Henderson Business College, Memphis

Vance Lauderdale posted an interesting item on his blog about a private business college in Memphis for African-Americans. 

The school was actually founded in Knoxville in 1912 by George Henderson, "whose material wealth was just $2.20 and two used typewriters," according to the catalog. I mean catalogue. Henderson moved to Nashville a few years later and in 1934 came here and opened the Henderson Business College downtown at 528 St. Paul. "Many short-sighted persons predicted failure," again according to the — oh, good grief, you know where I'm getting this from — but Henderson persevered and in 1939 moved his school into a cluster of grand old homes on Linden that included an administration building, dormitory, and graphic-arts complex.

The school was apparently successful through the 1950's, but enrollment declined when other educational institutions opened their doors to African-American students.  The idea of a school in a collection of grand old houses is both neat and not new.  The original Memphis College of Art was in a grand old mansion in the Evergreen neighborhood.