Biography

In 1840, the Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church named a board of trustees to govern Centenary College, founded at Brandon Springs, Mississippi. Originally consisting of twentyfive members, the board approved a set of bylaws in 1842 and occasionally revised them thereafter. The board included an executive committee as well as additional ad hoc committees. The trustees were responsible for electing the college’s president and hiring faculty members. To fill vacancies on the board, nominations were submitted by the Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the nominees were elected by the board. Note: the conference became the Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South as a result of a denominational schism in 1844.

In 1845, the trustees and the Mississippi Conference chose to move the college to the newly-closed College of Louisiana (Jackson, La.). The board was also reorganized as a twenty-six member “joint board of trustees and visitors.” The first group consisted of thirteen trustees who lived within the vicinity of the college; the thirteen visitors were primarily clergy appointed by the Mississippi Conference. In 1847, with the creation of the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, both the Mississippi and Louisiana Conferences shared the responsibility of appointing trustees and visitors.

The board regularly met to conduct business prior to the college’s commencement ceremonies each summer. It also held called meetings at other times of the year. With the onset of the American Civil War, the board’s executive committee met in October 1861. The next meeting of trustees occurred in summer 1865.

In 1903, the board received notice that the Shreveport Progressive League was interested in facilitating a move of Centenary College to the city of Shreveport. This was met with mixed reactions. The most vocal opponent was John Christian Keener, who had served as president of the board since 1866. In a 1905 lawsuit, the trustees were ordered to turn over control of Centenary to the Louisiana Conference. In 1906, all of the trustees resigned, with vacancies to be filled by the Louisiana Conference. The conference appointed a new board, which included some former trustees, and this group oversaw the move of the college to Shreveport.

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