*On this date in 1905, we celebrate the founding of Butler College. This was a coeducational Black school in Tyler, Texas.
Established by the East Texas Baptist Association, the school was originally called the East Texas Baptist Academy and was initially a combined elementary and high school. The school introduced college-level courses in the 1920s. It became Butler College following the death of its first president, Reverend C. M. Butler, in 1924.
During the Great Depression, the school sold partial ownership to the Texas Baptist Convention to gain financial support. After World War II, Butler became a four-year senior college institution. Enrollment declined during the 1960s, and the college closed in 1972.
