A NEW HOME FOR THE SCHOOL

Since its founding this school has been located in Meridian, the largest city in Mississippi. For years the institution has been limited for lack of adequate room for expansion and development. Uncounted crowds of students have been turned away for lack of dormitory space and school facilities. Recently an unusual opportunity came to the school to secure, a mile outside of Meridian, one hundred acres of land, a beautiful and fully equipped school property, and at the same time to dispose of the property so long held in town. The impetus of the Centenary was at hand and the Board of Education for Negroes, after careful consideration, decided that it was feasible to make the exchange and to provide the extra money needed to complete the transaction. In October, 1921, the school opened in its new home.

This beautiful new location was until recently the home of a Southern girls' school known as Meridian College and Conservatory. It has not only a wonderful expanse of campus, but also adequate and commodious school buildings fully equipped for work. A large conservatory of music is included, with a pipe organ, numerous pianos and other musical equipment. Every room in the dormitories is equipped with running water, and an excellent swimming pool is also a part of the school equipment. Coupled with the campus is a large and productive farm yearly producing many

acres of fresh vegetables of many sorts and supporting a dairy to provide milk and other dairy products for the school. It will also afford opportunity for the extension of the agricultural courses which have previously been included as a part of the regular curriculum of the school.

Although a mile from town, the new school property is provided with electric transportation service so that it is easily accessible. Altogether the new situation seems to be most excellently adapted to the expanding needs of Haven Institute, and it is of large significance to the colored people of the belated State of Mississippi that they should have available a school campus, buildings, and equipment so admirably fitted for the training and uplift of their young men and women. In the field of college-preparatory work, normal training, music, commercial branches, agricultural training, and in other lines Haven Institute has possibilities of development which will be limited only by the vision of her leaders and the support of her friends. The future of this school bids fair to far exceed its very worthy past.

Central Alabama Institute

Directly east of Mississippi is the State of Alabama, another of the "black belt" States. While the proportion of the colored population in Alabama is not quite so large as in the case of Mississippi, the rate of illiteracy among Negroes in the

State is even greater than among the Negroes of Mississippi. Unlike Mississippi, Alabama has some large and busy cities. In the suburbs of Bir

PRESIDENT R. N. BROOKS

mingham, the largest and busiest

of these, the Board of Education for Negroes is at work.

Central Alabama Institute is located at Mason City, a Negro residential community named after M. C. B. Mason, a former secretary of the Freedmen's Aid Society. The campus, which consists of forty acres of beautiful pine woods, is located a mile beyond the end of the Birmingham car line, but within a few rods of a railroad station. The location is a pleasant and healthful one. The main school building is attractive in appearance and well adapted to school uses. This building, "Brainerd Hall," was made possible by a generous contribution from Mrs. Mary G. Brainerd of Waterville, New York, in honor of her son, Daniel A. Brainerd. Besides this building there are a boys' dormitory, a home for the president, and other minor buildings. A portion of the land is used for agricultural purposes. As a part of the Centenary program a fine new dormitory will be added to the equipment of the school.

This school, formerly known as the Rust Normal