African American educator, religious leader, and champion of racial equality, John Hope (1868-1936) advocated liberal education for black youth and formed the first consortium of African American colleges in America.

John Hope was born in Augusta, Georgia, on June 3, 1868. He finished the eighth grade, then worked in a restaurant. Encouraged to seek further schooling, in 1886 Hope enrolled in the Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. In 1890 he entered Brown University on a scholarship. Graduating in 1894, he was the commencement orator. That year Hope took a position at Roger Williams University in Nashville. He married Lugenia Burns in 1897; the couple had two sons.

Hope joined the faculty of Atlanta Baptist (now More-house) College in 1898. A master teacher, he deeply influenced the intellectual and moral growth of his students. He also had a strong impact on his peers. His writings were published in the Occasional Papers of the American Negro Academy and...