“A” is for Allen University. Allen University had its origins in Payne Institute, a school established at Cokesbury by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1870. In 1880, the school moved to Columbia, was granted a charter, and renamed Allen University. Within nine years, Allen had graduated seventy-five persons from the college, law, and normal departments. Though most of its students were South Carolinians, others came from neighboring states and the Caribbean. In the years after World War I, under the leadership of President David Henry Sims, Allen University became a full-fledged seat of learning. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Allen University operates under the auspices of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and regularly draws financial support from the Seventh Episcopal District (South Carolina) and from the denomination.
“A” is for Allen University
