1891 – 1987
Dr. Charles H. Wesley was a noted educator, author, historian, President of Wilberforce University, and founder of Central State University. He attended several prestigious institutions of higher learning, receiving a Masters degree from Yale in both History and Economics and a Ph.D. from Harvard in History. Dr. Wesley taught at Howard University, beginning as an instructor and rising through the ranks to Professor and head of the History department. In 1942, he became President of Wilberforce University and in 1947 he established Central State University, where he was President until he moved to Washington in 1965. While in Washington, he was Executive Director of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, founded by his friend and colleague Carter Woodson. He was also the first director of the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia. Dr. Wesley authored more than 12 books and over 125 articles.