89 of educated parents upon their children was especially significant. It can generally be said that the Bennett College graduates were able to develop independence, self—respect, and leadershipo

A knowledge of the early history of Bennett College also enu ables one to conclude that the pressing educational needs of the North Carolina freedmen were at least partially satisfied by the work of the Methodist Episcopal Church and similar denominations, at a time when the state government did not provide for the education of Negroeso As the state gradually began to provide education for Negroes on the elem mentary levels, Bennett phased out the lower levels of its own curricu= lum and concentrated on the higher levels. Similarly, the teacher training program at Bennett provided many teachers for the public schools, teachers who might not have been trained had it not been for the Bennett program. The history of Bennett College stands as an ex— cellent example of the contribution of denominational schools to the total educational program of the state, particularly on the secondary and college levels.

One also concludes that Bennett College could not have survived, had it not been for the dedication of its faculty members and their

faith in the importance of the work of the school. They suffered be-

cause of extremely low salaries and crowded facilities. They also as—

sumed responsibilities out of proportion to what they would have ass sumed in most other schools. The development of Bennett College for Women from l926 to the

present has been made possible because of the sacrifices of benefactors,