Richard Humphreys was a Quaker who was born on the Island of Tortola in 1750. As young men he and his brother, Thomas, were sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as apprentices, Richard as a goldsmith and silversmith, Thomas as a tanner.
Richard Humphreys became a well-known and successful silversmith whose shop was at 54 High Street, Philadelphia. At his death in 1832, he left an estate of over $90,000, $10,000 of which he bequeathed to 13 members of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends for the purpose of establishing a school for “…instructing the descendants of the African Race in school learning, in the various branches of the mechanical arts and trades and in Agriculture…in order to prepare and fit and qualify them to act as teachers in such of those branches of useful business as in the Judgment of the said society they may appear best qualified for…” In 1922, the State of Pennsylvania assumed control of the School, and the corporation changed its name to Richard Humphreys Foundation, with funds from the endowment to be used for promoting education of African-Americans to become teachers.
Chronology:
2/25/1837:
TestPreamble and Constitution drawn up for an association of Friends to be called The African Institute; its object: …the education and improvement of the Children and youth, of the African race, by instructing them in literature, Science, Agriculture, and the Mechanical Arts.
April 1837:
The name of the Association was changed to The Institute for Coloured Youth.
1839:
A 136 acre farm on Old York Road, about 7 miles from the City of Philadelphia, was purchased as the site for the school and farm.
1840:
School opened with 5 pupils from the Shelter for Coloured Orphans.
1846:
Farm/school failed and the school was closed, the farm sold.
1848:
Apprenticing committee was named to set up a program for an evening school for apprenticed African American youth.
1849-52:
Evening school for apprenticed youths held in one room, Barclay St.
1852:
Lombard Street School was completed. Day school for both boys and girls, tuition-free. Evening school continued until 1857.
1863:
A lot on Shippen Street (now Bainbridge) above 9th St. was purchased and plans for 400 students made.
1866:
Bainbridge Street School opened. Continued in operation until 1903.
1902
George Cheyney’s farm, 25 miles from Philadelphia, was purchased as the site for the new school/farm. Cornerstone laid in 1903.
1904
Institute for Colored Youth reorganized, opened at Cheyney in 1904, the formal opening was 5-9-1905.
1905
Summer sessions for African American teachers held at Cheyney. Andrew Carnegie gave $10,000 for a library which was dedicated in 1910.
1914
Association for the Care of Coloured Orphans (the Shelter) moved to five acres of the Cheyney farm.
July 1914
Name of the Institute for Coloured Youth changed to Cheyney Training School for Teachers.
1920
Cheyney became State (of Pennsylvania) Normal School, with graduates receiving a State teaching certificate.
1-1-1922
Management of Cheyney Training School for Teachers taken over by the State of Pennsylvania. The State paid $75,000 to the Corporation.
1923
Home for Destitute Colored Children (later Sunnycrest Farm for Boys) moved to the Cheyney site.
1932
Cheyney became a State Teachers College, granting Bachelor degrees.
