## Overview Lincoln University is a public, state-related, historically Black university (HBCU) located near Oxford, Pennsylvania, and is recognized as the nation’s oldest degree-granting institution for persons of African descent[4][7]. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, sciences, human services, education, mathematics, and administration, and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1]. With a current enrollment of over 2,000 students—66% female and 34% male—Lincoln continues to attract a diverse, international student body[5]. ## History Founded in 1854 as Ashmun Institute, Lincoln University was originally established to train missionaries for service in Africa, particularly Liberia, and ministers for the United States[1][2]. In 1866, the institution was renamed in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, reflecting its evolving mission to provide higher education for students of “every clime and complexion”[1][2]. The university’s early leadership and faculty had strong ties to Princeton University, earning it the nickname “the Black Princeton” due to its rigorous classical curriculum, Presbyterian roots, and similar colors and mascots[1][3]. Notably, Lincoln’s presidents were Princeton graduates from 1865 to 1945[3]. ## Key Achievements Lincoln University has produced an impressive roster of alumni who have shaped global history, including Thurgood Marshall (first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice), Langston Hughes (renowned poet), and the first presidents of Nigeria (Nnamdi Azikiwe) and Ghana (Kwame Nkrumah)[2][4][5]. During its first century, Lincoln graduated 20% of the nation’s African American physicians and 10% of its African American attorneys[5]. The university also boasts trailblazers such as Lillian Fishburne (first female African American rear admiral in the U.S. Navy) an