The Essence remains
“Birmingham-Southern College traces its roots back to 1856, the year the Alabama Legislature chartered Southern University as a Methodist institution; the following year, the school’s cornerstone was laid in Greensboro, Ala.
In 1859, Southern University opened with 52 students—many of whom left two years later to fight in the Civil War, which left the institution depleted. A decade after its founding, only 28 students remained. But, under a renewed commitment by Methodist leadership, Southern University rose again, building to 238 students in 1889 and graduating its first woman in 1897.”