St. Philip's College 1898
502 La Villita
Serving a diverse student population in San Antonio's east side, St. Phillips College (SPC) provides many opportunities and programs for the community the institution serves. Founded on March 1, 1898, the SPC served as a weekend sewing class for black girls. (St. Philip’s College, 2024) Miss Alice G. Cowan, a missionary of the Episcopal Church, taught the sewing class. (Bragg, 2024) The founding of SPC in 1898 was an effort to provide a public institution with a future to empower student populations through educational attainment. Being a public two-year HBC (Historically Black College) and HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution), SPC "responds to the needs of a population rich in ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic diversity." (Gray, 2021)
Regarding the original location of SPC, the initial structure still stands today. It is located at 502 La Villita in an old adobe home where the school director from 1900 to 1902 was Perry G. Walker. (Mogavero, 1898) Following Walker's leadership, Artemisia Bowden became an administrator and teacher in September 1902. During Bowden's leadership, SPC transitioned from an industrial school for girls to a high school and then a community college. (Bragg, 2024) The institutions then moved from the original location in La Villita in 1917 to the current SPC location. A plaque in La Villita honors the original site of SPC, and it is important to commemorate the original sight of an institution that has made a historical impact on the east side of San Antonio. Below is the original location of SPC, and the photo next to the image reflects the current state of the building and plaque commemorating the site.
The importance of establishing SPC was to provide educational opportunities for the community the institution served. The original site provided minorities with increased accessibility to higher education and economic mobility through the institution's programs. As the original site was in a centralized area of downtown San Antonio, SPC not only increased higher education accessibility but also provided services to a poverty-stricken area. In 1918, SPC was relocated to the institutions currently located on the east side of San Antonio, where it serves the heart of the community as a recognized HSI and the only community college to be designated as an HBC. Though the roots of SPC have been moved to a new location, the lasting imprint it has left on La Villita and San Antonio's education history continues.
References
Bragg. (2024). Artemisia Bowden: The founder of St. Philip’s College . Artemisia Bowden: The Founder of St. Philip’s College by Beverly Bragg | Journal of the Life and Culture of San Antonio. https://www.uiw.edu/sanantonio/artemisiabowden.html
Gray. (2021). St. Philip’s college. Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/st-philips-college
St. Philip’s College. (2024). San Antonio Junior College St. Philip’s Branch Booklet. The Portal to Texas History. https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/partners/STPC/
Mogavero. (1898). Saturday Evening Sewing Class. The Portal to Texas History. https://education.texashistory.unt.edu/
