"John-Wesley-Gilbert" ( July 6,1864-Novembert 19,1923)

Was the first African American archaeologist,the first graduate of  Paine

College,the first American-American professor that school,and the first African-American to receive a master's degree from Brown University.


Born to slaves in Hephzibah,Georgia.John split between grammar school and doing manual labor.After finishing public school,he enrolled in the Atlanta Baptist Seminary.In 1884,John enrolled in the newly opened Pain Institute (later known as Paine College).In 1886,he was given financial assistance in order to transfer into the junior class of Brown University.


While at Brown,he receive a scholarship to attend the American School of Classics in Athens,Greece.He was the first African American to attend that school,and remained the only one to have through 1901.During this time,he was bestowed an award for "excellence" in Greek.He was there from 1890-1891 and conducted archaeological excavations on Eretria with Professor John Pickard.After his work there,he produced the first map of Ancient Eretria.


John received his bachelor's degree from Brown in 1888.In 1891,he became the first African-American to receive a master's degree from Brown after the completion of this thesis,"The Demes of Attica.In 1891,he returned to Augusta,Georgia and began to teach the Greek Language and English at his former school Paine College.In 1913,he was appointed the president of  Miles College.John served in that post for one year before returning to Paine College.


In 1889,he married Osceola K.Pleasant,a graduate of  Fisk University and Paine College.Together they had four children.