Happy 132: West Virginia State University marks 1891 founding

INSTITUTE, W.Va. (WCHS) — West Virginia State University turned 132 on Friday.

The university was founded on this day in 1891. It was one of 19 land-grant institutions authorized by Congress and designated by the states to provide for the education of Black citizens in agriculture and the mechanical arts.

The original institute offered the equivalent of a high school education, vocational training and teacher preparation.

It wasn't until 1915 that the West Virginia Collegiate Institute began to offer college degrees.

Some of the most notable alumni of West Virginia State University include NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson and actor Lou Myers.