Founded in 1865 as the Raleigh Institute by former Union chaplain Dr. Henry Martin Tupper to educate freedmen and renamed in 1870 to honor benefactor Elijah Shaw, it is now the oldest historically Black university in the South. Historically significant buildings include Estey Hall and the Leonard Medical Building. Notable faculty and graduates include Calvin Lightner, Dr. Edward Johnson, Dr. M.T. Pope and James Young. Today the Baptist-related, four-year liberal arts institution offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and five nationally-accredited graduate programs.
