L.C. (Laurine Cecil) Anderson

L.C. (Laurine Cecil) Anderson (June 4, 1853, in Memphis, Tennessee – January 8, 1938, in Austin, Texas) is most famous for his teachings and being a school administrator in Texas. Some of his most notable achievements were co-founding the CTSAT Colored Teachers State Association of Texas, as well as his many years spent as principal of the Prairie View Normal Institute.

He went to public schools in his hometown in Memphis and received his B.A. in Methodist Ministry from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.

He had taught with Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee University, Alabama and trained for the Methodist ministry. In 1879, L.C. Anderson moved to Texas to assist his brother, Earnest H. Anderson who was also a minister and teacher at Prairie View Normal Institute (now known as Prairie View A&M University.) In Texas, Anderson’s first job was the principal of a school in Brenham shortly before moving out to Prairie View. At Prairie View he served as an assistant to his brother, where Anderson had called for the school to become a university. In 1884, L.C. became the first president of the Colored Teachers State Association of Texas. He served as president until 1889. In addition to this, following his brother’s death, on October 29, 1885, Governor Oran Roberts appointed L.C. principal of Prairie View. He worked to improve African-American Texans education and tried to unify American leaders in many fields, including business, politics and religious organizations.

In 1876 Land was granted to build and institution for an “agricultural and mechanical college for the benefit of colored youth” part of the agriculture and mechanical college of Texas. The college was doing poorly and was on the verge of closing but was saved by an idea to turn it into two smaller schools. One of which was Prairie View Normal Institution. This institution was established in 1879. E.H. Anderson was appointed the principal and his brother L.C. Anderson was brought along as his assistant. Following E.H.’s death in 1885, Laurine was appointed principal, where he remained for eleven years. He was later fired and replaced with Edward L. Blackshear.

The Colored Teachers State Association of Texas was founded by L.C. Anderson, David Abner Sr. and 11 other people. It was organized to “promote quality education for blacks and good working conditions for black teachers.” The association was funded by member dues and all the work was voluntary. It didn’t adopt its first constitution in 1906 but in 1893 it organized eight district associations from East Texas in efforts to stop the lack of black political power in Texas with the help of politicians Norris Wright Cuney and John Rayner. Because of its political affiliation was considered a political organization. In the early years it was campaigning for black university as the members felt black teachers and students would struggle to get equal status with that of whites without this education. The association has continued to try created equal rights for black teachers and was incorporated in 1921. The CTSAT has allowed black teachers to get guaranteed equality of teacher salaries in 1961 and also supported Sweatt with by funding and providing legal aid in 1946.

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