Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

The mission of Cheyney University, a historically black university, is to prepare confident, competent, reflective, visionary leaders and responsible citizens. Academics at Cheyney are divided into two schools, one focused on arts & sciences and the other focused on education and professional studies.

Founded in 1837 as the Institute for Colored Youth, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is known as the first institution of higher learning for African Americans. The founding of Cheyney University was made possible by Richard Humphreys, a Quaker philanthropist who bequeathed $10,000, one tenth of his estate, to design and establish a school to educate the descendents of the African race.

Today, Cheyney University students represent a variety of races, cultures, and nationalities who receive education instruction beyond the vision of Richard Humphreys. Cheyney graduates still become teachers, but students also enter careers such as journalism, medicine, business, science, law, communication, and government service. The university offers baccalaureate degrees in more than 30 disciplines and the masters degree in education.

Cheyney University is proud of its more than 30,000 graduates. Well known alumni include journalist Ed Bradley of the CBS program 60 Minutes; Robert W. Bogle, publisher and CEO of the Philadelphia Tribune, the oldest newspaper continuously owned and operated by an African American; Gladys Styles Johnston, Former Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney; Former Congressman Curt Weldon; Former State Representative Michael Horsey; State Representative Thaddeus Kirkland who represents the 159th district in Delaware County; Robert L. Woodson, Founder and President of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (NCNE), Washington, D.C.; Samuel J. Patterson, CEO of Shepard Patterson Systems and Information Consulting Firm; and Ambassador (retired) Joseph M. Segars.