Collection

Corpus Christi, groundbreaking for school, May 12, 1918.

Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, coed, liberal arts college that is Catholic and historically Black. The school, which is located in uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, was founded by Sister Katherine Drexel in 1925. Of the 102 historically black colleges and universities and 253 Catholic colleges in the United States, it is the only one noted for being both black and Catholic. Although founded to develop African-American Christian leadership, today more than half of its population is non-Catholic and 10 percent is non-black.

Arthur P. Bedou (1900-1988) was the leading black photographer of New Orleans in the first half of the twentieth century. He took the last pictures taken of Marcus Garvey in the U. S. and extensively documented Booker T. Washington's last speaking tours. This image is from his collection housed at Xavier University.