Organization of the Thesis, The present work is divided into four chapters. The first chapter sets a background for the more spe- cific story to follow, It describes the motives behind the vigorous evangelistic and educational activities of the Methodist Episcopal Church among Southern freedmen. It also describes the growth of the Methodist Episcopal Church in North Carolina and compares the education- al activities of this church with comparable educational endeavors of other denominationso The second and third chapters contain the history of Bennett College itself, using the terms of office of its principals and presidents as the most meaningful framework° Chapter Two surveys

the years from l873=l889 during which period the institution was known

as Bennett Seminary. Chapter Three surveys the years from l889—l926

during which time the school was known as Bennett College. Chapter Four contains concluding remarks. Appendix I is a chart showing the growth of the School in terms of its students, faculty, and curriculum. Appendix II is a copy of the college charter,

Sources of Information. Most of the necessary information was

found in North Carolina. The wake Forest University Library contained primary material in the form of newspapers, records of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in North Carolina and city directories, Help- ful secondary information was also found concerning Methodist history and North Carolina history, particularly with reference to the history of Negroes in NOrth Carolina and the history of education in North Caro- lina.

The Holgate Library of Bennett College provided valuable