

Next, he gathered all those with this common obstacle, and showed them that by working together, perhaps, they could succeed together. 27 charter institutions came together under this common obstacle, with Dr. Patterson's leadership, and founded the United Negro College Fund. Their next step was to begin the actual task of fund raising.

Dr. Patterson knew that getting the support of prominent people would be instrumental in the success of their objectives. As such, it was well received when President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his support to their first fund raising campaign. In addition, the acquisition of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. As Chairman of its National Advisory Committee, was even more significant, as it would be the first time Rockefeller allowed his name to be associated with a charity. Even Walter Hoving, then President of Lord and Taylor, served as UNCF's first national campaign chairman, giving the organization even more credibility. In 1987, Dr. Patterson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his efforts, by President Ronald Reagan ("Roots that Run," n.d.).