Shaw University is founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, becoming one of the first historically Black universities in the South.
At a Glance
- Date
- 21 November 1865
- Location
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Key people
- Henry Martin Tupper
- Category
- Education & HBCUs
- Source
- Shaw University records (1865) · Shaw University
What It Meant Then
It opened higher education to the newly freed in the heart of the former Confederacy.
What It Means Now
Shaw later helped birth the student movement, hosting the founding of SNCC.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Shaw University Is Founded.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/shaw-university-is-founded/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Shaw University Is Founded. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/shaw-university-is-founded/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Shaw University Is Founded.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/shaw-university-is-founded/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.