Wilberforce University
Seal of Wilberforce University | |
| Motto | Suo Marte |
|---|---|
Motto in English | By one's own toil, effort, courage |
| Type | Private historically black university |
| Established | 1856 |
Religious affiliation | African Methodist Episcopal Church |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
| President | Vann R. Newkirk, Sr. |
| Students | 701 |
| Location | , U.S. 39°42′27″N 83°52′50″W / 39.70750°N 83.88056°W |
| Campus | Rural |
| Colors | Green & Gold |
| Nickname | Bulldogs |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA – HBCUAC |
| Website | www |
Carnegie Library (Old Wilberforce University Campus) | |
| Location | 1055 North Bickett Rd. Wilberforce, Ohio 45384 |
| Coordinates | 39°43′04″N 83°52′55″W / 39.7177°N 83.8820°W |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | David Riebel |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000610 |
| Added to NRHP | June 16, 2004 |
Wilberforce University (WU) is a private university in Wilberforce, Ohio. It is one of three historically black universities established before the American Civil War. Founded in 1856 by the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), it is named after English statesman and abolitionist William Wilberforce. In 1863 it was sold to the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) which had ties to the school since its inception. WU remains affiliated with the AME.
Beginning in 1887, WU operated as a partially state-funded and partially private institution. Concerns over the separation of church and state led WU's theology department to separate and establish the independent Payne Theological Seminary. The state funded division of the school separated from WU in 1947 and became what is today known as Central State University.
The university currently offers twenty-five academic programs of undergraduate and graduate study. Since 1966, the school has emphasized cooperative education in which students do internships in their field of study in addition to their coursework. The school is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and its athletic teams, the Bulldogs, compete in the HBCU Athletic Conference.