Dr. John Jefferson Smallwood (1863-1912), born enslaved in North Carolina, attended Hampton University, Shaw University, and Wesleyan Wilbraham Academy. After his schooling, he went back South and found his mother, Mary Eliza, a daughter of Nat Turner. He took care of her until her passing, defying brutal odds, as they had been separated during slavery.
In 1892, Dr. Smallwood founded Temperance Industrial Collegiate Institute in Surry County, Virginia. This location was literally in the landing spot for the first enslaved Africans brought to Virginia in the much now lamented (for every reason except empathy for the enslaved) year of 1619.
The following years would find Dr. Smallwood in positions of being an agriculturalist, engineer, educator, fund raiser, accused party, champion, writer, husband, and father. In 1912, at what should have been his professional zenith, Dr. Smallwood passed away. Initially, his very capable widow, the former Rosa Banks (b.1875), took the helm of the school. Eventually, the school’s ownership and leadership changed hands and existed in some semblance of its former self until 1928, when it shuttered.
The legacy of Dr. Smallwood’s efforts live on, especially in the pages of historical newspapers. Here are several examples that give greater insight into the life of this brave man:

The Boston Globe
Boston, Massachusetts 16 Nov 1890, Sun • Page 2

Boston, Massachusetts 21 Jun 1894, Thu • Page 6

Boston, Massachusetts 19 Jan 1895, Sat • Page 1

Boston, Massachusetts 19 Jan 1895, Sat • Page 4

Salt Lake City, Utah 02 Jan 1904, Sat • Page 5

Buffalo, New York 28 May 1904, Sat • Page 26

Oshkosh, Wisconsin 27 Aug 1904, Sat • Page 7

New York, New York 21 May 1912, Tue • Page 14

Richmond, Virginia
Mon, Sep 30, 1912 · Page 10

Williamsburg, Virginia 03 Oct 1912, Thu • Page 1
Here are some other items of interest relating to Dr. John Jefferson Smallwood:




John Jefferson Smallwood and John H. Turner Were Classmates




Books about the life and works of Dr. John Jefferson Smallwood and his Temperance Industrial Collegiate Institute, written by his 2nd great niece, Mary E.C. Drew, are available online:


Selected Writings and Speeches of Dr. John Jefferson Smallwood, by Mary E.C. Drew
It’s been fascinating learning about Dr. Smallwood and I’m happy to share more about him here in this forum.
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