Winston-Salem State University
"Industrial education in our school is not intended to supersede or overshadow the work in the literary department, but to be a coordinate branch of education — our purpose being to train, heart, head and hand."
– Taken from 1911 Slater Industrial Academy and State Normal School Catalog
Winston-Salem State University has been a part of the community for more than a century, serving as the core of the Columbia Heights neighborhood. It grew to become a reputable school for African-Americans studying to become future educators.
Winston-Salem State University was founded on September 29, 1892, by Simon Green Atkins, as the Slater Industrial Academy. Named after Connecticut textile manufacturer and philanthropist, John F. Slater, the school began in a one-room building with 25 students and one teacher. The school was recognized by the state of North Carolina in 1895 and in 1897 it was chartered by the state as the Slater Industrial and State Normal School.
