THE FIRST HBCU: A Pictorial History of an Enduring Legacy Hardcover – Large Print, September 23, 2025

Cheyney University is more than a campus, it is a living monument to resilience, brilliance, and possibility. From its founding in 1837 as the African Institute, then two months later the name was changed to the Institute for Colored Youth (ICY), a name the school kept until its evolution into Cheyney Training School for Teachers, then Cheyney Teacher’s College, Cheyney State, and now Cheyney University. This historic institution has stood as a beacon of education, leadership, and social progress. Its grounds, buildings, and statues tell a story of generations who dared to dream beyond the limitations of their time and create a legacy that still inspires today.This book is both a visual and historical journey through the landmarks of Cheyney. Each document, building, statue, and space carries with it a memory and a lesson, from the early days of ICY producing products and programs that shaped education, to the training of teachers who transformed classrooms across America, to the leaders and innovators who emerged from Cheyney’s halls to impact the world.In these pages, we remind the world of the beauty of Cheyney—not only in its physical campus, but also in the spirit of its people and the power of its contributions. To walk this campus is to walk through history, and to know Cheyney is to know the foundation of higher education in America for the descendants of the African race. Read more