"Joseph Charles Price" (February 10,1854-1893)

Founder and first president of Livingston College,in North Carolina,was born free in Elizabeth City,North Carolina.His mama,a free African American named Emily Paulin,moved with her son to New Bern,North Carolina which was then occupied by Union forces,to escape the violence of the Civil War.Shortly after,Emily married David Price Joseph took his stepfather's last name.In New Bern Joseph studied at St.Cyprian Episcopal School founded for the children of ex-slaves by Boston educators.He later attended Shaw University in Raleigh in 1873 but transferred to Lincoln University Pennsylvania in 1875.He graduated as valedictorian in 1879 after winning several oratorical prizes.Impressed with Joseph,Bishop James Walker Hood of the African Methodist Zion Church appointed him to its delegation to the  World Ecumenical Conference meeting in London,England.In London he amazed audiences with his his powerful speaking.Called "The World's Orator by the British press,Joseph was encouraged by the delegation to stay in England and raied funds for the reestablishment of Zion Wesley Institute,later to be Livingston College.The original school was founded in 1870 as a seminary for training A.M.E. Zion ministers,but closed after only three years in operation.Over the next year,he was able to raise $10,000 for the school,and returned to North Carolina in 1882.The town of Salisbury offered the school $1,000 and 40 acres called "Delta Grove" belonging to J.M. Gray.The school opened later that year with 28-year-old Joseph as its president.For the next ten years he served as president of Livingston College.In 1890 he became involved in the Afro-American League and was elected president of the  National Protective Association.That same year he was voted one of the "Ten Greatest who ever lived." Joseph advocated education to help ameliorate the damages done by generations of slavery and discrimination for whites as well as African Americans.He died in Salisbury,North Carolina.