Type | Private, HBCU |
---|---|
Established | 1865 |
Affiliation | American Baptist Churches USA & National Baptist Convention |
Endowment | $29 million |
President | Dr. Claude G. Perkins |
Students | 1,700 |
Location |
Richmond, Virginia, United States 37°33′45.8″N 77°27′3″W / 37.562722°N 77.45083°WCoordinates: 37°33′45.8″N 77°27′3″W / 37.562722°N 77.45083°W |
Campus | Urban, 84 acres (33.99 ha) |
Colors |
Maroon and Steel |
Athletics | NCAA Division II |
Nickname | Panthers |
Affiliations | Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
Website | www.vuu.edu |
Virginia Union University
|
|
Location | 1500 N. Lombardy St., Richmond, Virginia, United States |
Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
Built | 1899 |
Architect | John H. Coxhead |
Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
NRHP Reference # | |
VLR # | 127-0354 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | July 26, 1982 |
Designated VLR | June 16, 1981 |
Virginia Union University (VUU) is a historically black university located in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It took its present name in 1899 upon the merger of two older schools, Richmond Theological Institute and Wayland Seminary, each founded after the end of American Civil War by the American Baptist Home Mission Society. VUU's 84-acre (34 ha) campus is located at 1500 North Lombardy Street in Richmond's North Side.
The University was founded in 1865 to give the newly emancipated freedmen an opportunity for education of the mind in an ethical, religious environment. A historically black university, Virginia Union University embraces the uniqueness and contributions of the African Diaspora, celebrating the value of cultural and intellectual diversity. However, enrollment is open to all students without regard to racial background.
The University provides comprehensive undergraduate liberal arts programs and graduate education for Christian ministries. To this end, a guiding principle of the University's educational program is a strong focus upon moral values and ethics, and students are encouraged to engage in activities that promote self-actualization.
The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school in 1865 shortly after Union troops took control of Richmond, Virginia, at the end of the American Civil War. Approximately 4 million former African American slaves, or freedmen, were to become citizens. Many had been deprived of formal education and prevented from becoming literate by Southern state laws. Southern states were in economic upheaval after the war.