The Richard Humphreys Foundation, established 1832 Pennsylvania, convinced Quaker, Cheney University, first HBCU , Education focused

History of the Richard Humphreys Foundation

Richard Humphreys was born in the West Indies and immigrated to Philadelphia where he became a convinced Friend.  He died in 1832 and in in his will he bequeathed $10,000 to 13 members of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends for the purpose of establishing a school for “…instructing the descendants of the African Race in school learning, in the various branches of the mechanical arts and trades and in Agriculture…in order to prepare and fit and qualify them to act as teachers in such of those branches of useful business as in the Judgment of the said society they may appear best qualified for…”.   The school was founded as the Institute for Colored Youth. In 1922, the State of Pennsylvania assumed control of the School, and the corporation changed its name to the  Richard Humphreys Foundation, with funds from the endowment to be used for promoting education of African Americans to become teachers. In 1981, the Humphreys Foundation came under the care of FFC. Today the Fund provides scholarships to students in the Cheney University Keystone Honors Academy.