J. Leonard Farmer

Unveiling of Historical Marker

The first African American PhD in Texas, Dr. Farmer arrived in Marshall in 1917 to pastor Ebenezer Methodist Church and to teach Latin, religion, psychology and philosophy at Wiley College. He later was on the faculty of Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Howard University School of Theology in Washington DC, and Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson) in Austin, where he also served as registrar and dean. He returned to Wiley in 1936, and served on the faculty with Melvin Tolson whose debate team was the basis for "The Great Debaters". In the film, Dr. Farmer is portrayed by Forest Whitaker.

Dr. Farmer was born on June 12, 1886 in Kingstree, South Carolina, and attended Mary McLeod Bethune's Cookman Institute in Florida and Boston University. The scholarship he won to BU did not cover transportation, and he walked the 1200 miles to Massachusetts. He completed the coursework and dissertation for his doctorate in one year; the program had a two-year residence requirement and he spent the additional year doing post-graduate work at Harvard.

Dr. Farmer was the father of civil rights leader and CORE founder James Farmer, shown above at the 1998 dedication of the Texas Historical Marker on the Wiley Campus. Dr. Farmer passed away on May 14, 1961, the day before his son was scheduled to enter Alabama with the Freedom Riders.

Juanita Craft

Civil rights advocate Juanita Craft helped form 182 NAACP branches during her 11 years as Texas State Field Organizer. She also served the Dallas NAACP as membership chair and youth leader, and was given the organization's Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award for 50 years of service. She led efforts to integrate the University of North Texas, University of Texas Law School, the Texas State Fair, and the Dallas Independent School District. She was the first African American woman in Dallas county to vote, and served later as Democratic Precinct Chair. She also served two terms on the Dallas City Council.

Mrs. Craft was born February 9, 1902 in Round Rock near Austin. She attended Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College (now Prairie View A&M University) and later received a teaching certificate from Samuel Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson College). Her home (left) is now part of Dallas' Wheatley Place Historical District. A recreation center, post office, and park have been named in her honor.

Cecil Williams

Featured in The Pursuit of Happyness, Glide Memorial UMC in San Francisco has been served by Rev. Williams for almost 50 years, first as pastor and now as Minister of Liberation since his denominational retirement in 2000.

Rev. Williams was born in San Angelo on September 22, 1929, the same year that construction on Glide Memorial began. He graduated from Huston-Tillotson University with a degree in sociology and from Perkins School of Theology at SMU where he was one of the first five African American graduates.

"The true church stays on the edge of life, where the real moans and groans are. Most church folks settle in, get comfortable and build doctrinal walls to protect themselves from anyone who thinks or looks differently than they do." ~ Rev. Cecil Williams, quoted in PBS series This Far By Faith [a great read about Rev. Williams' call to ministry and his outreach in San Francisco]