St. Philip’s College is celebrating its 127th anniversary this year, a milestone that shares historic ties with the San Antonio Express-News, which will mark its 160th anniversary on Sept. 27.
The two institutions are connected through St. Philip’s founding president, Artemisia Bowden. In 1902, Bishop James Steptoe Johnston of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas invited Bowden, a Georgia native and graduate of St. Augustine’s Normal School in Raleigh, North Carolina, to lead the school.
“The success of St. Philip’s College is inseparable from her leadership. She believed everyone had the right to a quality education and equal participation in Texas society. Her story reminds us that one person’s faith and courage can transform entire communities,” said St. Philip’s College President Dr. Adena Williams Loston.
Artemisia Bowden led the college for 52 years, from 1902 to 1954. During segregation, she also served as a columnist for the Express-News in 1953 and 1954, writing on issues affecting San Antonio’s Black community. Headlines from her column included “It’s Strength for the Spirit,” “High Scholastic Honors Won By Ex-San Antonian,” and “First Negro-Owned Flower Shop Opened By S.A. Woman.”
At the time, the San Antonio Register and SNAP News were considered the city’s Black newspaper, while the Express-News served as the city newspaper. Formal segregation began to decline in 1964 with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, and further crumbled with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, though informal separation persisted.
Artemisia Bowden’s great-great-niece, Jennifer Walker, recalls learning about the column from her great-grandfather, Bernarr J. Coleman, when she was 10 years old.
“It’s very inspiring and exciting knowing that she was a civil rights activist during that time period; she was trailblazing and fearless,” Jennifer said. “Segregation was no easy feat to navigate, so I was very thankful she stood for justice, equality, and catapulting change.”
Today, Artemisia Bowden’s legacy lives on through the students of St. Philip’s College and in the Express-News archives, which have chronicled her life in numerous features.
Enrollment at St. Philip’s College has grown to more than 20,000 students. The college now operates multiple campuses and eight satellite locations, including sites at Joint Base San Antonio. It holds national recognition as both a Historically Black College and a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
