Robert Prentiss Daniel
Robert Prentiss Daniel (November 2, 1902 – January 1968) was an African-American educator and college administrator. Born in Ettrick, Virginia,[1] he attended college in the South and did graduate work at Columbia University in New York City, where he earned his PhD. After teaching as a professor and serving as an administrator, he was selected in 1936 as the President of Shaw University, a historically black college in Raleigh, where he served for 13 years. From 1950, he served as the president of Virginia State College for 18 years.[2]
Contents
Undergraduate and graduate years
He was a magna cum laude graduate of Virginia Union University.,[1] earning his bachelor's degree in 1924.[1] After working for a couple of years, Daniel continued with graduate education, receiving a Master's Degree in education in 1928 and a PhD in educational psychology from Columbia University in New York City in 1932.[1]
Career
He taught as a Mathematics professor at Virginia Union University (1923 to 1925), and taught English and education a few years later.[1] At Virginia Union University, he was also professor of education and psychology. He directed the Extension Division (1928 to 1936).[1] In 1935 he was a visiting professor at Hampton Institute in Virginia.[1]
He became the president of Shaw University, a historically black college in North Carolina in 1936.[1] He remained there until 1950, when he became President of Virginia State College, a land-grant college.[1][3] He was president there until he died in 1968.[1]
In addition to his academic career, Daniel was active in the Baptist Church.[3]
Marriage and family
Daniel married and had a family. His wife died before him.
In December 1966, he married the widow Marie Plummer Orsot, a socialite of Weldon, North Carolina. As she was Catholic, they married in a Roman Catholic ceremony and church.
Civic and professional associations
Daniel was a Baptist minister. He was active in the Boy Scouts and YMCA.[3]
Professionally, he was a member of the American Psychological Association, the National Association for the Study of Negro Life (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), American Teachers Association, National Education Association, and Conference of Presidents of Negro Land Grant Colleges.[1]
Footnotes
References
- Guthrie, R.V. (1998). Production of Black Psychologists in America: 'Even the Rat Was White' (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, pp. 155–212.
